The latest consolidation move in the UK legal sector, as Fletchers Group acquires the serious injury practice of Shoosmiths.
The landmark deal, which underscores the Group’s leadership position in UK serious injury, will see 80 colleagues, including eight partners, join Fletchers, bringing the total number of fee earners in the Group working to over 800.
Following completion, Fletchers, which is headquartered in Manchester, will add major new bases in Birmingham, Thames Valley and Northampton, giving the business a base to attract new talent across the Midlands and South, and complementing Fletchers’ existing regional hubs in the Northwest, Yorkshire, Newcastle and Cambridge.
Shoosmiths serious injury (SSI) Lead Partner Phil Barnes will lead the new business in the Midlands and South and support the integration over the first six months of the acquisition.
The deal also includes a substantial number of ongoing Court of Protection clients, further strengthening Fletchers’ offering in this specialist area.
Fletchers Group Chief Executive Peter Haden said the opportunity to work with one of the most respected and experienced serious injury teams in the UK was a key driver behind the acquisition.
“SSI has a strong track record in complex, high-value cases, including major birth injury and catastrophic injury claims. I am confident that they will make a major contribution to our business, not just in case volumes but also through their deep experience of this area of the law.”
Peter said the SSI team’s case mix is 90 per cent clinical negligence and ten per cent personal injury, and are ranked top tier in Chambers and Legal 500. He noted that in 2024, Fletchers signed around 13,000 serious injury cases, a 20 per cent increase on the previous year and almost doubling since PE house Sun European Partners invested in the firm in 2021.
Shoosmiths Chief Executive, David Jackson, said the deal followed a strategic review of the serious injury market and the firm’s long-term growth priorities.
“We’re proud of the exceptional team we’ve built and the high-quality work they’ve done over many years. The serious injury market has evolved quickly, and continued success in this area demands substantial, specialist investment. After extensive discussions, we’re confident that Fletchers offers the right home for our people and our clients, with the focus, scale, and ambition needed to support long-term growth.”
“The deal also allows us to continue to sharpen our strategic focus on the areas aligned to our 2030 strategy through further investment in lateral talent in the coming months, supporting our ambition to lead the upper-mid-market by excelling in our chosen markets across Corporate, Real Estate, and Litigation, with a deep sector focus in Technology, Financial Services, Energy, Infrastructure, and Mobility.”
Phil Barnes, National Head of Shoosmiths Serious Injury commented: “This decision wasn’t taken lightly — it reflects a shared recognition that the serious injury sector is evolving fast, and to keep delivering the very best outcomes for our clients, we need scale, focus and sustained investment.”
“From the outset, Fletchers stood out as a firm that not only shares our values but has the infrastructure, appetite and vision to take our practice to the next level. I’m incredibly proud of everything our team has achieved at Shoosmiths, and I’m excited about what we’ll be able to do together as part of Fletchers in the years ahead — for our clients, our people, and the continued evolution of serious injury legal practice in the UK.”
Looking ahead, Peter Haden said: “I fully expect Fletchers to continue to be a leading player in the current wave of consolidation working through the claimant sector.”
“We remain resolute in our ambition to be the UK’s most successful serious injury law firm, via a mix of inorganic and organic growth, and continued investment in our people and technology. We also intend to be a vocal contributor to the debate about the essential role we and our peers play in helping people move forward from what is often the worst experiences of their lives.”
Recent research (i) confirmed that last year Fletchers helped injured people access £250m of quality of life and financial benefit by settling their injury claim. The majority of this compensation goes directly towards treatment, rehabilitation, and ongoing care – helping many achieve a quicker and better recovery. Four out of five of our clients are of working age, and around half are in employment.
The research calculated (using government methodology) that, without intervention, their quality of life would reduce by the equivalent of £411 million over the course of a single year (2023-24).
The deal, which does not require regulatory approval, is expected to complete in August and the consideration is undisclosed.
(i) The Value of Recovery and Redress. Pragmatix Advisory (Nov. 2024).
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