Setfords shortlisted for Private Equity Backed Business of the Year at the Private Business Awards 2026

Setfords has been shortlisted for VC/PE Backed Business of the Year at the Private Business Awards 2026 – the only law firm to be on the list.  

The other firms are Allica Bank, Clinigen, ERA Group, iamproperty, Netomnia, Nucleus Financial Platforms, Pagabo Group, PureGym and Totalmobile. 

Founded in Guildford in 2006, Setfords is the UK’s largest platform law firm. It has combined founder leadership with institutional private equity backing since 2016, when it received its first investment from BGF (the Business Growth Fund).  

In 2021, BGF were replaced by Phoenix Equity Partners who backed the next phase of the firm’s growth. Co-CEOs Guy Setford and Chris Setford have also continued to invest in the firm throughout its twenty-year history and retain a significant stake. 

Private equity backing has supported Setfords to undertake a sustained, multi-year programme of investment in people and proprietary technology. In recent years, this has included growing the firm’s in-house technology team from eight to more than 30 specialists and building products including HALO, its proprietary legal intelligence platform and Helix, one of the largest proprietary legal datasets in the UK. Setfords has also strengthened its leadership with senior hires from outside the legal sector across operations, finance, and marketing. 

The shortlisting at the Private Business Awards follows the firm’s strongest year on record. Setfords reported FY25 revenue of £67.7m, up 35%, and adjusted EBITDA of £11.0m, up 45%. The firm was named the fastest-growing firm in The Lawyer’s Top 100, rising from 95th to 76th and was the UK’s top-hiring firm for the second consecutive year in 2025. 

Guy and Chris Setford, co-CEOs of Setfords, said: “Being shortlisted alongside some of the most impressive private-equity-backed businesses in the UK is a measure of how far the platform law model has come, and of what the team here has built. 

“Private equity backing has supported us in investing ahead of the curve – in our people and our technology. We are grateful to Phoenix Equity Partners, and to BGF before them, for backing that vision. Most of all, this shortlisting belongs to our consultants and everyone at head office who has made it possible. We are proud of what we have built, and excited about what comes next.”