Merger duo stay just as they are

Two Guernsey law firms have taken the bizarre step of merging while retaining their original names and staff.

Collas Day, a now 10-partner, full-service practice, and niche private client firm Winter Palmer & Denziloe, will to the outside world appear as two distinct firms.

However, Collas Day says it has “effectively taken over” Winter Palmer.

Patrick Palmer, a former partner at Winter Palmer, has joined Collas Day’s equity partnership, and two other former Winter Palmer partners, Paul Winter and Steve Denziloe, are acting as consultants for Collas Day.

All three partners, however, will market themselves as lawyers of Winter Palmer. Staff and fee-earners will remain in their old offices and also market themselves separately.

According to Matt Desforges, Collas Day’s financial controller, the firms will continue to be managed in the old way from their two respective offices, with an additional overall management comprised of Desforges himself for all financial matters, with Collas Day’s Chris Bound as overall managing partner.

The firms gave few hints as to the reason behind the merger. In a written statement, Chris Bound said: “Clients of each firm now have greater access to a range of experienced professionals and legal resources.”