Berkshire-based IFA firm Lewis Chambers has expanded into Surrey with the acquisition of the Sunninghill Group, bringing three advisers into the Chambers Group and boosting assets under management to £200 million.

Lewis Chambers managing director Mark Stokes (pictured) said the intention was to run the existing Maidenhead office and the newly acquired premises in Farnham as one team under the Chambers Group.

The Lewis Chambers trading style will remain, while Sunninghill will become Sunninghill Financial Planning.

‘I expect the Farnham office will grow to the size of the Maidenhead office over the next three years through organic growth or modest acquisitions,’ he said, adding the Sunninghill Group had about £40 million under management.

Stokes said he believed it was the first time two IFAs using the Standard Life wrap had joined forces, and said it made the transfer of assets ‘a hell of a lot easier’.

Negotiations were under way to bring Sunninghill’s mortgage business into the fold as well, Stokes said.

Chambers Group is also in acquisition talks with another business that would quadruple the group’s size, after a chance meeting at this year’s Pims conference led to negotiations.

Stokes said the deal would mean the group would hit its target of £500 million under management more than two years ahead of its April 2011 goal.

However, the group’s appetite for growth is not sated yet – Stokes said he was ‘keen to talk’ to other businesses around the £250 million assets under management mark.