As Manchester firms struggle with post-Halliwells gloom, DWF hunts for growth. Simon Petersen reports

It was an unusual way for merger discussions to go public – though many in Manchester’s close-knit legal community were not unduly surprised when it did. This month it emerged that expansive northwest law firm DWF had held talks with Manchester stalwart Cobbetts – in part because an IT staffer had registered the name dwfcobbetts.co.uk.