From advising black country metal bashers to servicing the FTSE 100, Birmingham’s Wragge & Co has come a long way. Ahead of its merger with London’s Lawrence Graham, Anna Reynolds speaks to ever-cheerful senior partner Quentin Poole about the firm’s journey so far and its international ambitions

The first thing many people comment on when meeting Wragge & Co senior partner Quentin Poole is how happy he looks. And with the firm’s merger with City firm Lawrence Graham set to go live in a matter of months, Poole has more reason than ever to smile, with the long-awaited London tie-up marking the completion of Wragges’ journey from Birmingham firm to UK player.