DWF has bought up legal costs specialist NeoLaw in a deal which will see 21 people join DWF’s London and Birmingham offices, after it it acquired claims manager Triton this January.
The bolt-on will be added to DWF’s existing 36-strong in-house costs department and will provide capability in delivering specialist legal costs and private client services including the drafting of bills of costs, costs budgets and points of dispute, through to advocacy at costs management and assessment hearings.
Shared clients for both DWF and NeoLaw include insurers Aviva and Direct Line Group. NeoLaw’s team has experience acting across sectors including financial services, public sector, real estate, technology and transport.
NeoLaw’s chief executive officer (CEO) Simon Murray will join DWF as a partner and head of the firm’s costs business.
DWF’s managing partner and CEO Andrew Leaitherland said the firm aims to offer clients a comprehensive approach to costs management in core sectors.
‘Our team has been growing organically over the past few years, and with this acquisition we will take a significant step forward in expanding our capability.’
Simon Murray, CEO of NeoLaw added: ‘As independent legal costs advisers we have experience working with a number of law firms, and from our previous collaborations with DWF we have seen first-hand not only their legal expertise, but their dedicated approach to service delivery that complements our own focus on providing flexible and commercially-focused services to clients.’
The deal comes a week after L DWF announced that it was setting up in Asia after hiring a four-partner team which had previously departed Eversheds Sutherland.
Former Singapore managing partner Oommen Mathew, alongside arbitration and construction partner Iain Black lead the team from Eversheds.Associates Charis Tan and Kate Lan completethe launch team.
Meanwhile, DWF purchased claims management firm Triton Global for 30% of its value, according to a FRP Advisory report on Triton’s administration. The report revealed that DWF bought the firm for £1.1m, taking on pension arrears of £345,000.
kathryn.mccann@legalbusiness.co.uk
