Leading Hampshire law firms, Phillips Solicitors and Brain Chase Coles have merged.

The combined firm is now known as Phillips Solicitors incorporating Brain Chase Coles.

The firm will be based at the Phillips’ Town Gate offices in London Street, Basingstoke.

It is expected that colleagues currently based at the former Brain Chase Coles Haymarket House offices will have moved to Town Gate by the end of March.

Director Jack Gardener said: “The merger is an important step towards our goal of building the region’s strongest dynamic, full-service law firm, whilst maintaining the traditional values that both firms were built on.”

He said clients will be able to better access a broad spectrum of legal expertise with  a wider choice of fee earners, covering areas including: commercial and residential property, corporate and commercial, litigation and dispute resolution, family, wills and probate, estate planning, employment, insurance and education law.

Director Hayley Eachus said: “We’re excited to welcome our new colleagues to our Town Gate offices. The merger offers plenty of opportunities for further development and growth of our teams. The increased scale of the firm also means we continue to be a regional hub for employment in the legal sector, allowing us to better attract the talent we need to service our growing book of clients.”

Elizabeth Ford, who was a partner at Brain Chase Coles and is now a director at the new firm said: “There is a natural and positive cultural fit to both firms which is why the idea of a merger with Phillips felt right. The merger extends and broadens the scope of our combined practice to clients across the region, particularly in commercial and residential real estate, family and private client. We are looking forward to continuing to work with our existing clients and getting to know our new colleagues as we enter this next exciting stage of our history.”