Knights strengthens national business with major expansion in the south

Knights has completed its acquisition of Moore Barlow, significantly strengthening its presence in the South and bringing new colleagues and clients into the UK’s largest regional legal and professional services business.

The acquisition takes Knights to Guildford, Lymington, Richmond and Southampton, expanding its geographical footprint to 33 locations nationally and bringing significant depth to Knights’ expertise in Corporate, Commercial, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Family, Real Estate Disputes and Private Client services as well as strengthening its sector focus in Education, Charities & Not-for-profit and Landed Estates & Rural Business.

The acquisition builds on Knights’ significant growth in the South and South East and forms part of its strategy of selective, considered and culturally aligned acquisitions that provide a platform for future organic growth.

At the heart of the acquisition is a shared approach to people, clients and professional relationships.  Knights has always believed that the best professional relationships are personal ones with clients working closely alongside professionals who know them, understand what matters to them and are accessible when needed. That personal attention is supported by the breadth, depth and resources of a national business.

For clients joining Knights, this means continuing to work with the people they already know and trust, with a much broader range of legal and professional expertise available as their personal or business needs develop.

David Beech, CEO of Knights, said:

‘The strength of Moore Barlow has always been its people, the relationships they have built and the quality of their expertise. Those qualities make this a particularly strong fit for Knights because we share the same belief that professional services should be personal. That has always been central to our ethos: clients should know the people advising them, be able to reach them when they need them and receive advice shaped around their particular circumstances.

‘Our scale strengthens that personal approach. It enables us to continue investing in our people, technology and specialist expertise, and to bring together the right professionals around a client whenever they are needed. This acquisition adds real depth in areas where both businesses were already strong. We now have more than 200 professionals in Commercial Real Estate, more than 100 in Residential Property and one of the largest specialist legal groups focused on Landed Estates & Rural Business in the country, alongside greater strength in Education and Charities & Not-for-profit.

‘It also significantly strengthens our presence in the South. Most importantly, we are welcoming exceptional people who share our commitment to close client relationships, accessibility and personal attention. Together, we have the scale and expertise to provide premium professional services while retaining the personal relationships that sit at the heart of how we work.’

The acquisition comes as businesses and individuals are navigating increasing complexity, regulation and technological change. As the UK’s largest regional legal and professional services business, Knights has the scale to continue investing in its people, technology, specialist expertise and infrastructure, while preserving the personal attention and accessibility at the centre of its client relationships.

At a time when automation and technology are increasingly shaping professional services, Knights remains fundamentally a people business, built around its clients and colleagues and powered by technology that enables its people to deliver an exceptional personal service.  Clients can continue to have the personal relationship of a trusted adviser, supported by the breadth, depth and resources of a national legal and professional services business.

Established in 1759, Knights combines considerable heritage with the scale, expertise and investment of a modern national business focused on long-term relationships and premium professional services.  The acquisition brings more exceptional people, deeper specialist expertise and a stronger presence in the South, while reinforcing the personal relationships and accessibility that remain at the heart of Knights.

Notes to editors

Knights is the legal and professional services business built in the UK’s regions. We combine local insight with nationwide depth – allowing us to move quickly, stay close and bring the right specialists together around our clients.