Two of the Island's law firms announced yesterday they are to merge to form a new company which will take it into the top five in Bermuda law firms.

Wakefield Quin will be made up of some of the top names in the legal profession in both criminal and civil law, taking it into the same size bracket as law firms Cox Hallett & Wilkinson and Mello Jones & Martin.

As of January 1, 2001, the law firm Hector, Wakefield, Dwyer & Pettingill -- which has the largest criminal department on the Island -- will merge with MLH Quin & Co.

The new firm, which will employ about 25 staff, has as its partners Joe Wakefield, Nicholas Hoskins, Mark Pettingill and Dennis Dwyer, who will serve as Senior Counsel. Richard Hector QC and Maxwell Quin will remain as consultants.

"The merger will make us one of the larger mid-sized firms, '' said Mr.

Pettingill.

"We will do both criminal and civil law, but we will be much larger on the corporate side of things.

"There will be a separate criminal division with at least three lawyers which I will head up.'' He added that while the merger did not take the firm into the premier league division of AS&K and Conyers Dill and Pearman, they would now be one rung down, but would be at the top of the first division -- in the same league as Cox Hallett & Wilkinson and Mello Jones & Martin.

And he added that the company had already taken on a couple of lawyers, but would not say if they intended to become as large as the big two.

"I think we will take it as it comes,'' he said.

The separate companies will stay in their respective offices in Sofia House and Bermuda Commercial Bank buildings in Church Street, but Mr. Pettingill said that he hoped both companies would be under the same roof in the new year.

Mr. Wakefield, a senior partner in the new firm, said: "The last few years have seen tremendous growth within our firms, and it makes sense to combine our strengths to better serve our clients.'' Mr. Quin, founder of MLH Quin & Co, said: "Since establishing MLH Quin & Co in 1992, we have always provided a high level of personalised service.

"The joining of the two firms will enable the new entity to continue in this vein.

"This is important to me in making a decision and I feel confident that this decision in the right one for all concerned.'' The company said in a written statement that there would be no staff redundancies as a result of the merger.

Mr. Wakefield said: "It is our intention to seek out Bermudians that are training in the legal profession so that we can ensure our continued growth in the marketplace and continue to provide a personalised service to our clients.'' Mr. Hector said: "Since establishing Hector & Associates in the early 1980s, our firm has managed and sustained a controlled growth pattern and we now find ourselves in the position that requires additional resources so that we can continue to enhance our performance as it relates to our clients.'' Richard Hector Joe Wakefield Nicholas Hoskins Mark Pettingill