2 boutique firms merge to fuel growth

The merger unites the practices led by Richard Mitry and Stefano Calabretta, consolidating their legal and support teams into a single structure to better service complex commercial and litigation matters.

When speaking to Lawyers Weekly, Mitry indicated that the merger marks just the beginning of the firm’s next phase, with plans already underway to recruit additional lawyers to meet the growing volume of work.

Mitry shared that the pair’s decision to merge was driven by the inherent limits of running a standalone, principal-led firm, where the weight of strategy, supervision, recruitment and major client matters falls on a single individual.

“The decision ultimately came from the practical realities of operating a single-principal firm. When you run a practice on your own, everything falls on your shoulders,” Mitry said.

“The strategic decisions, the supervision of lawyers, the recruitment, the management of staff, and the responsibility for every major client matter all sit with one person.”

Through combining the practices, Mitry shared that they can address these challenges and build a more sustainable, recognisable firm that is less reliant on any one individual.

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“By joining forces, we are creating a practice that is less dependent on one person and more focused on building a sustainable and recognisable firm brand,” Mitry said.

“It also makes it easier to attract senior lawyers who want to be part of a growing firm rather than feeling like they are joining a practice built around a single individual.”

An immediate benefit of the merger, Mitry acknowledged, is the economic and operational scale it delivers, creating a larger and more capable team better positioned to handle complex, high-volume matters.

“One of the most immediate benefits is scale, both economically and operationally. With a larger team and combined resources, we are better positioned to service larger clients and more complex or voluminous matters,” Mitry said.

“Clients increasingly want firms that can provide depth across matters and respond quickly when the workload expands, and this structure allows us to do that.”

Mitry also identified that the merger overcomes the constraints of a smaller structure, creating the scale needed to offer greater financial and professional opportunities, and strengthening the firm’s ability to attract and retain talented lawyers and support staff.

“The merger also strengthens our ability to attract talented lawyers and support staff. When a firm reaches a certain scale, it creates financial and professional opportunities that simply do not exist in a smaller structure,” Mitry said.

“That means we can continue building a strong team around the work we are doing.”

Reflecting on the new venture, Mitry said the pair is most excited by the opportunity to build something new, drawing on decades of experience and applying the lessons learnt from running their own firms as they take the next step forward together.

“What excites us most is the opportunity to build something new while drawing on the experience we have both gained running our own firms,” Mitry said.

“This merger allows us to take everything we have learned in the 24-odd years of combined experiencing running our firms, and apply it at the next level.”

He added: “Ultimately, the merger is about building a firm that is stronger, more resilient, and better positioned for the future, both for our clients and for the lawyers who choose to build their careers with us.”