Growth continues as historic firm joins the team

Dutton Gregory has joined forces with Southampton firm Bell Pope, which has been trading since 1892. The takeover, completed in November 2006, was the second such move in a year that also saw the takeover of Winchester-based firm Mackarness and Lunt. As with the previous takeover, Bell Pope will adopt the Dutton Gregory name.

Michelle Tatner, Dutton Gregory chief executive, commented: "Bell Pope has a long-established reputation in and around Southampton, which is an ideal fit into the existing Dutton Gregory group in Hampshire and Dorset. Services provided by the firm will be substantially strengthened by the additional and extensive expertise offered by Dutton Gregory, which in turn will be good for its clients and for the city."

The move provides Dutton Gregory with a Southampton base to complement its headquarters in Winchester, offices in Bournemouth and Eastleigh, and consulting rooms in Alresford and Andover, further strengthening its array of legal services.

Supporting the arts - in an unusual way

Dutton Gregory has continued to support the arts in Winchester by adopting one of the city’s bollards. In addition to bollards "by" artists including Mondrian, Hokusai, Lautrec and Delaunay is the firm's "Final Judgment" by 20th century artist Wassily Kandinsky, who is credited with painting the first modern abstract works.

Mark Broad, Dutton Gregory partner, said: "Appropriately enough, Kandinsky read law at the University of Moscow and, although quite successful in his profession, preferred painting. He questioned absolutes of right and wrong and, his work being at odds with official theories on art, struggled his entire life with conflict of many types. We thought the link with the law in both the title of this work and the life he led was appropriate for this project." The five bollards can be seen in the Square in Winchester.