THEY say small is beautiful but - one team of lawyers in the south is out to prove the opposite can be true.

Trethowans, which has offices in Southampton and Salisbury, has merged with Dorset-based Dickinson Manser, boosting the Hampshire's firm's turnover by £3m to £14m.

The new practice boasts 27 partners and more than 65 lawyers who will be combining their expertise to offer clients enhanced legal services.

It follows an extensive search by Trethowan’s to find a potential partner with the same outlook and aspirations, plus premises in the right area.

Trethowan’s now has a base in Poole, paving the way for a dramatic increase in its client base. And customers can access an increased amount of “shared brainpower” – a huge team of lawyers working together to tackle complex legal problems.

The senior partner at Trethowan’s is Simon Rhodes, 47, who comes from Yorkshire but moved south more than 20 years ago.

He said: “Approximately three years ago we started to work out what a modern law firm needs to be to be fit for the future and one element of that is a good geographical reach.

“We looked for a significant business with good finances – we didn’t want a firm with difficult finances that was looking for an exit route.

“Dickinson Manser offered a long-established reputation with good finances and good people. It wasn’t just about turnover - it was also about additional skills, strength in depth and the ability to reach further west.

“A lot of other practices in the past looked for what I would call fools' gold – turnover for its own sake.

“We had plenty of opportunities to merge with bigger firms but wanted to join with someone who would prove complementary to the existing operation.

“We all thought that Poole and Bournemouth was one area that offered opportunity, plus an ability to develop the firm. The new set-up has offices in Southampton, Salisbury and Poole, which is a nice triangle.

“Dickinson Manser ticked all the right boxes. If it hadn’t, we wouldn’t have done it.”

When two firms merge it is not only the staff who have to work together. In the months leading up to the merger employees spent long hours making sure that the new firm had integrated IT and accounting systems.

Mr Rhodes said: “We went for a well planned Big Bang, with everything working on Day One.

“A lot of people across both firms had to work hard but everyone showed the right commitment to make it happen - and make it work.

“We believe the merger is going to be great news for everyone involved, including the new guys.

“We chose each other willingly with an eye to the future. It will result in shared brainpower involving experienced lawyers working with each other on thorny legal issues.

“It’s all about providing the best service to our clients. We want to be the John Lewis of law firms.”

Mr Rhodes said no jobs were lost in the merger, adding that the new firm hoped to take on as many as 20 extra staff over the next few years.

“We believe we will attract more talent and become an even bigger heavyweight in the region, providing an ever-increasing number of specialists in an ever-increasing number of areas," he said.