Hammond Suddards Edge has taken over niche sports firm Townleys.
The four partner firm, which is headed by senior partner Stephen Townley and is based in the City, will merge with Hammonds at the end of the month.
The firm’s full compliment of staff, which includes 19 lawyers and around 40 support staff will be joining up with Hammonds existing two-partner, three-assistant practice, headed by partner and Leeds head Mike Henley.
“We have been in talks for some time – it is not a knee-jerk reaction,” said senior partner Stephen Townley. “We have been approached by four or five people, but Hammonds was the only one that we took further,” he added.
It has not yet been decided who will head up the department. “We haven’t discussed if we will have joint heads, or how it will work,” said Townley.
With the acquisition, Hammonds will have a sports law department of six partners and 22 partners. For the time being Townleys will stay in its old offices, which are close to Hammonds’ City premises. However the firm plans to move into Hammonds’ fully in the near future.
Townleys is a full service sports law firm. Its clients include the Rugby World Cup, International Tennis Federation, and Royal Ascot.
Townley confirmed that, with the merger, the practice was seeking to pick up more overseas work.
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