Law firms seek divorce after partnership sours

Sep 30 2009 By The Journal

LESS than a year after a merger which created one of the region's biggest commercial law firms, Mincoff and Jacksons are set to go separate ways.

Newcastle-based Mincoff joined with Stockton-based Jacksons last October to form a firm with 21 partners and 160 staff called Mincoff Jacksons.

At the time they said it was an "ideal marriage of similar firms with a similar general ethos" and "a merger of equals".

However, a declaration on their divorce is imminent with both sides set to regain their independence.

The company has not yet made a formal statement on the move, but is poised to make an announcement within days.

The first signs that the merger may be turning sour emerged earlier this month when two former senior Mincoff partners were appointed at a rival firm.

Henry Cave, who had headed the Mincoff Jacksons commercial property team, and Richard Arnot, who had been its head of licensing, joined Newcastle-based Watson Burton.

Some figures in the North East legal community were surprised by the news and questioned whether there may have been difficulties blending business cultures or if too little had been done to cross the geographical divide.

The merged Mincoff Jacksons was headed by the senior partners of the previous independent practices, Howard Gold of Mincoff and Kevin Fletcher of Jacksons.