One of the UK's larger law firms has bulked up its presence in the capital through an acquisition deal.

Blake Morgan, the UK law firm that covers sectors such as tax, trusts and wills, is merging with Piper Smith Watton, the Westminster, London-based firm.  The merger will take effect on 1 August, just over a year after the merger of Blake Lapthorn with Morgan Cole.

The merger brings in 12 partners, taking the total number of partners to 130, with a workforce of around 1,000 and an annual turnover of £78 million. It is, a statement from Blake Morgan said, one of the largest law firms in England and Wales.

In London, Blake Morgan will be a £15 million-plus practice in its own right with an increased workforce of around 150 including 30 partners.  The London office will have a significantly enhanced presence in the entrepreneurial private client and corporate market, and see a doubling in size of its real estate and litigation practice, the statement said.

The firm has six offices: Cardiff, London, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading and Southampton.