Bevan Ashford completes demerger

Bevan Ashford’s twin arms formally demerge today (1 November), creating Bevan Brittan – the firm’s legacy Bristol, Birmingham and London arm – and Ashfords – the Exeter, Plymouth and London side of the operation.

At the same time, it has emerged that Ashfords will open its own offices in Bristol with a key hire from its former partner.

The former head of planning at Bevan Ashford, John Bosworth, starts at Ashfords’ Bristol office today. Ashfords corporate partner George Wilkinson will lead the new office and is joined by IT partner Garry MacKay.

Bevan Ashford was born after the 1986 merger of two regional players, Bevan Hancock and Ashford Sparks & Harward. The demerger puts to an end 18 years of maintaining separate profit centres, IT systems, websites and recruitment systems.

Ashfords is set to become the fourth largest firm in the South West with 243 fee-earners and an estimated turnover of £18m.

Bevan Brittan, meanwhile, has around 164 fee earners in the region but also has growing offices in Birmingham and London. The firm has budgeted for a turnover of £37m this year.