Sedgwick Legal merges with McHale and Co

McHale and Co’s managing partner Andrew McHale welcomes Judith Dennerly and Peter Carey from Sedgwick Legal

Middleton law firm Sedgwick Legal has merged with McHale and Co.

Sedgwick Legal will still be based on Long Street Middleton where Peter Carey and Judith Dennerly, who have both been with the firm since the 1980s, continue to practice.

Roger Dennerly, Sedgwick's head of employment, has retired.

McHale Legal, led by managing partner Andrew McHale, is based in Altrincham and has previously teamed up with Waldron & Schofield in Heywood.

Mr Carey said: “We have exciting times ahead.

"I have known Andrew McHale for a long time and the two firms have many contacts and some clients in common.

“For some time we have been working more closely together in areas of law the other did not cover.

“We have each assisted clients of the other in recent months.

“Roger’s planned retirement seemed to be the time to actually merge and bring new possibilities to meeting our client’s legal needs.

“A key advantage for the clients of the ‘new’ firm will be the availability of a broader range of legal skills and even language skills.

“It will mean more personnel and the ability to share the burden of certain admin tasks with other colleagues.”

Michael Sedgwick formed the firm in his own name in 1961 in central Manchester and the firm was probably best known as Sedgwick Phelan & Partners when it opened offices in Old Trafford and Middleton in 1985.

To coincide with the 50th birthday celebrations for the firm in June 2011, Sedgwick Phelan became Sedgwick Legal Limited.

Sedgwick’s Middleton office will be McHale Legal’s fourth in Greater Manchester with their headquarters in Altrincham plus Stretford and Heywood.

McHale’s managing partner Andrew McHale said: “I am delighted to welcome the partners and staff of Sedgwick Legal into the McHale Legal family of firms.

“We have demonstrated how mergers like this can be genuine ‘win-win’ situations for all concerned, including existing clients who have more services opened up to them.

“We already are talking to other firms and believe that we will be approached by more firms who see the obvious benefit for all of being part of something bigger.”

In a letter to its clients, Sedgwick Legal said: “We are delighted to be joining the McHale family - it has been clear for some time that the ethos of the two firms is closely aligned.

“The emphasis going forward will be in offering the same excellent levels of client service in a friendly and approachable manner.”

McHale has previously joined forces with J Arnold Hancock, based in Stretford, in 2015, and Waldron & Schofield in Heywood in 2011.

McHale Legal, which now employs 60 people, specialises in services for the individual as well as small and medium-sized businesses, offering a complete one stop service.

McHale also has Polish and Russian departments, and a specialist sports division representing sports professionals and clubs.