TWO of the oldest names in Nottingham's legal profession are to merge.

Young & Pearce and Sharpe & Partners today announced that they will join forces to create an 11-partner practice.

Both firms can trace their roots back to the 19th century.

The merger will be completed on September 1, creating a firm with a workforce of 68 staff, including 29 lawyers.

The joint fee income of the merged practice will be about £3.5m.

Young & Pearce managing partner John Gossage told Business Post that merger talks between the two firms began in April, as they faced up to the likely challenges of the Legal Services Act.

The act could lead to routine legal work being taken on by bigger firms and even retail chains

He said: "Both firms recognise the importance of evolving to keep step with the changes to the legal services market and the way in which quality legal advice is delivered.

"We agree the most effective route to achieving this overriding objective is through a merger, but of critical importance to both firms is that each should have a complementary range of legal services and expertise.

"Equally important is a tangible focus on and commitment to a high-quality legal service for all clients.

"From early on in our discussions, these qualities became obvious as intrinsic to the ethos within both firms."

Mr Gossage said that by combining the firms' client service, legal resources, expertise and locations, the new practice would be in "an extremely strong position" to build the critical mass it considered important.

Young & Pearce has offices in Nottingham's Talbot Street and in Burton Joyce. Its five partners, seven fee-earners and 11 support staff advise businesses and individuals locally and nationally. Sharp & Partners has offices in Weekday Cross, in Nottingham, and in Arnold, Calverton and Long Eaton. The two firms are expected at some point to combine their city centre offices so that they run from one site.

Sharp & Partners is a general practice offering a range of legal services to businesses and individuals, particularly in general private client matters, including property, wills, trusts and probate. It has six partners, 11 fee-earners and 29 support staff.

Chris Carlin, managing partner of Sharp & Partners, said: "I am excited by the prospect of the merger. The focus for each firm is highly complementary and, following the merger, the combined firm will be in a strong position to deliver an even greater range of legal services."

He said both firms operated on the basis of partner-led, personal client advice.

"The new firm will take the best of services from both firms, to create an edge in the provision of quality legal services in the region while attracting top-quality lawyers.".

Mr Carlin added that services from both firms would be unchanged.

A spokeswomen for the two firms said the partners were committed to preventing redundancies where practicable.