Building firms' joint venture

LONDON construction firm Freedmans has launched a joint venture law firm with Northern practice Aaron & Partners.

Opened this month, the new firm, Aaron Freedmans, includes 17 partners and operates from the existing offices of both practices.

Aaron & Partners' Julian Aaron has been named senior partner, while Freedmans' Christopher Bourgeois and Aaron & Partners' Simon Carter are joint managing partners.

Carter says the firm is similar to Pannone Napier - the joint venture practice operated between Pannone & Partners and Irwin Mitchell which closed last year.

"We're trying to do something similar to them in that our existing host practices will continue," says Carter.

"We decided to do this to provide a construction-orientated commercial law firm in the north as an alternative to the existing, established firms."

Carter says the combination of the two firms will enable Aaron Freedmans to offer clients strong technical and commercial expertise.

"Together we can offer the two things that we think are relevant to construction clients - particularly in the north."