Top 50 UK law firm Freeths has become the first stand-alone legal practice in Europe to join Baker Tilly International as an independent member firm. The move is part of Baker Tilly continuing the global network’s expansion into commercial law.
The move marks a significant increase in the breadth of legal services that can be provided to both UK-based and multinational clients through the Baker Tilly International network.
As a full-service law firm, Freeths’ 12 UK offices and team of 600+ lawyers provide advice to businesses in areas such as mergers and acquisitions, business immigration, environmental law, dispute management, insolvency and competition policy.
The firm is also experienced in working alongside clients to address operational and logistical issues as they arise, helping clients in areas such as planning, intellectual property, real estate issues, HR, restructuring and tax as well as offering a range of services for business leaders and private individuals.
Philippa Dempster, Freeths Senior Partner, said the decision to join the Baker Tilly International network was an easy one for Freeths, as the firm’s commitment to practical, applicable legal advice aligned to Baker Tilly’s approach to building sustained relationships with clients. The network allows us to obtain legal advice for our clients from other likeminded Baker Tilly member firms across a wide range of jurisdictions.
Both saw the value of providing clients with the support and guidance necessary for them to make the bold decisions in a time of change.
“Our team are business people first and lawyers second, and we recognise that for our clients, certainty and confidence are what matters most,” Philippa says.
“When you are making business decisions, you need legal advisors who are not trying to sit on the fence, so we take the approach of getting to know the business, understand the scope of the challenge and then, when we see how the law applies, we can provide clear and commercial advice.”
Freeths’ diverse client book ranges from a leading supermarket, to Tarmac, Experian and Lloyds Bank, and from entrepreneurial start-ups to listed businesses. Core sectors include care, hospitality, energy, food, public sector, digitalisation, manufacturing and retail.
While the firm counts traditional legal areas such as estate planning as an area of speciality, its partners are also building practices founded on emerging frontiers in law, including electric vehicle policy, clean energy, and digital competition.
Baker Tilly network CEO Ted Verkade said Freeths was an ideal addition to the global network, which is committed to broadening its reach in legal services in response to client demand.
“We have seen sustained demand from clients for legal advice as complex business issues do not just require us to look at the financial, tax and organisational aspect, but also the legal and regulatory implications.” Ted Verkade says.
The advantage of being able to offer legal advice alongside other services was clear, Mr Verkade says.
“It brings a breadth of expertise to every engagement that means better advice, deeper understanding and better outcomes for our clients.”
Commenting on the development, Thomas Gemmeke, Managing Partner Legal at Baker Tilly in Germany and leader of the Baker Tilly Legal Steering Committee, says:
“Freeths joining Baker Tilly International marks a milestone in our ability to provide integrated advisory services and underlines the increasing importance of legal services. After several years of successful collaboration and excellent client feedback we could not think of a better fit in terms of quality, mindset and culture. We very much look forward to further strengthening our relationship and growing our global business together to meet the demand of our international clients.”
Rakesh Shaunak, Chairman of MHA, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Freeths to the Baker Tilly International family and look forward to working with Philippa and the Freeths team”.
Freeths will join the Baker Tilly International network effective immediately.
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