A NEWLY merged legal firm has welcomed four new solicitors to its ranks.

Coffin Mew completed its merger with Charles Lucas & Marshall (CL&M) at the end of March, creating a £15m legal business across eight locations with more than 220 employees.

This has seen the Coffin Mew name appear in Swindon for the first time, although CL&M is expected to continue trading under that name at Eastcott House on High Street for the time being, with no plans to close offices or make redundancies.

Existing clients of both firms will have the same staff working on their files, as part of the strengthened combined team, following a full TUPE consultation.

The merger positions Coffin Mew as one of the largest law firms in the central South region, with a 30 per cent increase in turnover and close to 40 per cent increase in staffing levels.

The deal will significantly bolster the firm’s private client offering, with around 58 per cent of the combined firm’s work dedicated to private client, including a weighty focus on wills, trusts and probate and wealth management.

Recognising CL&M’s experience in the rural land and landed estates sector, this merger signals not only the growth of Coffin Mew in real terms, but the expansion of the firm’s expertise and service provision.

This period of expansion has also seen the firm take on four new solicitors.

Among them is solicitor Bryan Scant, who has joined the family team from law firm Lester Aldridge. He is also chairman of the prestigious Junior Lawyers Division at The Law Society and bosses have described him as "a valuable addition to the Coffin Mew team".

He said: “I’m looking to forward to working with our colleagues in the Swindon office and being able to spend more time exploring the surrounding area. The recent merger of Coffin Mew and Charles Lucas and Marshall is an exciting opportunity to join an expanding family team.”

Miles Brown, CEO of Coffin Mew, said: "We’re very happy with the new additions to our team. We pride ourselves on recruiting the best legal experts so we can deliver a professional, prompt and efficient service to businesses and individuals.

"With our merger completion, new promotions, recruits and charitable causes, this year continues to be an exciting time for us.

“We have made no secret of the fact that Coffin Mew is an ambitious firm. We aim to be a £20m turnover company by 2020, and this merger is a big step towards achieving that goal.

"The addition of CL&M’s staff and expertise complements Coffin Mew’s services across the board. Our teams are already working well together, and I look forward to this being the first of many deals as Coffin Mew continues its expansion in the South, building on its position as one of the region’s leading law firms."

Managing Partner of CL&M, Hemant Amin added: “In merging with Coffin Mew, we have cemented our ability to offer the highest standards of client services across an increased number of sectors.

“The integration of CL&M staff has been my key focus and I have been delighted with how seamless the process has been. The combined firm’s talents, expertise and experience will certainly make it a legal force to be reckoned with in the South."