Harrison Clark Rickerbys is in advanced talks over a merger with fellow law firm Hewitsons which would add two new offices to its networks.

The merger is expected to be completed by the end of this month, bringing together two firms employing around 780 people with a combined turnover of £65million.

Cheltenham is one of nine Harrison Clark Rickerbys offices around the county with Hewitsons having bases in Northampton and Milton Keynes, as well as combining offices in London and Cambridge.

Managing partner Rod Thomas said: "I believe that this will be a great move for both firms, our clients and our staff.

"As with all our previous mergers, this one is about growing the breadth and depth of legal advice we can provide to our clients.

"Hewitsons' focus on people chimes well with HCR's Passion for People, an ethos which runs through our business, and means I'm sure that this merger will be as successful as previous ones."

Hewitsons managing partner Colin Jones described the merger as an exciting development.

He said: "With the absolute focus we have on our clients we have found a merger partner in HCR which will enable us to further enhance the services we can provide to them and who shares our core values, including our strong commitment to our people.

"The merger will increase the career opportunities we can offer, provide us with a platform stretching from east to west and our clients will benefit from the full range of legal specialisms provided by the combined firm's full-service legal advice capability, and strong regional network."