2012 Harvey Ingram in Leicester, Birmingham and the Home Counties merges with Shakespeares to form a firm with approximately £50m of revenue

2011 Solihull-based solicitors Wood Glaister merges with Shakespeares

2011 Specialist social housing firm Gorrara Haden Solicitors joins Shakespeares

2011 The enlarged firm is re-named Shakespeares

2010 Berryman in Nottingham merges with Shakespeare Putsman – creating a firm with 420 staff and £28m of revenue

2010 Needham & James in Birmingham, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswolds merges with Shakespeare Putsman – creating a firm with 320 staff and £22m of revenue

2010 Harvey Ingram LLP in Leicester and Birmingham merges with Borneos in the Home Counties

2007 Putsmans LLP and Shakespeares Solicitors combine to become Shakespeare Putsman – a firm with 250 staff and £17m of revenue

2001 Wilcox Lane Clutterbuck merge with Putsmans to form Putsman wlc

1996 Harvey Ingram and Owstons merge

1990 Shakespeare & Vernon, Duggan Lea & Co and Bettinsons combine to form Shakespeares Solicitors

1988 Harvey Ingram merges with Stone & Simpson

1974 Needham & James open in Stratford Upon Avon

1970 Ingram & Co merges with Harvey Clarke & Adams, which traces its roots back to the 18th century, to become Harvey Ingram

1956 Needham & James founded in Birmingham by Henry Needham and Keith James (who is still a consultant with the firm)

1951 Maurice Putsman forms Putsmans

1940 Forsyth Bettinson acts for Lionel Logue speech therapist to George VI (The King's Speech)

1896 Fredrick Berryman, later Lord Mayor of Nottingham, founded Berryman Solicitors

1853 Mr Plunkett entered into partnership with a Mr William Shakespeare (no - not that one!) to form Plunkett & Shakespeares Solicitors in New Street Birmingham

1800s Thomas Ingram joins Caleb to become the most influential solicitor in Leicester in the late Victorian period

1768 Caleb Lowdham starts practicing law in Friar Lane, Leicester