Freeths marks milestone 10-year anniversary in London

National law firm Freeths celebrates a decade since it launched in the city.

Led by Managing Partner Philippa Dempster, who won The Lawyer’s Hot 100 award for her development of the office, and the arrival of Partner Tom Rowley, Freeths London has grown from a standing start to a vibrant 100-strong multi-disciplinary team in 2023.

London is now the firm’s second largest of 12 offices throughout the UK, with an income of just under £16 million in the last year and an average yearly growth of 267%.

The anniversary comes as Freeths announced outstanding growth over the last 10 years with a 10%+ compound annual growth rate and expanding by 154 per cent from £49.9m in 2014 to £127m in 2023.

Since its inception, the London has thrived. Based in Mayfair, the team quickly outgrew its second office on Vine Street’s third floor, moving to its existing location on the first floor. It has attracted many clients local to Mayfair and the wider city too.

Amongst its rapid growth in the early years, team members have played key roles in high-profile cases such as representing the postmasters in the UK’s largest miscarriage of justice, the Post Office scandal. The London office also led on issues at the Olympic Stadium, and one of the UK’s largest battery storage deals.

Apart from individual key partner hires, the firm has grown organically attracting highly talented junior lawyers. Today’s team covers all the firm’s sectors and service lines, with partners also bringing specialist niche skills in areas such as funds and rail.

Managing Partner of Freeths London Philippa Dempster said: “It’s always been a thrill to watch the team grow in confidence and strength in this incredible, cosmopolitan market.

“Although there’s a huge amount of competition, we are proud to have built an incredibly innovative and challenger brand complete with a warm, friendly, inclusive culture.

“London is and always will be fertile ground for diverse, interesting and high-profile work. It offers huge opportunities for our people.”

As well as its London base, the entrepreneurial firm has a well-known reputation for creating successful operations and record growth across its regions.

In just three years Freeths’ Bristol office has also rapidly expanded from a team of two in April 2019 to a team of more than 40 lawyers, as the office continues its recruitment drive in all legal service areas. In addition, the office’s revenue has increased by 55% over the last 12 months.

Philippa Dempster added:“Our focus is centered around continuing to provide excellent service to our clients in a very collaborative Freeths way. In so doing, we continue to build the Freeths brand, expanding our team and raising our profile. We believe it important that our lawyers are amongst the best and that they think innovatively and creatively to deliver solutions.

“In terms of that profile, we pride ourselves in being businesspeople first, lawyers second – practical, friendly people who are excellent in our field because we give our clients the right solutions and don’t overcomplicate things.”