Knights Group has agreed to acquire the commercial and private wealth service lines of the law firm, Moore Barlow, for £27m.

The deal, which comprises £18m on completion and the remaining amount on three consecutive anniversaries, forms part of Knights’ focus on building scale in the South East and South Central regions, following its recent expansion in the Thames Valley, Essex, Kent and Sussex.

In the year to 30 April 2025, Moore Barlow delivered revenue of £42m and profits distributable to members of £12m.

The law firm said Moore Barlow’s service offering is a close fit with its existing capabilities, particularly in real estate, private wealth and landed estates.

Moore Barlow currently operates from six locations; Richmond, Guildford, Woking, Southampton, Lymington and a small City office.

Following completion, Knights plans to consolidate part of its office network, with Woking and Guildford being combined into a new Guildford office, and it will also vacate its City office.

The firm’s other service lines (personal injury, clinical negligence and court of protection) will be sold separately immediately preceding the Knights transaction.

CEO at Knights, David Beech, said: "We are thrilled to welcome the Moore Barlow team to Knights. The acquisition gives us significantly greater scale across the South East and South Central regions, and further strengthens our expertise in Real Estate, Private Wealth and Landed Estates.

"Moore Barlow is a strong cultural and operational fit with Knights. By combining its long-established regional reputation and talented people with our scale, broader capabilities and well-invested platform, we see a compelling opportunity to deliver further growth, enhance the service offered to clients and create more opportunities for our people."

Ed Whittington of Moore Barlow, added: "Joining Knights marks an exciting next chapter for Moore Barlow. The combination will allow us to build on our long heritage, strong regional presence and specialist expertise, while giving our clients access to a broader range of services and the resources of a business with national scale.

"We share Knights' ambition to deliver premium service and believe the combination will provide an excellent platform for continued growth. We look forward to working together to support our clients, invest in our teams and realise the significant opportunities across the South East and South Central regions."

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