Sets merge to become northern civil and family powerhouse

Northern sets Park Lane Chambers and Plowden Chambers are set to merge at the beginning of October.

The enlarged set will go under the name of Park Lane Plowden and will have 65 members practising from offices in both Leeds and Newcastle.

The set will be headed jointly by Jeremy Freedman of Newcastle-based Plowden and David Wilby QC of Leeds-based Park Lane, who took over as head of chambers from Stuart Brown QC in July.

Park Lane Plowden will be the largest civil and family chambers on the North Eastern Circuit.

Park Lane chief executive Mike Sayers said the decision to merge was prompted by the members of both sets, who felt there was a need to have a stronger civil capability for northern solicitors.

"By merging we can almost guarantee complete cover to large solicitors' firms in the North and on a national basis," explained Sayers. "We'd be able to provide a full service, which we believe no other set can provide to solicitors on the North Eastern circuit."

The new set will continue to work out of its two locations in Leeds and Newcastle, but according to Sayers it will pool barristers from both sites to work together when required.