An Altrincham-headquartered law firm has celebrated its 25th anniversary by recording fee income of more than £10 million for the first time.
McHale Group, which employs 152 people across five offices, passed the milestone in the year to May 31 and has now outlined plans for further expansion.
The group is planning to open new offices in Manchester city centre and Cheshire over the next 12 months, while discussions over the acquisition of two other firms are said to be at an advanced stage.
It is also expanding its Altrincham headquarters at Warrant House, where it has taken an additional 4,500 sq ft to accommodate the growth of its real estate team. Plans are already under way to take further space in the building.
McHale & Co was founded by Andrew McHale in Levenshulme in 2001, initially specialising in criminal law before expanding into conveyancing.
Over the subsequent 25 years, it has grown both organically and through acquisitions into a full-service legal group, with offices in Altrincham, Stockport, Heywood, London and Solihull.
Andrew moved into the role of group chairman earlier this year, with Adam Horner and Kamil Tomaszewski taking over as joint chief executives.
“It’s been a rollercoaster ride over the past 25 years, and I feel blessed that so many great people have been part of the journey,” said Andrew.
“I’m so grateful to our team, clients, partners and referrers who have been so pivotal in our evolution over the years.
“In some ways, it feels as though we are just getting started. I’m hugely excited about what Adam and Kamil can achieve as they lead the group into its next chapter.”
The record year has also seen a series of senior appointments and a six-figure investment in staff training, including an expansion of the group's in-house leadership academy. Around 45 employees are currently taking part in monthly development sessions.
The group now provides legal services spanning areas including family law, residential property, employment, personal injury and medical negligence, as well as corporate, commercial litigation, real estate and intellectual property work.
It also has a specialist sports practice advising professional sportspeople and teams on contracts, transfers and commercial opportunities, and is looking to add immigration advice to its business services.
Joint chief executive Adam Horner said reaching the 25th anniversary alongside a record financial year was “a huge achievement”.
“As we look ahead, we have a clear and ambitious strategy for the next phase of our growth,” he said.
“We will continue to invest in our people, strengthen our specialist teams and expand our presence across the North West, with new offices and carefully targeted acquisitions forming an important part of our plans.”
McHale Group marked its anniversary with a celebration at Bowdon Cricket Club attended by almost 400 staff, family members, friends of the firm and other guests.
