BW Legal gets set for expansion

BW Legal is set to double its staff over the next 12 months after announcing a move to operate under ABS rules.

The Leeds-based business has become one of the first specialist debt recovery firms to be granted a licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to operate as a legal firm under the alternative business structure (ABS) rules, which allow non-lawyers to own and invest in law firms. The move will trigger an expansion that will see the company double in size from 50 to 100 staff.

BW Legal is led by Sean Barton, a finance lawyer formally with DLA Piper and Rachael Withers, a debt recovery specialist, and offers services including credit management and commercial collect-out services to litigation and insolvency recoveries.

Mr Barton said: “Our aim was always to provide a genuine one-stop-shop for our clients. The new regime for legal services allows traditional debt collection activity and legal services to sit effectively within one business provided it is regulated by the SRA. BW Legal is now well positioned to be the leading provider of pre-legal and legal recoveries within our chosen sectors.”

The firm said the changes in the way legal firms are operated has been dubbed “Tesco” law because it allows new entrants to a traditionally closed market.The Co-Operative was one of the first companies to be granted a license last year and Leeds-based Brilliant Law was launched in January this year as one of the new wave of ABS law firms, set up and run by businessmen, not lawyers, and offering fixed price legal products and services off the shelf, Amazon style, via its website.

Barton added: “We have a solid reputation and client base upon which to build and, in Rachael Withers, a market leading recoveries and credit management specialist. The granting of this licence enables us to ramp up our growth plans and ambitions for the business. It is attractive to investors and clients alike.”