NEARLY 800 people turned out at Worcester Cathedral to say farewell to one of the West Midlands most popular lawyers.

Family, friends, colleagues and a host of personalities from the business community came together to celebrate the life of Martyn Morgan, who lived in Worcester and was head of regional law firm QualitySolicitors Talbots. Mr Morgan, who was 60, died in Worcestershire Royal Hospital before Christmas following a stroke.

His five children – Abby, Charlie, Danielle, Hannah and Ben – led led the tributes, while his wife Mary Mocklow provided a touching and humorous eulogy.

Rachel Pardoe, practice director at QualitySolicitors Talbots, said: "The celebration of Martyn’s life was both inspirational and very moving, with so many people attending and filling Worcester Cathedral. We were overwhelmed by the many wonderful things people had to say about him. He always encouraged a sense of family at Talbots and, despite our growth, I’m certain that we have achieved that. The last four weeks have underlined this and it is our job now to maintain his legacy by making sure we continue to grow in line with his vision of offering ‘value for money legal advice with a personal touch’.”

Mr Morgan took over at QualitySolicitors Talbots in 1991 when the practice had just two offices and a handful of staff. Today it has annual sales of more than £8m, employs more than 190 people, has seven offices across the region and a reputation for being experts in business, employment, estates, family and property law. In the last six months, Mr Morgan also saw the company placed in the Top 20 conveyancing firms in the UK.

Outside of work, he was passionate about raising money for charity and spent hours talking about his endurance feats, which included running marathons in London and New York.