Law merger sinks in choppy market

Earlier this month, Andrew Leaitherland, the managing partner at DWF, confirmed that preliminary talks with Cobbetts had taken place.

However, a joint statement issued on behalf of DWF and Cobbetts yesterday confirmed that the proposed merger was off.

The statement added: “The preliminary discussions between DWF and Cobbetts regarding a potential merger have now come to a conclusion and we have made the decision not to progress these talks any further due to the current uncertainty in market conditions.

“Growth by merger and lateral hires continues to be an option for both firms but until any discussions are brought to a conclusion, we will not be in a position to talk about them publicly.”

Cobbetts has around 150 staff in Leeds, while DWF’s Leeds office employs around 193 people.

Earier this month, DWF completed its merger with Newcastle-based law firm Crutes.

At the time, Mr Leaitherland said: “Crutes was the perfect match for DWF, as its business services and sector strengths complement ours. Our shared legal expertise, sector knowledge and resources will enable us to provide an enhanced offering to our clients in the North East and beyond.”