Liverpool city region law firm Fletchers completes the latest in a series of acquisitions as it continues its aggressive growth strategy. Tony McDonough reports

Southport law firm Fletchers Group has bought the clinical negligence division of boutique practice Sheldon Davidson Solicitors (SDS) – the latest in a series of acquisitions.

In January Fletchers took on the 97 fee-earners at Merseyside-based Scott Rees & Co Solicitors. This latest buyout of the unit of Bury-based SDS is part of Fletchers’ wider growth strategy, which focuses on targeted acquisitions.

Over the coming weeks, all clinical negligence cases from SDS will transition to Fletchers, along with two members of the team. The rest of the firm is not part of the acquisition and will continue to operate independently.

With offices in Liverpool, Manchester Leeds, Bolton, Cambridge and Newcastle. Fletchers Group specialises in clinical negligence and personal injury. It was founded in 1987 and in 2021 was acquired by an affiliate of private equity outfit Sun European Partners.

In the 12 months to April 30, 2024, Fletchers generated revenues of £58m, 36% up the previous year. Pre-tax profits totalled £8.26m, around four times higher than last year. With new acquisitions Fletchers is expecting revenues of £100m this year.

Charlene Mann, Fletchers’ managing director of new acquisitions, said: “It’s great to welcome Sheldon Davidson Solicitors’ clinical negligence clients and colleagues.

“This acquisition reinforces our strategy to grow by partnering with like-minded practices that complement our own – always putting client service and legal expertise at the forefront of everything we do.

“This latest development underlines our position as the UK’s leading clinical negligence practice and reinforces our ambition to continue setting the highest standards in the sector.”

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Despite its wider ambitions Fletchers insists it remains committed to its original Southport home where around 400 of its 1,000-plus employees are based. In an interview with LBN in April, director Dan Taylor told LBN: ““Our commitment to Southport is not just in name.

“We continue to recruit locally for teams that are Southport-based. We are very much invested in local people by offering legal apprenticeships here. It is important for us to do that. That is in both legal and non-legal departments.”