The former partner of a Midland law firm which went into administration after more than 150 years has called the collapse “shocking and upsetting”.
Former Challinors senior partner Trevor Lee, who spent 43 years with the firm, said it was a matter of great sadness that one of the region’s most established firms had failed.
The Post reported last month that creditors were trying to claw back money after the firm, which has offices in Birmingham, West Bromwich and Halesowen, ran up debts of more than £11 million.
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Now Clarke Willmott and Cartwright King have acquired some of its teams as administrator RSM Tenon disposes of the Newhall Street firm’s remaining files.
But that is a world away from the firm which grew out of the Black Country to become one of the regions most established legal practices.
Mr Lee, who retired from the Challinors Partnership in 2007 and spent 21 years as senior partner, said: “The recent news of the financial plight of the practice and subsequent administration has been both shocking and upsetting.
“My days with the practice are remembered with great fondness of the work, a fiercely loyal and hardworking group of partners and a workforce of considerable skill.
“Since my departure I know the practice, like many, has faced the ravages of the worst recession seen for decades, but I am unable to comment further on other matters which may have contributed to their present position.
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“Challinors and other firms that merged with it during my time, such as Lyon Clark and others, have a history dating back to 1857. We’ve given over 165 years of service to the local and business communities.
“ The demise of the practice is a matter of great sadness to me and I am sure the whole of the workforce.”
Challinors appointed RSM Tenon as its administrator after running up a £11.4 million debt, the largest of which was to Allied Irish Bank, which is owed more than £4 million.
The firm had 12 partners and 46 members of staff and owed money to about 250 creditors including almost £500,000 to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs.
The expertise has already been prayed on by rival firms, with eight members of the family law team already having moved to the Birmingham office of Cartwright King.
Elsewhere, a further eight medical negligence specialists from the Birmingham and Black Country-based outfit have been employed by Shoosmiths and national firm Clarke Willmott also said it had acquired ‘elements’ of Challinors’ private client and commercial litigation teams, along with 10 members of staff.
Liverpool-based personal injury lawyers SGI Legal had already taken on Challinors’ caseload.
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Legal publication The Lawyer claimed a source at RSM Tenon confirmed that all the practice’s active files had been sold, but did not provide names of the purchasers or details of the amount paid.
Administrators indicated there would be some redundancies at Challinors, but did not specify how many or whether any of the firm’s 14 partners would be moving to other practices.