Setfords takes two additional floors at its Chancery Lane location, doubling its London footprint to approximately 12,000 sq ft to support the rapid growth of its standalone technology business and rising demand from lawyers in the capital.
Setfords, the UK’s largest platform law firm, has today announced that it has doubled its London footprint to support the growth of its technology business and increasing demand from lawyers working in the capital.
The firm has taken an additional two floors at its Chancery Lane location, bringing its total London footprint to approximately 12,000 square feet.
Setfords said the expansion was driven by two areas of growth: increasing demand from its self-employed lawyers for space to serve a growing client base in the City, and the rapid expansion of Setfords Technology Solutions Ltd (STSL), its standalone technology business.
The move comes ten years after Setfords first opened an office in London. At the time, the firm had around 160 lawyers. Today, that number has organically grown to over 650, with no UK law firm attracting more lawyers over the past three years.
Setfords now operates from fifteen offices and meeting locations across the country, including its Guildford Head Office, Manchester and Reading.
The expanded London office will play a central role in Setfords’ strategy to attract technology talent to STSL. Established last year, the subsidiary has already grown to around 30 people as Setfords increases its investment in developing technology solutions.
Most recently, STSL launched Halo, Setfords’ legal intelligence platform used by all 650 lawyers and the firm’s 200+ back office for practice, case and accounts management. STSL also developed Helix, Setfords’ data foundation which brings together approximately 20 years of firm data to enable sustainable and personalised AI deployment.
Chris Setford, Co-CEO of Setfords, said:
“Ten years ago, we opened our London office because we could see the opportunity to build a much bigger commercial legal business in the capital. Since then, Setfords has grown from around 160 lawyers to more than 650, and London has become an increasingly important part of that growth.
“What is different today is that we are not just building a bigger law firm, we are building a vertically integrated technology and data business too. STSL has grown rapidly and we know London will play an important role in attracting the tech talent we’re going to continue to need.
“Doubling our space gives us room for both. It gives our lawyers a stronger base from which to serve clients in the City, while giving STSL the space and access to talent it needs to continue growing.”
The office includes a series of meeting rooms, a bar and changing facilities, reflecting the different ways in which Setfords’ lawyers and employees use its physical office network.
The expanded London office will also become the base for several members of Setfords’ leadership team, including Chief Financial Officer Angus McDowell, Chief Growth Officer George Reynolds, and Director of Corporate Affairs Tom Anelay, who will split their time between London and Guildford.
Guy Setford, co-CEO of Setfords, said:
“As a platform law firm, our lawyers work flexibly and often remotely from locations across the UK across the world. But that does not mean there is no role for physical offices.
“Our offices give lawyers somewhere to meet clients without requiring them to be tied to a traditional office-based model. They also give our lawyers somewhere to come together – to work alongside each other, share opportunities and refer work across different practice areas.
“One of the things I’m proudest of is that as the firm has grown, so has demand for those spaces – giving us a place in communities across the UK.”
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