Law firm Mills & Reeve is to merge with Manchester rival George Davies.

The merger will take effect from June 1 after partners at both firms approved the deal.

The deal means Mills & Reeve, which has a strong presence in Birmingham, will have 112 partners and 870 staff operating from six offices.

The enlarged Mills & Reeve Manchester office will continue to be based at New York Street with a total of 16 partners and 89 other staff.

Guy Hinchley, Mills & Reeve’s managing partner who is based in Birmingham, said: “This merger will enable us to grow our presence in the north substantially and to progress our strategy of providing a full range of legal services to clients in our key sectors.

“We are very excited about the potential that our increased scale gives us in the north and the further career opportunities that it creates for the talented lawyers and business support professionals in our enlarged firm.”

Mills & Reeve boasts expertise in a variety of sectors including agriculture, charities, education, food and beverage, health, insurance, private wealth, real estate investment and technology.

Clients include businesses, high net worth individuals and landowners, more than 120 universities, colleges and educational bodies and over 100 healthcare organisations.