Alternative legal platform providers, otherwise known as consultant-model law firms, continue to demonstrate ‘importance that lawyers are placing on autonomy, work-life balance, and the ability to build a practice supported by strong infrastructure’ say the authors of a report into the size and structure of the market.
The sector hit over 4,000 practitioners last year, with the largest players in the market continuing to grow their headcount. Setfords has retained its position as the largest fee share firm, and since 2024’s report, have, alongside Taylor Rose and Keystone Law, over 500 lawyers operating under the fee share model at the close of 2024. Gunnercooke are not far behind, and may well exceed 500 lawyers by the end of 2025. Spencer West makes up the final firm in an unchanged top five from last year. The largest entrant in the past 12 months is Lawhive who have jumped up to seventh on the list of top 10 firms by headcount, having recruited 89 consultant lawyers in 2024. Spencer West and Lawhive, alongside Excello Law and Nexa Law, which are all substantially above the 100 lawyer mark, represent the increasing strength in depth of the sector as a whole say Codex Edge, the author’s of the report.
“It’s been another busy year of growth in the consultancy platform space, with the vast majority of firms have seen their numbers increase. Lawyers seeing the opportunity to effectively run their own business through providers such as Nexa giving them the opportunity to increase their earnings, having more flexibility in their lives, and importantly giving them the opportunity to do what they like doing best – focusing on their clients. Having the support of strong back-office teams – particularly in accounts and compliance – has also seen us being approached by smaller firms looking to remove some of the day-to-day burdens of running their practice, which is likely to see significant traction with us this year.”
said John McAuley, Chief Commercial Officer at Nexa.
Residential and Commercial Property remain the most popular specialism followed by commercial litigation and corporate M&A. Employment makes up the top five specialisms. The specialisms are unchanged since the first iteration of the report in 2022 but, says the report’s authors, the broad range of specialisms now being practice under the consultant-model ‘speaks to (its) increasing sophistication and scalability. What may have started as a model best suited to property or private client work has rapidly evolved into a broad-based alternative for lawyers across virtually every discipline.’
“Platform Firms are no longer seen as the place to go when you have limited or no other options. It is now an active career choice”
said Matthew Dashper-Hughes, Global Talent Director at gunnercooke, adding alternative law firms are an ‘established part of the legal landscape’ and a ‘credible’ career choice. Indeed it is ‘striking’ says the report that four of the top ten firms recruiting across 2024 were platform firms; Setfords (1), Taylor Rose (2), Keystone Law (7), and gunnercooke (8) (based on the recruitment of qualified lawyers and direct headcount; this does not include acquisition).
“We’ve consistently found that lawyers are looking for more than just flexibility—they want to feel supported, valued, and empowered to grow their practice on their own terms. Hiring at scale is only possible when those needs are met. As more firms compete in this space, the differentiators will be clear: depth of support, cultural fit, and the ability to deliver a working environment where lawyers can truly thrive.”
said Setfords Chief Growth Officer, George Reynolds on their success.
Many hires still come from traditional firms but, as last year’s report identified, there are increasing numbers of lateral hires; people moving from one platform firm to another – 10% of the total number of platform firm hires. By comparison, 40% of hires come from sub-legal 500 practices. The age and experience of those hired remains unchanged. During 2023 and 2024 the report shows the average PQE level at which lawyers moved to platform firms was 16, compared to the average PQE level for moves across the entire legal sector was 12; unsurprising say Codes Ede as the model ‘usually requires lawyers to have built up a personal following and have the ability to attract their own clients and work.’
However, there are bumps in the road adds the report;
There is a marked PQE ‘sweet spot’ that lies somewhere between 9 to 18 years. If the trend towards the consulting model continues then the legal sector may face an existential crisis brought about by a shortage of experienced lawyers available to nurture future generations of trainees and PQE 1-2 associates. If this were to be the case then the platform firms would find a decreasing talent pool from which to draw their consultant lawyers which, in turn, would lead to increased competition and the potential for consolidation within the sector.
But in general the implication is those who opt for a career as a consultant lawyer, are broadly happy with their choice. Retention rates range from 90-97% for the top ten platform firms with over thirty consultants. Three of the three of the top ten firms with under thirty consultants achieve a 100% retention rate.
A trend that has emerged in the last 12 months has been the option to acquire smaller practices in their entirety, as well as adding individual consultants.
“At Nexa, we’ve seen an increase in discussions with smaller law firms. These firms, often managed by one or two partners, are facing significant challenges such as rapidly increasing PI premiums and the burden of costs associated with run off cover. The platform model is becoming a realistic alternative to remove some of the operational hassles of managing a small firm, without sacrificing the valuable client relationships and goodwill that have been built over the years.
said McAuley adding that flexible models enable a ‘smooth transition’ for professionals from running their own practice, to becoming part of a larger network.
“This not only helps to alleviate the financial pressures, but importantly also reduces the administrative burden, allowing them to focus more on their clients and less on managing the day to day demands of running their own firm.”
Concluding, the report’s authors suggest the model is increasingly recognised as a mainstream route to employment; ‘a fundamental part of the UK legal fabric’
“The success of the platform firms can be measured by their presence at the top of headcount growth tables across the legal sector and retention rates that any ‘traditional’ law firm cannot afford to support due to their partnership structures.”
The Platform Firms Report 2025 is available to review in full here
