A NORTH Yorkshire law firm has been acquired by Newtons Solicitors, linking its office network in West Yorkshire and Teesside.

Harrogate-based Newtons has taken over Calder Meynell Solicitors, which has offices in Thirsk and Northallerton.

Calder Meynell, which is to remain a separate legal entity but will re-brand as Calder Meynell Newtons, was founded by business partners Kerri Calder and Howard Meynell in 2011.

It has grown to seven staff and a £300,000 turnover through services to elderly people, family law, agricultural and rural services and residential property.

Acquiring Calder Meynell takes the Newtons Solicitors Group combined annual fee income to £4 million per annum, marking a major step towards its £5 million medium-term goal.

Newtons Solicitors was founded by managing director, Chris Newton and his wife, Sarah, a co-director, in 2009 and, through acquisition and organic growth, has grown to 90 staff in a network of offices in Darlington, Harrogate, Ilkley, Knaresborough, Leyburn, Richmond, Ripon, Stokesley and York.

Mr Newton, who negotiated the acquisition, said: "Calder Meynell’s offices will form an important geographical link within our group. We already advise several businesses in Northallerton who will be pleased that we now have an office in the town.

"I’ve wanted Newtons Solicitors to have a presence in Northallerton and Thirsk for a long time and am delighted that this deal has completed and by the positive way that our teams have already started working together."

Kerri Calder said: "We were attracted to Chris Newton’s proposition by the broad support within the group and the potential for further growth and development, including practice management and input from the diverse teams in the practice.

"After successfully building our own business, Howard and I, and all our staff, are excited by this opportunity and the wider services we can now offer to our clients in Northallerton and Thirsk."

The deal is the latest in a line of acquisitions by Newtons Solicitors Group, which acquired Hodgsons & Mortimer Solicitors, with offices Richmond and Darlington, in 2012, Geoff Mochrie Solicitors, Leyburn, in October 2013 and Thorp Parker Solicitors, Stokesley in 2014.