Business

Lawyer Tweed's Belfast practice is acquired for £2m

Lawyer Paul Tweed, whose Belfast practice has been acquired by Gateley
Lawyer Paul Tweed, whose Belfast practice has been acquired by Gateley Lawyer Paul Tweed, whose Belfast practice has been acquired by Gateley

THE Belfast-based firm established in 2017 by media law specialist Paul Tweed has been acquired for £2 million by AIM-listed legal and professional services group Gateley.

Headquartered in Birmingham and with offices in Leicester, Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester, Cambridge, Guildford, London and Reading, Gateley said the purchase gives it a platform for growth across the island of Ireland.

Its chief executive Michael Ward said: “We've considered expanding into the Irish market for some time and Tweed strengthens our presence in the professional services market there.

“For us this is a springboard for developing a strong legal services offering in Ireland as well as supporting our growth plans for Gateley Capitus, which was our first transaction as a plc in 2016 and is already well established in Belfast,” he added.

Tweed, which also has a presence in Dublin and London, specialises in reputation management, privacy and data protection issues, commercial litigation and brand protection.

Its founder and principal Paul Tweed, who left Johnsons Solicitors in 2017 to establish his own law firm, specialises in defamation, media and arbitration

He has represented a number of high-profile global stars including Johnny Depp, Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone and Nicolas Cage.

Gateley, which has a market capitalisation or more than £200 million, says it has already identified a number of opportunities for its national teams, particularly in commercial disputes resolution and litigation.