Founded by Julian Linskill in 1978, Linskills is one of the most high profile criminal practices in the North West and has been acquired by Astraea Legal. Tony McDonough reports

One of Liverpool best known criminal law firms, Linskills Solicitors, has been acquired by up and coming practice Astraea Legal.

Linskills was founded by Julian Linskill in 1978 and has established itself as one of the most high profile criminal practices in the North West. His headline-grabbing cases including representing Southport killer Mitchell Quy who murdered his wife in 1998.

In 2018 Mr Linskill claimed huge cuts to the Legal Aid budget was putting the criminal law sector under a “crushing burden” of extra hours and reduced fees. He said that with firms withdrawing from criminal law it would mean people being denied access to justice.

Astraea Legal was founded in Liverpool in 2016 by Nama Zarroug and fellow director Matt Reynolds and were subsequently joined by directors James Roochove and Sara Perischine.

The purchase marks the start of a rapid expansion for the firm which has offices in both Liverpool and London and the acquisition of Linskills Solicitors will see the team grow from eight to 20.

Astraea, which specialises in a wide range of legal services, said that Linskills, based in Castle Street, will continue to trade under their current name and Julian Linskill will remain very much part of the team for the foreseeable future.

Ms Zarroug said: “Our aim is to build on Linskills’ exceptional reputation and take their legacy forward as part of our international practice. They have been a well-respected player in the Liverpool legal scene for more than 40 years and we are looking forward to be working alongside such experienced professionals.’

She added that the acquisition will help fast-track the firms commitment to championing access to justice for some of the area’s most vulnerable clients: “Linskills will remain the trading name for all of our publicly-funded work and together with our expertise in areas such as crime, property, civil litigation, family and welfare this will expand and enrich our overall offering.”

Mr Linskill added: “This marks a new era for the whole team here at Linskills. When the Astraea team approached us we were immediately impressed by their progressive approach and felt the merger would be a real meeting of minds.”