Irwin Mitchell to Acquire Silk Family Law Broadening Depth and Expertise in North of England

Irwin Mitchell will significantly expand its family law practice in the North East of England with the acquisition of Silk Family Law.

The deal, subject to contract and SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) approval, will add to Irwin Mitchell’s strong national family law practice which is already one of the largest teams in the country and regularly brings complex financial separation cases to the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

The deal to acquire Silk Family Law follows the news of Irwin Mitchell’s investment in Scotland-based law firm Wright, Johnston and Mackenzie earlier this month. Irwin Mitchell has also recently appointed former BBC news presenter Joanna Gosling as a mediator in the family law team.

Silk Family Law is ranked number one in the Legal 500 in the North East and operates out of Newcastle, Leeds and Richmond, North Yorkshire. It represents clients in all aspects of matrimonial and family law cases, including financial and children matters.  Its specialist lawyers have expertise in dealing with complex financial issues, including business assets, farming businesses, trusts, and pensions, as well as cases with an international dimension.

Irwin Mitchell has a growing service for affluent individuals and business owners which, as well as one of the largest family law teams in the country, also includes the 3rd largest private client team, executive employment specialists, wealth management and financial planning teams and can also draw on the support of Irwin Mitchell’s corporate, commercial, and personal injury teams.

The Irwin Mitchell team recently won Private Client team of the year at the latest Northern Law Awards.

Ros Bever, Director of Legal Services, Family: “This strategic investment will expand our expertise and reach in the North East of England, and I’m excited about our combined future. Our family law specialists work on ground-breaking cases and achieve excellent results for our clients, and we’re delighted to be welcoming the Silk Family Law team to Irwin Mitchell.”

Ian Kennerley, Managing Partner at Silk Family Law: “We’re delighted to be joining Irwin Mitchell and remain committed to providing the same specialist high quality family law advice and representation for all our clients. We share the same values for client service and excellence and look forward to benefiting from the additional resources and support which will be available to our clients on a national and international basis.”

In the past financial year Irwin Mitchell has also agreed deals to acquire asset management firms TWP Wealth and Andrews Gwynne. The firm has also opened new offices in Cardiff and Liverpool and recruited 18 new Partners.

Silk Family Law were advised by Armstrong Watson LLP and Harrison Clark Rickerbys Limited. Irwin Mitchell were advised by their in-house Corporate Partner Dan Bastide and Menzies LLP.