Just months after acquiring specialist family law practice Cheesmans, MSB will merge with PMC, founded in 2016 by Pauline McNamara, one of the region’s best known names in family law

Two of the North West’s most established family law practices are to combine forces as Liverpool law firm MSB announces that PMC Family Law will join its team on June 7.

Just months after acquiring specialist family law practice Cheesmans, MSB will merge with PMC, founded in 2016 by Pauline McNamara, one of the region’s best known names in family law.

This latest deal is part of MSB managing partner Emma Carey’s wider strategy to reinforce MSB’s status as one of the leading practices for family law in the North of England. Emma was formerly head of family at MSB and has transformed the department into a 50-strong powerhouse.

Both MSB and PMC Family Law are recognised for their expertise and excellence in family law both in The Legal 500, the UK’s leading guide to the legal profession, and in Chambers and Partners, a global directory of leading law firms and lawyers.

News of the merger follows the recent appointment of former PMC lawyer John Owens and will see PMC’s eight staff, including Pauline McNamara, join MSB, which now operates four offices in Liverpool and Widnes. Pauline will head up the firm’s growing private client department.

Pauline specialises in all aspects of family law including divorce, financial ancillary relief, cohabitation disputes, pre and post-marital settlements and issues relating to children.  

PMC Family Law has evolved into a niche family law practice specialising in high net worth divorce settlements, including valuation of businesses and the most complex pension and tax issues. The firm is regularly instructed in multi-million pound and highly complex cases both in the UK and abroad as a result of their combined experience and expertise.

Referred to as “brilliant” in the 2015 Legal 500, she is described as heading an excellent team. And, in the 2019 Legal 500, the firm was said to have an “unrivalled reputation as a specialist boutique family law firm in Liverpool”. The 2019 edition also described Pauline as a “strong and experienced negotiator” who is “supported by a close group of fee earners who are a force to be reckoned with.”

Pauline said: “I have been impressed by Emma’s career and am particularly excited about her vision for the future of MSB, her commitment to the community and her employees, which is aligned with our core principles. There is a synergy between the practices whereby we will benefit from each other’s expertise.”

MSB managing partner, Emma Carey said: “I have known and admired Pauline McNamara for a number of years and she and her team have a fantastic reputation in family law. I’m genuinely excited for them to be joining our brilliant and highly-motivated MSB family team. The considerable experience they bring opens up huge opportunities for MSB as a firm.

“These latest developments reinforce our position as one of the leading family practices in the North, with a growing national reputation.”

Head of family law at MSB, Emma Palmer,  welcomed the acquisition. She said: “I am thrilled to welcome Pauline and the PMC Family Law team to MSB. I honestly believe there are few firms in the UK that can rival our in-depth knowledge and experience of family law.

“This latest merger can only further enhance that reputation and I’m excited to be leading a team at the forefront of this rapidly-evolving area of the law.”