Gateley's acquisition of GCL Solicitors

Our Birmingham Corporate team advised Gateley (Holdings) Plc on its £4.5m acquisition of GCL solicitors.

GCL specialises in legal advice on residential developments and works with some of the UK’s top housebuilders as well as promoters and landowners. The GCL team, which comprises 79 members of staff, will integrate into Gateley’s existing Residential Development team which already has 119 staff and sits within the firm’s Property Group.

The team, led by Corporate partner Tom Rush, comprised group HR director and partner Victoria Garrad, partner Rebecca Sherwin (Real Estate), legal director Kirstin Roberts (CTM) and solicitor Matthew Lappin (Corporate).

The acquisition is consistent with the group’s IPO growth strategy to acquire legal and non-legal businesses that offer complementary professional and other specialist services across Gateley’s five business groups.

Corporate partner Tom Rush said: “I am delighted that the firm is pioneering in the sense that we can use the excellent skills we have in-house to advise our Board through acquisitions. This is the firm’s largest acquisition to date and will further strengthen our leading position in the Residential Development sector nationally and provide us with a substantial presence in the southern market, which we see as critical in developing a full service offering for our clients.”

Tony Inkin, Managing Partner of GCL said: “We are excited to be joining Gateley who have an outstanding reputation as the market leaders for legal advice in the Residential Development and wider property sector. We have a great opportunity with our combined areas of expertise to build an unrivalled offering for clients in the South of the UK and to strengthen further the private property investment part of our business. We are looking forward to integrating with the team and also benefitting from being part of a wider professional services group that will open up many new opportunities for our existing team and clients.”