Merger Of Historic Legal Firms

A York law firm dating back more than 200 years has merged with a historic Ryedale firm in a move to increase its client base and areas of expertise.

Ware & Kay based in York's Peasholme Green and with a secondary office in Wetherby as of today officially merged with Malton-based Pearsons & Ward.

From its offices in Market Street, the team of 20 at Pearsons & Ward will continue to operate from its Malton base, and under the Pearsons & Ward branding.

Peter Kay, senior director at Ware & Kay, which employs a team of 66 across its two offices, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be merging with Pearsons & Ward, which is a very similar firm to Ware & Kay in terms of their culture and history, and dedication to providing quality service to their clients in a personal way.

"The strategy behind the merger is to provide a greater geographical coverage for the whole firm, across the spine of the A64 from the A1 to the coast.

"It gives us an enhanced capability in terms of the overall breadth of our offering but also a greater ability to specialise in some areas where we currently are not proven in having specialist expertise, for example in the agricultural sector.  On the other hand Pearsons & Ward will have a greater breadth of offering for their clients in respect of commercial property and employment work.

It's overall a win win and we are looking forward very much to working with our new colleagues."

The Ryedale firm, founded in 1824, specialises in advice to farmers, land owners and the rural community, advice on probate and wills including inheritance tax planning together with residential and commercial transactions, family law matters and resolving disputes.

Ware & Kay, which dates back to 1812, offers specialists advice in employment law, corporate and commercial matters, personal injury, financial advice and debt collection.

The merger is the second in two years for Ware & Kay, following a deal with York firm Sykes Lee & Brydson in 2013, which saw Ware & Kay take on 13 staff who previously worked at Sykes Lee & Brydson's offices in Judges Court in Coney Street and Acomb.

The Press

Published: 1^st October 2015