Forsters announces its proposed acquisition of the Gowling WLG London Private Client team
Leading private client and real estate law firm Forsters LLP today announces its intention to acquire the Gowling WLG London Private Client team. The team will add significantly to Forsters' international and offshore private client capacity and will complement the firm's already well established profile for onshore work
The team, which it is planned will join Forsters on 1 May this year, includes four partners – Anthony Thompson, Catharine Bell, Nick Jacob and Daniel Ugur – as well as ten solicitors and five other members of staff.
Following the acquisition, the Forsters Private Client team will comprise 48 lawyers, firmly establishing it as one of the UK’s top tier private client practices. With the arrival of the Gowling WLG team, Forsters' wider private wealth offering, including family and contentious trust and probate, will contribute more than one third of the firm's revenue.
Commenting on the acquisition, Patrick Harney, partner and head of the Private Client team at Forsters, said:
"This acquisition will be highly significant for Forsters, increasing the scope and reach of our private wealth services and adding to our expertise for UK domiciled and internationally based clients. There are strong synergies between our respective teams and existing client bases and this is a real opportunity to enhance Forsters' position as a market leading law firm in private client work."
A key driver for the acquisition is the broadening of Forsters' geographical reach. The firm already enjoys a very strong profile amongst US and European clients and the Gowling WLG team has established relationships in the Middle East and Asia. Additionally, with London seen as the centre of excellence for trust work, Forsters will continue to increase its domestic and international client base for family governance advice – a significant growth area for the Private Client team in recent years.
Paul Roberts, Managing Partner at Forsters, comments:
“The Gowling WLG team will be an excellent addition to our private wealth offering and to the wider firm. Our strategy of focusing on what we are good at – real estate and private client – has been successful and we have no intention of changing it. This acquisition will be another significant step in Forsters becoming recognised as a market leader in our chosen areas of excellence."
Forsters announces its proposed acquisition of the Gowling WLG London Private Client team. Read more: https://t.co/nFAEkNjM3A #PrivateClient pic.twitter.com/NVmkbgAflr
— Forsters LLP (@ForstersLLP) March 9, 2017