administrative jobs.

Staff were given details yesterday of the consolidation of Cox & Wilkinson (C&W) and Hallett, Whitney & Patton (HW&P) into one firm to be called Cox Hallett & Wilkinson (CH&W).

The six staff being made redundant were informed yesterday.

John Cooper of HW&P and senior partner at C&W, David Kessaram, will be joint managing partners of the new firm, which will operate out of Milner House, the current premises of Cox & Wilkinson.

As reported by The Royal Gazette yesterday, a meeting on Tuesday night of the two sides sealed the deal. The merger becomes effective January 1.

Mr. Cooper declined to discuss what financial or other considerations were involved in the consolidation.

He said: "The terms of the merger are confidential. Discussions were held over several months.'' HW&P will vacate 5,600 square feet of space, comprising two floors at Corner House on the corner of Church and Parliament Streets, a building owned by the firm's partners.

The two firms have carried on business next door to each other for close to 30 years. HW&P is the oldest law firm in Bermuda, having been established in 1918. C&W began in 1970.

CH&W will include partners Messrs Cooper and Kessaram, together with Stephen Cook, David Cooper, Harry Kessaram, Ernest Morrison, Kim White and Justin Williams.

The legal staff will also include associate lawyers Douglas Pullen (senior associate), Marty Brandt, Helen Adderley, Linda Russell and Scott Swainson.

Consultant to the new firm will be William Cox, JP, one of the founders of Cox & Wilkinson.

Mr. Cooper said: "There are many aspects of the two firms that will meld well and complement each other. I'm very enthusiastic about it and have told the staff that.'' A prepared statement said the new firm will continue to provide the wide range of legal services that the two firms previously provided to their many clients. The main areas of their practice will be corporate and commercial law, all forms of civil litigation and arbitration, property and conveyancing and trusts.

It continued: "Through their respective subsidiaries (Coson Corporate Services Ltd. and Globe Corporate Services Ltd.) the two firms have provided corporate administrative services to a variety of local and exempted companies carrying on insurance and reinsurance business, mutual fund business, investment holding, international trade, shipping, aircraft operation and leasing, etc.

"The two corporate service companies will continue to provide corporate services to their clients after January 1 as before.

"Additionally, both firms have their own subsidiary trust companies with active and growing portfolios of local and international trusts. These will continue to provide trustee and executor services to their clients on the same terms as before.'' Mr. Cooper said that a merger of this nature provides many benefits, particularly in the saving of overhead expenses. The practices of the two firms complement one another in terms of their local and international clientele.

Furthermore, the merger enables the new firm to provide greater depth of legal experience and knowledge to its clients.

The statement said that the two firms share a similar philosophy concerning the practice of law in Bermuda. In addition to providing quality legal services at a reasonable cost, the two firms strive to provide the personal attention that clients demand.

It added: "The lawyers from both firms have served the community in a number of public service positions including advisory boards, on the Magistrates' Court bench and on the Bar Council.'' BUSINESS BUC