Halliwells to tough it out in Sheffield after exits
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Halliwells’ Sheffield office has been left with just four partners after being raided by Beachcroft and Kennedys.
At the end of last year Kennedys announced plans to acquire Halliwells’ Sheffield-based insurance team (The Lawyer, 18 December 2009).
Those talks have reached the final stages, with Kennedys hiring 11 partners rather than the original eight announced.
Kennedys secured two floors in the Sheffield Digital Campus for its new base.
Last month Beachcroft raided Halliwells for its healthcare team, leaving just one healthcare partner, Andrew Peel, in Sheffield.
Halliwells said in a statement: “The local market recognises that we have built a full-service offering in Sheffield and we will continue to pursue this strategy. The recent departures to Kennedys only serve to strengthen our resolve.”
Readers' comments (5)
Mr Grumpy | 8-Mar-2010 11:44 am
It is good to see that Halliwells are doing their bit for post-conflict reconciliation in Iraq by employing Comical Ali to generate their statements.
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The Bionic Man | 8-Mar-2010 6:20 pm
Steve Austin had a problem in space at it cost $6 Million to sort it out and rebuild him.
Halliwells Chief Executive Ian Austin also has a problem in terms of space. He has too much of it in Manchester, London and Sheffield. Discreet subletting at a loss solves little.
Space will not pay the rent, space created by people departing will not pay the bills and space will not pay down the £20 Million of debt.
When the departing partners have served their notice periods and marched out of the door with the best assistants and clients, the true impact of all of that space will be there for all to see.
The next 12 months is bound to deliver less fee income because empty space delivers nothing but anxiety.
If vanity dictates a desire to keep the space then it seems that the management team have plenty of empty space between their ears, although we suspected as much following the reverse premium debacle.
Yet more empty space as others "wise up" seems the most likely outcome in the short term.
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Merge Proops | 8-Mar-2010 9:17 pm
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Anonymous | 11-Mar-2010 11:07 am
Whenever I read comments such as those posted by Merge Proops and The Bionic Man I thank my lucky stars I had parents who instilled in me the values that allow me to look to the future with positivity rather than to look back in anger.
As a client of law firms, it is a shame to see such snide comments.
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Mr Grumpy | 11-Mar-2010 4:54 pm
Whilst I am somewhat put-out not to have been criticised by Anonymous I must thank him/her for confirming my point.
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