Sydney property, construction and insurance specialists Colin Biggers & Paisley (CBP) has effectively acquired the Melbourne-based insurance boutique Monahan + Rowell, with the combined firm trading under the CBP moniker from today (1 June).

The combined firm will have 36 partners and more than 100 lawyers, with CBP providing the vast bulk of the headcount.

“We have developed a strong and successful collaboration with Monahan + Rowell over the last eight years and a formal merger was the logical next step,” said CBP managing partner Dunstan de Souza.

While de Souza has been spruiking the capabilities of the merged firm over recent weeks, it was not a totally harmonious merger process.

In April, a group of eight lawyers, including consultant Philip Rowell and partners Bruce Butler and Justin Griffin, left Monahan + Rowell to join Moray & Agnew.

The new Moray recruits all started with that firm today (June 1).

Prior to the merger, Monahan + Rowell had eight partners and around 20 lawyers.

Lawyers Weekly broke the story of the merger in December last year.

In an interview with Lawyers Weekly last year, de Souza hinted that this could be the start of a wider national expansion.

“If it is successful and comes off, we would look at other things,” he said.