DMH Stallard seals merger with Surrey-based Callaghans

DMH Stallard currently has offices in London, Gatwick and Brighton and the merger will see it add Callaghan’s premises in Guildford and Farnham to its office portfolio.

The move comes as part of DMH Stallard’s overall expansion plans and concerted efforts in recent years to cement its coverage of the South East. It is also in the process of repositioning where it operates and gradually shifting its focus to Gatwick to take advantage of both the office’s location as a strong focal point for the South East, as well as its proximity to London. This is part of the firm’s overall plans to be Gatwick-headquartered by the end of 2012-13.

The merger will bring the total number of partners at the firm to 50. Callaghans’ partners Jerome O’Callaghan, Belinda Butler-Smith and Stephen Izod will join the combined firm as partners, and consultants Peter Sturgess and Nick Van Der Borgh will join as consultants.

Commenting on the merger, DMH Stallard’s managing partner Tim Aspinall said it would build on the firm’s presence in Surrey and North Hampshire.

Callaghans’ senior partner Jerome O’Callaghan added that the firm had been seeking a merger for some time and was “delighted” to have sealed the DMH Stallard deal.

DMH Stallard has made several key hires in recent years. Although the firm lost finance equity partner Stuart Hills to the London office of Canadian firm Fasken Martineau in October 2011 (26 October 2011), the firm also hired Shepherd & Wedderburn employment partner Blair Adams and Stikeman Elliott corporate partner Jonathan Deverill (21 February 2011) early last year.