South West firm Foot Anstey Sargent is to merge with Somerset-based Alms & Young on 1 May this year.

Both firms offer a range of commercial and private client services to clients. The combined firm will have 32 partners and more than 270 fee-earners and staff, based across four offices in the South West. Predicted annual turnover is £12.5m.

As part of the merger agreement, Alms & Young’s managing partner Neil Scott will join the Foot Anstey management board . Foot Anstey partner Mark Lewis is to relocate to Taunton to head up a business law team in that office.

Foot Anstey, with a turnover of £10.6m in 2004, 26 partners and 115 fee-earners, achieved 15th position in The Lawyer Rising 50 in November 2004.