THE FORMER owner of a business law practice in Cumbria has said he is 'saddened' to hear about redundancies following the company's acquisition. 

John Wilson made a heartfelt LinkedIn post following Baines Wilson being acquired by Knights Professional Services Limited, trading as Knights, as of Friday, June 2. 

Redundancies followed shortly after the acquisition. 

"I am particularly saddened that all the support staff have now been made redundant. 

"They are a group of exceptional people.

"Whilst I know better than anyone how hard it is to run an independent law firm, I’m still very shocked and hugely disappointed that Baines Wilson has now ceased to exist as an independent business," he said. 

Mr Wilson founded the law practice in 1999, but stood down in 2017 taking up the role of a consultant. 

He resigned with immediate effect after hearing of the takeover. 

The former founder took a moment to express gratitude towards the individuals and organisations that played a significant role in Baines Wilson's journey over the past two decades.  

Mr Wilson also reflected on the pride of seeing his parents' names associated with the firm and the privilege of contributing to the local community.

Above all, Mr Wilson singled out his wife, Diane, who joined Baines Wilson as a commercial property partner in 1999.

"Without Di, I can assure you, there would not have been a Baines Wilson business to sell in 2023, Di was made redundant today," he said. 

In a statement issued to the Law Gazette, a Knights spokesperson addressed the outcome of the Baines Wilson acquisition, acknowledging the presence of duplicated roles within the support staff, resulting in redundancies. 

Knights were approached for comment.