A major investment in Bradford's business community was announced today with the merger of two city law firms.

From May 1, Schofield Sweeney and Sampson Horner will join forces with a staff of 65 and turnover of £4 million.

Schofield Sweeney has just moved into new £2 million premises in the city's Little Germany and Sampson Horner will join them in Church Bank.

Founding partner Chris Schofield said the merger would make Schofield Sweeney - which retains the name - one of Bradford's biggest law firms and that it showed commitment to the continuing regeneration of the city.

Mr Schofield - who is proud of being Bradford born and bred - said when he started the firm with Martin Sweeney in1998 many of the major city law firms had moved to Leeds.

But, he said, his company expanded rapidly because there were about 7,000, small and medium-sized businesses in Bradford all of which needed the corporate law expertise his company offers.

Last year the value of its commercial corporate deals was an estimated £126 million. But add to this commercial property deals and PFI it totalled about a quarter of a billion pounds.

"Most of it was Bradford-based," said Mr Schofield. In the nineties, Leeds boomed as Bradford declined. But Bradford is bouncing back and Mr Schofield believes the future is looking good.

The two firms have different specialities and Mr Sweeney believes this means clients will have the "benefit of working with a law firm which has significantly more resources".

Whereas Schofield Sweeney specialises in commercial legal practice, Sampson Horner - which was established in the city in the late 1890s - is best known for its work in property and tax.

Sampson Horner senior partner Nick Knight said: "The merger brings together two established law firms with roots firmly fixed in Bradford and presents an opportunity to provide our clients with additional services and support and represents a turning point in the history of the firm."