The acquisition brings six more fee earners to the Thomas Miller Law Ltd (TM Law) team. The firm will operate from Plymouth and London in addition to TM Law’s main office in Newcastle-n-Tyne, where it forms part of the Group’s claims handling and risk management consultancy business.

Davies Johnson’s existing clients will continue to be able to instruct the Plymouth firm, and there will be no change to the service they have currently. As part of TM Law, the acquisition will bring the Plymouth team’s skills and experience to a wider global audience, through Thomas Miller’s significant presence in the major shipping markets.

TM Law offers the full range of English marine law services, including cargo and collision liability, hull and property, disputes arising under charter, vessel sale and purchase and other non-contentious work, injury to crew, cruise ship and large yacht claims.

Peter Jackson, Head of TM Law, sees the firm’s rapid growth as evolutionary, not revolutionary: “Thomas Miller’s claims consultancy business has experienced tremendous growth since its creation in 2007, and the provision of legal services is a natural and logical progression for us. It will complement and enhance what we currently offer through added flexibility and a more seamless and efficient claims process, which can only be of benefit to our clients.”

TM Law is fully regulated by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA), and operates entirely independently of other Thomas Miller businesses.

“When we first looked at starting a firm under the Alternative Business Structure rules, the SRA made it very clear that it does not wish to see companies setting up law firms just to refer their work internally, thereby re-capturing legal spend,” comments Jackson. “Fortunately, that was never the idea for us, our aim is to build a first-class service provider to the marine market. We did that with Thomas Miller Claims Management, and its independence is one of the key reasons for its success and reputation, within the Group as well as in the market. The synergies within Thomas Miller can’t be overlooked, but TM Law will grow its own client base and will protect its own clients’ interests.”

Hugo Wynn-Williams, Thomas Miller group Chairman, welcomes the development. ”I am pleased that the leadership team in the claims and risk management consultancy business has established a law firm and has made an immediate impact, with such a high quality acquisition in Plymouth. It adds top quality expertise to TM Law’s offering to the global marine market, as well as putting the firm into another exciting regional marketplace in the UK. This will not only directly benefit its clients, but will become an important part of Thomas Miller’s ever developing service proposition.”