Express Solicitors granted ABS status

EXPRESS Solicitors, the Manchester personal injury law firm, has converted to alternative business structure (ABS) status.

The firm was granted an ABS license from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) on 1 April 2014, which means it can now take on external investment and appoint non-legal staff to executive postitions.

Managing partner James Maxey said: “The ABS license will put us in a stronger position to continue moving forward in what is a difficult climate for the legal sector.

“It will allow us to bring qualified non-legal professionals into the fold to help us further improve the quality of our services and it also makes external investment a possibility in the future.”

Based on Palatine Road, Northenden, Express Solicitors has 148 employees including 13 partners and 47 fee earners.

Mr Maxey added: “We’ve had consistently strong growth in profitability over the years – last year reporting a 35% increase in fee income to £7.2m for the year end in 2013 – despite the changes in law that actually make it harder for personal injury law firms to succeed

“We believe operating as an ABS will keep us on the right track.”