Regional law firm Birketts has advised the partners of independent retail property specialist Briant Champion Long on its acquisition by Colliers International, the world’s third-largest real estate group.

The Birketts team was led by Chelmsford-based corporate partner Adam Jones and corporate associate James Davison, with support from Gavin Birchall, senior associate, tax at the firm’s Ipswich office.

Mr Jones said: “Advising the BCL partners on this high-profile transaction further demonstrates Birketts’ continued capability and commitment to deliver first class, sector specific, corporate M&A transactions in London and beyond.”

London-based BCL, which was founded in 1987, will be integrated in the the Colliers UK operation, strengthening its presence in the capital and expands its reach internatinally.

BCL employs more than 30 professionals based and provides agency, investment and lease advisory consultancy services to a wide range of retail clients, landlords and investors.

It is currently engaged in letting more than 4million sq ft of retail space in the UK and, over the past year, has completed more than 800 transactions and acted on more than £425m of investment transactions.

Paul Souber, former BCL partner and now head of central London retail at Colliers International Retail UK LLP, said “This transaction gives us the ability to connect to a truly global platform and, with London being one of the world’s most high-profile cities, the ability to have global reach is not only an advantage but vital.

“It became clear very quickly that the Birketts LLP team were ideally suited to advise the selling partners, because they share the same client service values and commercial acumen that had made our business so successful.”

Chartered accountants Berg Kaprow Lewis provided tax and accounting advice to the BCL partners, while Colliers was advised by City law firm DWF.