By Lawfuel Legal Desk 27 March 2026
In the latest sign of relentless consolidation among UK regional law firms, AIM-listed Knights Group Holdings PLC has confirmed it is in advanced discussions to acquire South East heavyweight Moore Barlow LLP in a deal that, if completed, would create one of the largest independent national platforms outside the City with combined revenues approaching £200m.
Knights, headed by entrepreneurial lawyer David Beech, which reported £162m in revenue for its financial year to April 2025, has built its reputation as one of the most acquisitive players in the UK legal market, having completed more than 28 deals since its 2018 IPO.
It is also one of the fast-growing law firms in the UK.
The potential takeover of Moore Barlow, which posted £42.3m-£42.4m turnover in 2024-25 and employs around 450 staff across six offices in London (City), Guildford, Lymington, Richmond, Southampton and Woking, would comfortably eclipse any previous transaction for the consolidator.
Moore Barlow itself was formed in 2020 through the merger of Moore Blatch and Barlow Robbins and has established strong Tier 1 Legal 500 rankings in areas including charities and not-for-profit, clinical negligence (claimant), and contentious trusts and probate.
The firm offers a full-service offering spanning business, personal, injury, private wealth, employment, property and sports law — services that would dovetail neatly with Knights’ existing regional platform.
The confirmation came via a short RNS statement to the London Stock Exchange on 25 March 2026, in direct response to press speculation.
Knights said: “Knights maintains regular dialogue with a number of law firms and confirms that it is currently in discussions with Moore Barlow LLP regarding a potential acquisition.”
The company stressed there is “no certainty” that a deal will be agreed, or on what terms.
For lawyers and managing partners watching the market, the move fits a familiar pattern. Knights continues to target high-quality regional practices that can deliver cultural fit, organic growth potential and immediate scale, a strategy that has seen it expand aggressively in the South East in recent years (see Lawfuel’s earlier coverage of its Birkett Long acquisition).
A successful tie-up would give Knights a significantly deeper footprint in London and the Home Counties while bolstering its national reach without diluting its regional ethos.
Clients of both firms could ultimately benefit from enhanced resources, broader specialist benches and improved access to Knights’ listed-company disciplines, while partners and staff at Moore Barlow would join a business with proven integration expertise and AIM-market capital discipline.
