Regional legal powerhouse to launch April 2025

Two of Lincolnshire’s and Yorkshire’s leading law firms have announced they are to merge on 1 April 2025.

Wilkin Chapman LLP and Rollits LLP will merge under the trading name of Wilkin Chapman Rollits. The new firm will have more than 500 people including 70 partners and have a combined annual turnover of £40 million. It will operate from six locations: Grimsby, Lincoln, Louth, Hull, York and Beverley. It will be the largest law firm operating out of both Lincolnshire and Yorkshire and has a combined history going back more than 300 years.

The merger is market and client driven and the merged firm will offer greater strength and depth to its clients across the commercial and public sectors and private client disciplines within its region and nationally. As part of the build up to the announcement, both firms spoke to a number of their strategic commercial clients who are very supportive of the news. There are no planned redundancies as part of the merger.

Robin Simmonds, CEO of Wilkin Chapman, said: “There is a great synergy between the two firms across culture, values and strategy and we believe the new firm will provide our clients with the responsive, personal tailored support that they expect.”

Ralph Gilbert, managing partner of Rollits, said: “Both of our firms have deep local connections and histories within our respective regions and are very proud of these links. Such links help us understand the needs of our clients and bring insights to them. Additionally, the combined firm will continue to advise our regionally-based clients with their needs nationally, as well as clients based outside of our locations.”