Mon, 28 Jul 2025 | MERGER
Leeds-based law firm Ward Hadaway has merged with Teesside-based commercial law firm The Endeavour Partnership. Following the merger, The Endeavour Partnership will operate under the Ward Hadaway name and identity, with all of the company’s staff continuing to operate from its existing offices on Teesdale Business Park.
The aim of the merger is to offer clients legal expertise across a broader array of practice areas, including matrimonial advice, succession planning, tax and construction. The deal will also deliver access to the extended networks and opportunities of the wider group.
The Endeavour Partnership’s workforce will benefit from access to Ward Hadaway’s resources and business service support. Following the acquisition, Ward Hadaway’s combined headcount now stands at close to 600.
The addition of the Teesside office means that Ward Hadaway now has five regional centres, following its recently announced opening of a new base in Birmingham, and its established offices in Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester.
Ward Hadaway Managing Partner Steven Petrie (pictured above, left, with Lee Bramley) commented: “The move is part of our strategic plans to grow revenue by 100 per cent over the next 10 years. I’ve been clear about our ambitious growth plans since I became managing partner in 2024, and I’m proud to see our strategy coming to life.”
“The alignment between our two firms has been obvious from those very first conversations. The Endeavour Partnership’s commitment to client service excellence and to its people, close attachment to the Teesside region, and straightforward, commercial approach mirrors our own vision and values.”
Petrie added that, following many years of working together, it was a “natural progression” for the two companies to merge, with the transaction delivering “additional services and support to the clients of Teesside and beyond.”
The Endeavour Partnership Managing Partner Lee Bramley, who will become Executive Partner of the Teesside office post-merger, said the deal would give the company an opportunity to build on its previous hard work, “adding scale and further expertise to our offering as part of Ward Hadaway.”
He continued: “The growing regulatory landscape, new and emerging technologies and the competitive market for attracting top talent drive the need for innovative thinking in the legal sector.”
“By joining forces, and benefiting from the additional resources Ward Hadaway brings, we can deliver even better support for our clients going forwards. Ultimately, that has driven our decision to become part of a larger firm but one that in essence shares our approach to providing legal services, albeit on a larger scale.”
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