David Pester, left, and Tom McEntegart
Bristol law firm TLT is to launch operations in Scotland and Northern Ireland to enable it to give legal advice from its own offices in all three UK legal jurisdictions – England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The move aims to strengthen relationships with TLT’s strategically-important clients, help win new business and grow market share.
It will make it one of only a handful of firms able to deliver litigation services from its own offices to financial services clients in all three jurisdictions.
The moves will give TLT a forecast turnover of £48m, 80 partners and approximately 750 employees with offices in Bristol, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast.
In Scotland TLT is merging with respected firm Anderson Fyfe to create TLT Scotland Ltd. Anderson Fyfe, which has a £3m turnover, employs eight partners and 45 staff in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Both Anderson Fyfe and TLT have a strong focus on the financial services sector and have a number of financial services clients in common, all of whom have welcomed the plans.
More than 40% of TLT’s income is from its financial services clients, including major UK lenders and international banks. Anderson Fyfe is very successful in its primary niche area – financial services recoveries work – ranking in tier 1 in the Scottish market in the Legal 500 legal guide. Some 75% of its practice is litigation, both volume and complex recoveries work, plus commercial, employment and other disputes. The balance of the practice is primarily in real estate.
Completion of the merger is expected on July 1 and it is anticipated that all Anderson Fyfe employees will join TLT. Anderson Fyfe managing partner Tom McEntegart will become TLT’s operational managing partner for TLT in Scotland.
The firm is also launching a separate practice in Northern Ireland – TLT NI LLP –focusing initially on litigation services for a number of the firm’s existing financial services clients.
It is being led by newly-recruited partner Katharine Kimber supported by a team of four locally-recruited solicitors and paralegals.
TLT managing partner David Pester said: “The strategic rationale for establishing operations in both Scotland and Northern Ireland has been driven by clients in the financial services sector seeking a one-firm approach to the supply of litigation services for all jurisdictions in the UK.
“Combining the strengths and resources of Anderson Fyfe and TLT, and establishing operations in Northern Ireland, will extend our national presence, strengthen our relationships with many of our strategic clients, and help us win new business and grow market share.
“TLT has a clear strategy which positions us in the UK market as a national firm providing day-to-day legal support to UK and international businesses. We focus our time and investment on our chosen industry sectors and on our strategic clients.”
