Nelsons has strengthened its East Midlands footprint with the acquisition of Derby-based law firm Simpson Jones, marking another step in its regional growth strategy under the Lawfront group. The move closes out a year of sustained expansion for Nelsons, which has been building scale across the Midlands legal market.
Simpson Jones was founded in 2010 by Joanne Jones and has spent 15 years specialising in residential conveyancing, while also advising on commercial property and wills and probate. The firm has completed thousands of property transactions and built a strong local presence. Clients with ongoing matters have been notified of the transition, and archived files, wills and deeds are being transferred to Nelsons for safekeeping.
Nelsons said the deal reflects its broader ambitions. Stewart Vandermark, Chief Executive at Nelsons, said: “Following the acquisition of Burton-based Else Solicitors in January, we are proud to be ending the year as strongly as we started. With the legal market consolidating and Nelsons’ ongoing plan to grow throughout the region, we saw this acquisition as an opportunity to further enhance our client offering. Simpson Jones is a well-established name in the Derby conveyancing market, it was clear from the start there was alignment of culture and values between our firms and that together we would be stronger. I am pleased to welcome Joanne and the team and working with them in the coming months.”
Lawfront, the parent group, said the acquisition reflects its model of supporting local firms to expand. Neil Lloyd, Lawfront CEO, said: “Lawfront brings its expertise and resources to help to achieve the growth ambitions of our firms’ leadership teams. The Simpson Jones acquisition by Nelsons is a great example of this strategy in action. We welcome our colleagues at Simpson Jones to Lawfront and into Nelsons.”
The integration adds further capacity to Nelsons’ property and private client services as the Midlands legal sector prepares for a competitive year ahead.
