Hill Dickinson is to merge with London boutique Middleton Potts in a move designed to boost the Liverpool-headquartered firm’s commodities expertise.

The firms will enter a tie-up as of 1 July, bringing the combined London turnover to an estimated £22m. Last year Hill Dickinson’s total turnover stood at £73.1m.

As a result of the merger David Lucas will step down from his role as Middleton Potts senior partner and will begin a new role as head of the joint commodities team.

The merged London offices will house 200 lawyers.

Hill Dickinson expanded its global footprint this year with the launch of a ­Singapore office in March and also boasts a dedicated ­shipping office in Greece.