Setfords confirmed as UK’s largest platform law firm as sector passes 5,000 lawyers

Setfords has been confirmed as the UK’s largest fee-share law firm by lawyer headcount in the Codex Edge Platform Firms Report 2026.

The report, the most comprehensive independent analysis of the platform sector, shows Setfords ended 2025 with 653 consultant lawyers, the highest of any platform firm operating on a pure fee-share model.  

The firm has grown its consultant base at a compound annual rate of 50% over the past five years, the highest of any of the sector’s largest firms. Setfords is also one of only two platform firms to feature in the top ten hiring firms across the entire UK legal market, with 171 new joiners in 2025 placing it ahead of every traditional firm.  

The platform sector as a whole has now crossed 5,000 lawyers for the first time, a milestone the report describes as evidence that the model has moved from “alternative choice to established market force.” 

The report also finds that Setfords offers clients access to consultant expertise across more of the top practice areas than any other platform firm. The firm leads the sector in four of the top ten specialisms by lawyer headcount, namely Residential Property, Commercial Property, Family and Private Client, and features in the top five firms for eight of the top ten overall. 

Guy and Chris Setford, co-CEOs at Setfords, said:

“We are hearing from more lawyers thinking about consultancy than at any point in our history, and the sector’s growth shows why. It is exciting, and the potential is enormous. We are proud to remain the largest fee-share firm in the UK, and we know that position has to be earned every day through the support and culture we provide our consultants.”