Lupton Fawcett takes over smaller rival

The enlarged firm will trade as Lupton Fawcett Lee & Priestley and will have around 270 staff with more than 130 executives. Lupton Fawcett, with a turnover of £12.5m, has offices in both Leeds and Sheffield, while Lee & Priestley, with a turnover of £3.5m, is based in Leeds.

Lupton Fawcett Lee & Priestley said it will increase its focus on developing the firm’s Sheffield and South Yorkshire offering.

Richard Marshall, managing director, said: “The addition of the first class team from Lee & Priestley represents a great step forward in our journey to achieve our strategy of developing the firm best capable of meeting the needs of our region’s wealth creators for commercial advice in their business capacities, and their need for wealth preservation services in their private capacities.

“I am delighted to welcome our new colleagues and know that together we can better serve our much valued clients.”

He added: “We are very interested to speak to first class Sheffield lawyers wanting to make themselves and their teams part of Lupton Fawcett Lee & Priestley’s fast developing and exciting future.”

James Richardson, the former managing partner of Lee & Priestley, will join Lupton Fawcett Lee & Priestley’s management board and its strategy board.

n Raft of mergers at Yorkshire firms – see Legal Matters, Page 4.