A NEW era has begun at Harrogate law firm Barber Titleys, following a merger with an expanding legal practice in Ripon.

Kinread Solicitors, in the city’s High Skellgate, is merging with Barber Titleys, which is also leasing the 700 sq ft Ripon office, owned by founder William Kinread, as a base for the extended practice.

Under terms of the deal Mr Kinread, 49, who has a wide client base, joins Barber Titleys as a partner, bringing the total at the enlarged firm to eight. He will also join the management team. Richard Davis, Barber Titleys’ managing partner, said: “This is a joining of complementary strengths which will benefit all our clients and staff.

“William Kinread, whom we have known for some time, welcomes the support of the wider team which Barber Titleys can provide to take his work to the next level. He also has many clients in Harrogate and will now have an office in the town in which to meet them.

“We have clients in Ripon, and this gives us an office there. Even though Ripon has its own law firms, we believe that this move, based around a well-known and respected Ripon lawyer, will enable us to offer a wider choice of top-class legal skills to the community.”

Mr Kinread trained with a national law firm in Leeds and was a partner in a Ripon practice for 15 years before starting his own in 2005. His current practice, which has two secretaries and two part-time assistant solicitors, carries out commercial and residential conveyancing throughout the UK and private client work throughout North Yorkshire.

He said: “My practice offers a bespoke service to clients and has continued to grow throughout the credit crunch and recession. Work I have been unable to handle has been passed over to Barber Titleys and, when they saw the quality of this work, they approached me with the merger proposition and I was delighted to enter discussions.

“This move is also very good news for my clients, who will benefit from the wider range of legal skills the enlarged team can provide.”

Barber Titleys, one of Harrogate’s longest-established law firms, has clients locally and nationally and offers both private client and commercial work and has specialist strengths in planning law and commercial property.