history of firm

Morgan Cole was formed by the merger of Morgan Bruce and Cole & Cole in 1998.

A brief history of each of the original firms is set out below.

Cole & Cole

Cole & Cole was formed in Oxford in 1945 by two brothers, Raymond Buxton Cole and Maurice Buxton Cole and quickly spread throughout Oxfordshire partly by the opening of new offices and partly by merger. In particular the Abingdon practice of Morland & Son was acquired in 1951 which traced its history back to 1784. Benjamin Morland who started work as a clerk in 1784 was a member of the Morland brewing family.

This acquisition was followed by the acquisition of Soanes & Co, in Burford in 1966 and the firm of Francis Wickins & Hill in Stow-on-the-Wold in 1982.

Most of the expansion of the firm resulted from sustained growth within Oxford which led to the opening of a dedicated commercial department in Kidlington in 1984, a specialist matrimonial, crown and magistrates court department in Cambridge Terrace, Oxford and a commercial and litigation office in Reading in 1987. In addition a Croydon insurance litigation office opened in 1997.

At the time of the merger with Morgan Bruce, Cole & Cole was the pre-eminent firm in the Thames Valley with 35 partners and a staff of over 200. In addition to its strong commercial and private client bases, Cole & Cole had significant insurance, education, employment, licensing and health practices.

Clients included Oxford University, Amey plc, British Alcan, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, The Police Federation, Equal Opportunities Commission and Xerox to name but a few.

Cole & Cole had obtained a Legal Aid franchise and accreditation with ISO9001.

Morgan Bruce

Morgan Bruce grew by a series of five mergers from its initial opening in 1836. The first merger was in May 1987 when Morgan Bruce & Nicholas joined forces with Hardwickes.

Morgan Bruce & Nicholas

The firm of Morgan Bruce & Nicholas originated with Walter H Morgan who became a solicitor in 1875, established a practice in Pontypridd the following year and opened the premises which remained an office of the firm until 1995.

Walter Morgan (1853-1901) was prominent in public life becoming an Alderman, Under-Sheriff and a Vice-Chairman of Glamorgan County Council.

After a few years as Walter Morgan & Rhys the firm's name was changed to Walter Morgan, Bruce & Nicholas following the arrival of Gerald Bruce who qualified in 1893 and Walter Nicholas who qualified in 1894.

Sir Gerald Bruce (as he became) was a well-known figure in South Wales over decades and included in his many achievements chairmanship of Wales and Monmouthshire Industrial Estates Ltd an organisation which contributed significantly to the economic recovery of Wales following the depression of the thirties. Sir Gerald was Lord Lieutenant of the County of Glamorgan from 1943 to 1952.

Sir Walter Nicholas also achieved eminence and was knighted for his services to local government administration. He was directly concerned with the promotion of local and private Acts of Parliament and served as a part time Clerk of Rhondda Urban District Council. He made a significant contribution to the development of statute law relating to workmen's compensation.

During its long history the firm acquired a tradition (which continues today) of its partners combining public service with a private practice covering diverse areas of the law, including industrial estate development, charities, workmen's compensation, litigation and company and commercial work, as well as more conventional areas assisting ‘the man on the street’.

After further brief periods as Morgan, Bruce, Nicholas and James and Morgan, Bruce, Nicholas and Porcher the name Morgan, Bruce & Nicholas finally emerged shortly after the First World War and remained unchanged until merger. During the first 87 years of its existence the firm was centred in Pontypridd, but in 1963 a decision was taken to establish an office in Cardiff.

Hardwickes

This firm started in Cardiff in 1910 and was a successful litigation firm acting for a number of insurance clients and the Solicitors Indemnity Fund. The merger created a firm with 23 partners.

Geo Thomas Nettleship & Co

The second merger in January 1988 led to the creation of the Swansea office when Morgan Bruce & Hardwickes merged with a two-partner Swansea firm Geo Thomas Nettleship & Co.

Collins Woods and Vaughan Jones

In 1989 the third merger was completed when the firm merged with a second Swansea firm Collins Woods and Vaughan Jones.

Collins Woods and Vaughan Jones dates back to 1836 and was a thriving commercial practice of six partners. Collins Woods and Vaughan Jones added a number of significant clients to the firm including British Petroleum. At this time the firm comprised 32 partners and a total staff of 234 and changed its name to Morgan Bruce by dropping the name of Hardwickes.

Binks Stern

The fourth merger was made in 1994 when Morgan Bruce joined forces with Binks Stern an 11 partner (and total staff of 60) London commercial firm formed in 1954. The opening of a London office was important to service substantial commercial clients whose major transactions are so often linked with London's financial markets. Also the proximity to the central courts and office facilities were a real advantage for the litigators based in Wales. The London office moved in April 1995 to new premises in Fleet Street.

Guthrie Francis

The fifth merger took place in September 1997 when the firm acquired a Newport office by joining forces with Guthrie Francis a two-partner practice. Guthrie Francis was the dominant commercial practice in Gwent.

In 1999, the firm merged with Fishburn Boxer, a niche professional indemnity firm operating in the London insurance market. When it became clear that this move was not key to the successful implementation of the firm's strategy the practice was de-merged (on 1 November 2002). The firm continues to handle professional indemnity claims through the health/PI team based in Cardiff.

In 2003 the firm moved into its new 24,000 sq ft offices in Swansea - the first private sector investment in the prestigious WDA development at SA1 Swansea Waterfront. There were 275 guests at the official opening performed by Lord Williams of Mostyn, Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords. Other dignitaries included Andrew Davies AM, Minister for Economic Development and Transport; Graham Hawker CBE, Chief Executive of the Welsh Development Agency and Carolyn Kirby, the first woman to become President of the Law Society in its 150 year history.

In the same year, Robin Havard became chairman of the firm and was re-elected for a second three-year term in 2006. He chairs the board comprising Elizabeth Carr (managing partner), Catharine Bray (finance director), Tim Pashley (commercial director – joined January 2005) and Paddy Roche and Rob Cherry, both partners at the firm.

In spring 2007 the firm opened an office in Bristol to advise companies in the surrounding areas. 

Today, the firm has over almost 450 employees, including 50 partners and more than 200 other lawyers, based in its offices in Cardiff, Oxford, Reading, Swansea and Bristol. It ranks among the country’s top 100 law firms and has earned top-tier rankings for its specialist areas of expertise. Major clients include The Welsh Assembly, The Department of Health, AXA, Thames Valley Police Authority and Severn Power.