A long established Suffolk law firm has been snapped up by an international business with offices in London and Dubai.

Gotelee Solicitors - which employs 90 people at offices in Ipswich, Hadleigh, Felixstowe, Framlingham and Woodbridge - said its acquisition by Mezzle will add "strength and depth" to its offering.

Gotelee - which was founded in 1880 - will continue to operate under the same name having joined forces with Mezzle on March 1.

Mezzle - which like Gotelee is a full-service last firm - is a much younger firm established in 2019. It has offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

It was founded by its chief executive Mel Kang and chief operating officer Raj Sumal - lawyers who previously worked for top-flight law firms.

They talked to chief executives and FTSE 100 financial directors and heads of departments about their legal needs.

The firm found demand among lawyers for a more flexible system, with some preferring a traditional set-up and others on a self-employed fee share basis.

It has created a model catering for both. It has also invested in technology - including artificial intelligence - enabling its lawyers to work flexibly.

Mr Kang said they were "very excited" to have Gotelee Solicitors on board as part of the Mezzle group.

"Bringing our cutting-edge technology and tech-based solutions into Gotelee’s operations and investing in its staff and bringing in even more talent will see the firm grow and flourish," he said.

It was "critical" to maintain the firm's rich heritage - but they were looking forward to helping the firm in its growth plans for East Anglia and beyond, he added.

"Gotelee clients will continue to benefit from having access to the same high-quality service, but by expanding its teams and bringing on board additional specialist expertise, clients will benefit from even greater service, at a sensible price point," he said.

Gotelee managing partner Andrew West said it was "an exciting time" for the firm - but would be "business as usual" for clients.

"The legal sector is a highly competitive market. With the investment and resources brought in by Mezzle, we are looking forward to growing and consolidating our position.

"By adopting Mezzle’s state of the art IT systems and back-office support, this will allow our lawyers to single-mindedly focus on meeting our clients’ needs.

"Adding further strength and depth to our already highly regarded teams, we are confident that this will place us at an advantageous position in the East Anglian legal market place."

He added: "Mezzle has ambitious, yet sensible plans for sustainable growth, and Gotelee Solicitors is excited to be part of that positive step forward.

"Law firms need to challenge convention and create new and better ways of delivering legal advice. Gotelee Solicitors, in combination with Mezzle, will do just that.”.