Napthens advises A Lamb Associates (ALA) and subsidiary Morham & Brotchie Partnership on their acquisition by Hawkins & Associates

The corporate team at Napthens has advised Cumbria-based A Lamb Associates (ALA) on its disposal to Hawkins & Associates for an undisclosed sum.  

Headquartered at Clawthorpe Hall, Burton-in-Kendal, Cumbria and with offices in Warrington, London and Edinburgh, ALA is a market leader in the commercial management of oil, gas and water pipeline projects worldwide and one of the UK’s top consultancies, with its subsidiary Morham & Brotchie being quantity surveyors specialising in historic and complex projects. 

Led by corporate partner Richard Robinson supported by senior associate solicitor Charlotte Walsh and including head of real estate Jamie Allison, a seven-strong team at Napthens provided support and guidance before, during and after the completion to the shareholders of ALA. 

Richard said: “We have enjoyed a long-term relationship with ALA, supporting the business for several years, including its acquisition of Morham & Brotchie and now guided Tom, Byron and the other shareholder through this acquisition process. 

 “It’s been an incredibly busy time, as we approached financial year deadlines, but all parties worked tirelessly to ensure the deal was concluded within extremely tight time frames. 

 “Providing strategic advice to businesses as they grow, merge, buy or sell means over time allows us to develop close relationships with our clients, and it’s been a great pleasure to ensure the future is bright for ALA and its people.” 

Established in Cambridge in 1980, independent and employee-owned Hawkins & Associates has grown into a specialist global provider of forensic root cause analysis, expert witness services and engineering consultancy to the insurance, legal, risk management and commercial sectors. 

 The strategic acquisition gives ALA access to more than 200 technical experts at Hawkins based at 10 UK offices and in Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong. 

Andrew Prickett, managing director of Hawkins, said: “This is a significant strategic milestone for our business. Hawkins & Associates and ALA have worked closely for several years, sharing the same values and ambitions. 

 “Joining forces with ALA will bolster our existing service offerings, benefiting both our existing and new clients while aligning seamlessly with our commitment of delivering exceptional value and service.” 

Tom Lamb, ALA managing director, said: “We are delighted to complement our service offerings with the additional resources, capabilities and scale of Hawkins. 

 “We look forward to working collaboratively with the new team and further enhancing the breadth of services that we can offer to our respective clients.” 

 By combining strengths and expertise, this acquisition will build on Hawkins' existing capabilities and services and ensure that clients continue to benefit from the experience and track record of trusted market leaders.  

 Richard Robinson and colleagues at Napthens also advised ALA on its acquisition of Edinburgh-based Morham & Brotchie in June 2023.