Two of the island’s law firms are to merge, the Manx Independent can reveal.

MannBenham Advocates, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, is joining forces with long-established legal firm Carter Jones McDonald from March 1.

It’s a move which Miles Benham, managing director, says will be an exciting development.

He said: ‘The two firms are a perfect fit and Carter Jones McDonald’s existing clients will find that MannBenham Advocates offers an expanded range of services with the same traditional approach.

‘We’re delighted that Carter Jones McDonald founder Terence McDonald is part of the move: he’s a well-known, well-respected lawyer with years of experience which can only be good for the newly expanded MannBenham.’

After a big year for MannBenham in 2017 the merger with Carter Jones McDonald kicks off an exciting future for the company. As Carly Stratton, director, said: ‘MannBenham is already a strong, growing full-service legal firm so to start 2018 with this exciting news just adds to our reputation as an operation which is really going places.’

MannBenham Advocates has numerous accolades from Legal 500 and CityWealth, including Isle of Man Law Firm of the Year in 2017, and Miles Benham and Terence McDonald say the merger is good for the existing client bases of both firms.

Terence McDonald said: ‘This is exciting news for both MannBenham and Carter Jones McDonald.

‘Our combined practices give our clients access to an enhanced legal service using the latest technology whilst still giving the personal touch.’