Jones Whyte LLP Acquires 168 Year Old McClure Solicitors

The goodwill, work-in-progress, and certain assets of historic Scottish law firm McClure Solicitors have been acquired by fast-growing legal practice Jones Whyte LLP.

The transaction sees the existing partners and staff, comprising 84 people, transferring to Glasgow-based Jones Whyte with immediate effect.  They will join the current teams working between the main offices in Glasgow and Greenock, and at home on flexible working practices. However the former McClures Solicitors 13 satellite offices will close.

Jones Whyte was founded in 2013 by Glasgow-based solicitors Ross Jones and Greg Whyte and focuses on providing a flexible and responsive service to both personal and corporate clients.  Undergoing substantial growth over the last 8 years, Jones Whyte now provides a broad spectrum of business and personal legal services to an expanding client base across Scotland and the UK

Established in 1853 in Greenock, McClure Solicitors specialised in private client work, providing services such wills, estate planning, wealth planning, trusts, conveyancing and inheritance planning.  The firm had expanded in recent years by opening 2 additional satellite offices in Scotland and 11 satellite offices in England. The Covid-19 pandemic meant that the firm had faced a number of operational difficulties over the last year, which resulted in the firm being placed into administration. The operating model will be adapted to the current Jones Whyte model which has proven to be a success for a number of years

Joint managing partners Ross Jones and Greg Whyte said “McClure Solicitors was a long standing highly respected firm of solicitors, originally founded in 1853, and this acquisition will further strengthen our position at the forefront of the legal market. We very much welcome our new colleagues to the enlarged business, which now sits at over 170 people, and look forward to working with them to ensure all McClure Solicitors clients continue to receive excellent service.  We have ambitious plans to grow Jones Whyte, and this deal is a major step in that direction.”

Commenting on the deal, Tom MacLennan, partner with FRP and joint administrator with Chad Griffin said: “We are delighted that Jones Whyte has agreed to acquire the assets, goodwill and work-in-progress of McClure Solicitors, thus ensuring continuity of client service, the preservation of employment and the safeguarding of client funds.  We wish Jones Whyte every success with their plans and ambitions.”