Listed legal consolidator Knights has finalised a £27 million acquisition of the commercial and private wealth practices of South East firm Moore Barlow, its second-largest deal since floating on the London Stock Exchange in 2018.
Knights has been one of the higher profile listed law firm operators in the UK market, hitting £207m revenue.
Knights will pay £18 million upfront, with a further £9 million due over the next three years subject to performance conditions. The acquired firm represents roughly 70% of Moore Barlow’s revenue, which is approximately £30 million, based on draft accounts for the year ended 30 April 2026, which showed total firm revenue of £45 million and profits distributable to members of £13 million.
Around 160 Moore Barlow fee-earners will transfer to Knights. The firm currently operates from six locations, including London. As part of the integration, the Woking and Guildford offices will be merged into a single new Guildford base, while the City of London office will close.
The number of support staff at risk of redundancy has not been disclosed.
The remaining Moore Barlow service lines, being personal injury, clinical negligence and Court of Protection, are being sold separately immediately before the deal. Those teams will join Fletchers Solicitors, with the Court of Protection practice moving to EMG Solicitors.
Fletchers will also take Moore Barlow’s interest in Aspire Law, its joint venture with spinal cord injury charity Aspire,
Moore Barlow, which traces its roots back more than 220 years, was formed in its current form through the 2020 merger of Moore Blatch and Barlow Robbins. Its commercial, private wealth and landed estates practices align closely with Knights’ existing strengths, while also bringing a specialist schools and charities team.
Knights chief executive David Beech described Moore Barlow as “a strong cultural and operational fit.”
The deal continues Knights’ focused expansion in the South East, a region the firm has prioritised in recent years. It follows the £30 million acquisition of IBB Law in 2025 (still Knights’ largest deal) and a smaller £4 million bolt-on of THP Solicitors announced earlier this week. Since listing in 2018, Knights has completed 29 acquisitions.
