Movera and Steele Raymond are entering the new financial year in strong positions, with the trio of businesses celebrating growth, acquisitions and expansions this week.
Home moving brand Movera reported a 33% year-on-year increase in sale and purchase completions across its conveyancing firms, ONP Solicitors and Cavendish, in 2025.
To support its growth aspirations, Movera brought in over 150 new colleagues and announced several regional office expansions. The firm, which also includes panel management firm LMS, now boasts more than 650 employees, including almost 100 new conveyancers and a dedicated Know Your Client (KYC) team to manage source of funds processing and streamline transactions across the two conveyancing brands.
Nick Hale, CEO at Movera said: “This growth is the result of ongoing investment in people, processes and technology. Our priority has been to increase capacity without compromising service as we work hard to achieve our ultimate goal – improving the home-moving journey for our people, partners and clients.
“Last year in the UK, purchase transactions averaged 123 days from instruction to completion according to the latest data from Landmark Information Group. At Movera we’re determined to overhaul outdated processes and change the home buying experience for the better, cutting that transaction time and making moving house a joy again, not a chore.”
Movera recently announced that it had achieved a milestone transaction time of just three days between receipt of the draft contract pack and completion, after joining forces with Connells Group and iamproperty. The partnership involved creating specialist teams that communicated and collaborated closely across companies and implementing new processes to ensure transactions common to the three brands were completed faster and more smoothly.
To house its growing operations, the group has expanded its floorspace in central London.
ONP Solicitors, one of Movera’s seven brands, has also expanded into a large space to accommodate its expansion. The Cardiff hub of ONP Solicitors launched in June 2025 and has since doubled in size.
Its team of property lawyers has moved to larger premises at Brunel House, which uses 100% green energy in support of the company’s commitment to achieving Net Zero status by 2045.
Warren Martin, director of operations at ONP Solicitors, said: “Moving into these new offices highlights our ongoing commitment to attracting talent in south Wales and providing the very best working environment for our people.”
ONP Solicitors is currently recruiting property lawyers, conveyancing managers and paralegals to be based at its Cardiff office on a hybrid or remote basis.
As well as continuing to recruit experienced professionals, the firm will soon be launching its first Cardiff-based training academy, which is designed to guide trainee property lawyers through a four-month paid programme that includes live case exposure and one-on-one mentorship.
Bournemouth-based firm Steele Raymond has expanded is central south footprint with the acquisition long-established Christchurch, Dorset firm Williams Thompson, whose lawyers will join Steele Raymond’s existing teams.
Clients will continue to be served from Williams Thompson’s Christchurch offices, maintaining a local presence while offering clients a broader platform of connected specialist teams.
Jennifer Rogerson, managing partner at Steele Raymond, said: “The addition of Williams Thompson builds on the momentum created by our Reeves James acquisition last May. As always, our growth is guided by client need. Williams Thompson is a highly regarded Christchurch practice and a strong fit in terms of quality, values and client care.
David Orr, head of private client at Williams Thompson, said: “Our clients value long-term relationships, trusted advice and local understanding. Joining Steele Raymond allows us to keep that local service and give clients deeper support across a wider range of legal needs. It also gives our people the platform to develop as part of a full-service firm with a strong reputation for quality.”
Terms of the acquisition are not disclosed.
