Several mergers later and still smiling: some tips from Clifton Ingram

January 2024 marked Clifton Ingram’s second successful merger. Managing partner Anne Deller shares how

We are in a period of growth at Clifton Ingram, and since coming out the other side of our two most recent acquisitions still smiling and looking to grow more – perhaps you might say we are doing something right in the way we go about it. And so, we’ve been asked to share a few thoughts here.

There are many moving parts to any merger, but if I had to pick a few significant aspects to focus on, I have to say it’s got to be alignment of culture, supporting people through change, and good, clear communication. That really makes the difference.

Alignment of culture

Choosing the right firm is undoubtedly important. There has to be some natural alignment with your own firm to begin with. To me, this means getting to know the people you’re thinking of joining — and being willing to walk away if it doesn’t feel right. Deciding to merge based purely on financials and the picture on paper could be disastrous. Thankfully, aligning with the right partners is something we’ve done very well, and we’ve made good decisions in this regard.

As a firm, Clifton Ingram is very friendly, we collaborate well with each other and it’s an easy-going, free-flowing vibe in the office. Our team loves the law and helping people and businesses to avoid and navigate issues. It wouldn’t work to merge with any firm that didn’talign well with us on those values.

At the start of any potential merger discussion, we are very open and honest about who we areWe spend time getting to know each other and we learn the reasons that they have for wanting to merge with Clifton Ingram, as opposed to another firm in the first place. This all comes long before drafting a contract.

Once you’ve developed a relationship, you can better navigate the inevitable bumps in the road as contracts are negotiated and the details are ironed out. This paves the way for open and honest dialogue that we value within the firm.

Properly supporting people through change

We all find change challenging — even positive change can make us feel very unsettled. It’s been so important to consider the experience of the key groups of people who are impacted by the major changes that a merger inevitably brings. These groups include the clients and staff of both firms.

One lesson we’ve learned that we’ve taken away from our recent mergers is that mapping out the potential ‘pain points’ for each group early in the planning process, even the obvious ones, will help to ensure that everyone’s needs are considered and, in turn, met. Throughout what is essentially a major change project, there are certain ‘care factors’ that you just cannot miss.

In the case of our most recent merger with Sloan Solicitors, we were the much larger entity, so our focus has primarily been on supporting the team that joined our offices and ensuring they have a solid support network as they learn and adapt to the new systems and processes that a larger firm has.

It was very good timing in that Peter [Sloan] was able to join our Gatsby-themed Christmas party just before the acquisition. It was a fun way for him to get to know us a bit better before the team ‘moved in’. As well as social opportunities, the whole team had a couple of people they’d known for some time before they came into the office officially, so they didn’t just have each other, and they weren’t alone. You can’t afford to create silos in law firms, so creating genuine space for colleagues to get to know one another is fundamental.

In all decision making it’s vital to remember that what you are acquiring is the staff and the clients. They are all people and need to be valued and supported, or they will leave — then you have acquired nothing.

Communications — external and internal

The messaging in PR and marketing is key to connecting everything together for the community. When we acquired Sloan’s, we were joining with another well-known firm in Wokingham, connecting two businesses in a town that is very important to us both. Our marketing reflected our growth, but also our joint connection to our home in Wokingham – Growing, and Locally Grown. It was a strong message for us because it’s rooted in all the reasons why Sloan’s was a great choice to help us grow Clifton Ingram. Another thing we’ve done better this time is to share  all external articles about the firm internally, so everyone can see how the firm is talked about and recognised.

We can all feel proud of how the firm has grown over the last several years and where we’re heading. We’d like to grow more, so watch this space! It’s a testament to the team that we have grown in size and strength. At the end of the day, you’re only as good as the team around you.