Shakespeare Putsman and Needham & James merge today

Birmingham based law firm Shakespeare Putsman LLP has today (1 July 2010) merged with leading Midlands firm Needham & James LLP. The new firm is called Shakespeare Putsman LLP, however, Needham & James will continue to trade under its existing name from its Stratford office.

The new firm has an annual turnover of approximately £24m and employs 320 people including 40 partners and is one of the Midlands' largest law firms.

Commenting on the deal, Paul Wilson, Chief Executive of Shakespeare Putsman said: "The merger of Shakespeares and Putsmans three years ago has been a real success, and has helped us emerge from the recession stronger, leaner and more focused than many of our regional competitors.

The extreme economic conditions experienced in the past two years have intensified competition and complexity within the legal marketplace. Our clients' are rightly increasing their demands for exceptional technical expertise, a broader range of legal services and greater value for money.

This merger provides us with additional capability across a number of practice areas and significantly strengthens our Private Client and Property services, including the addition of a very experienced and nationally regarded social housing team.

Our aims for the new firm are straightforward. We plan to continue to invest in developing our existing teams, hiring the best legal talent in the Midlands, and building a robust infrastructure."

Herbert Andrews, Managing Partner at Needham & James added: "In recent years we have recognised that in order to continue to service our clients' expanding requirements we need to be part of a larger organisation. By joining forces with Shakespeare Putsman we can make the necessary investment and continue to provide exceptional service to our clients across the UK."