Hall Brown Family Law has revealed that its success in managing a permanent shift to hybrid working has delivered further robust results.
The firm has seen turnover rise by one-sixth during a year in which it opened a new office in Leeds and saw strong growth in its other three premises.
Co-founder and Managing Partner James Brown has described how “investment in staff, systems and services had enabled Hall Brown to thrive as it transitioned from office-based to flexible operations”.
He added that the ability of employees to adapt had resulted in three promotions, with Emma Dewhurst and Sarah Hewitt both becoming Senior Associates and Rebekah King being made Associate.
Brown added:
“The seven years since we opened have flown by. Each one has brought further significant forward momentum.
Even so, the last 12 months have arguably been the most important of all, given that they were a period in which the world had to try and incorporate the lessons learned during the pandemic into a business strategy for the long term.
Our focus has been on ensuring that the hybrid working which was a very necessary temporary measure continues to be effective as a permanent arrangement and functions in the best interests both of our clients and our colleagues.”
Over the course of the last full financial year, Hall Brown has grown to employ a total of 60 people, 45 of whom are fee earners. The firm has also seen turnover increase from £5.4 million to £6.3 million.
Within the last 12 months, it has opened a new office in Leeds and seen its rapidly-expanding Sheffield operation double in size and relocate to much larger premises.
The firm has its headquarters at the Grade II-listed Ship Canal House in Manchester and a London team based at Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
Brown continued:
“It’s also immensely satisfying to see Emma, Sarah and Rebekah all enjoying great personal progress. Rebekah was our first trainee solicitor, while Emma and Sarah joined us as newly-qualified solicitors.
The strides which they and others have made fully justifies our desire to invest substantially in home-grown legal and administrative talent as well as bringing other very senior and very capable individuals on-board whenever they become available.”
During 2022, Hall Brown topped the Small Companies category in a national ranking of the Best Companies to work for and was the highest placed specialist family law practice.
Hall Brown has also been named among “The Times’ Best 200 Law Firms in each of the four years in which the rankings have been compiled as well as featuring in the top tier of family law practitioners in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners tables”.
There has also been individual recognition for Mr Brown, with his appointment last month to an influential Law Society advisory group.
He is one of eight new members of the Society’s Leadership, Management and Operations Section Advisory Committee, which was set up to offer guidance on best practice and innovation to senior solicitors working either in-house or in private firms across England and Wales.
