“We would like to take a moment to thank everyone at Setfords for the part
they have played in our incredible, record-breaking year”, Guy Setford, our co-founder
begins.
“Nearly two years into the Pandemic we have been amazed by the resilience of our staff and consultant solicitors throughout this challenging time. Their diligence and determination to drive the firm forwards fills us with pride.”
“To say this has been a phenomenal year for Setfords would be an understatement” adds Chris Setford. “Despite the pressures of lockdown, in March we welcomed investment from Phoenix Equity Partners to support the continued growth of the firm. By the end of 2021 we have reached record highs for turnover and client feedback, moved to a beautiful new office, launched a new brand and won and been nominated for multiple awards. Every single person at Setfords has contributed to our success.”
Law. For People, by People
“We stand out from other law firms in many ways,” says Guy Setford “The way we are structured is different from traditional law firms. We don’t set targets for our consultant lawyers.
They work when they like, wherever they like and as much as they like.”
“Lawyer and staff wellbeing and a positive working environment is at the heart of everything we do. Our structure creates a different and happier workplace culture,” co-founder Chris Setford adds. “Compare us with a traditional law firm. There, lawyers tend to start early and/ or work late. They have little choice. They’re always chasing targets. Our lawyers are quite likely to start the day by walking their kids to school.”
“Our offering has proven very attractive to lawyers who are ambitious in their career plans but also want to find a good work-life balance. Flexibility and autonomy doesn’t translate to a lack of productivity – indeed, this last year has proven just how incredibly successful
and hard-working our lawyers are.”
45 per cent more people; 90 per cent more turnover
“Our phenomenal growth has been entirely organic. The 251 lawyers we had at the end of 2020 have become over 400 today – we’re 45 per cent bigger than we were a year ago,” says Guy.
“We feel that this is testament to our unique structure with an unrivalled support package and friendly, down-to-earth culture.”
“Our success has been achieved through the hard work of our talented lawyers. Our turnover soared from just under £18 million to just over £34 million within the most recent financial year,” says Chris.
“Last year’s record growth helped us enter The Lawyer Top 100 law firms. Which is no mean feat given that we only entered its Top 200 for the first time the previous year,” Guy continues.
“To have achieved this level of success in the face of Covid-19 is only possible thanks to the dedication shown by our consultant solicitors and support staff. We want to extend our gratitude to everyone at Setfords for their extraordinary support and commitment since the Pandemic started impacting our business and personal lives.”
“We were delighted to see the hard work of our lawyers and staff rewarded when we won the award for the Regional Law Firm of the Year at this year’s Legal Business Awards. We were also finalists in both The Law Society’s and The Lawyer’s Medium Law Firm of the Year
awards.”
New office and a New brand
“At Setfords, we always say that the needs of our people are at the heart of the firm. 2021 gave us the chance to bring that to life! We built an inspirational new office to house our growing team where staff and lawyer wellbeing would take centre stage,” says Chris.
“So, in October, we moved into a new office in Guildford, Surrey. Over four floors, it features a gym, an on-site personal trainer, free healthy food and drink for all, state of the art technology, break out areas and beautiful meeting rooms for our consultants to use”
New Setfords HQ
New Setfords HQ
New Setfords HQ
We also took the opportunity to transform the Setfords brand in order to convey what Setfords truly stands for. We modernised our brand design and reinforced our messaging to reflect our vision and ambition for the future.
Happy lawyers, happy clients
“Unsurprisingly, we’re very happy with our progress,” says Guy. “Our consultant solicitors share our happiness. They’re happy to have a better work-life balance than they had previously. They’re happy with our 140+ support team that frees them from having to manage
others. They’re happy to be able to go for a weekday lunch with their partners. Or enjoy an afternoon of golf or yoga or swimming… They’re happy to have left office politics behind so they can focus on their clients.”
“Sarah McCaughey, one of our property lawyers, sums it up well,” Guy adds:
“Setfords is a fantastic firm to work for. The support we receive is second to none. My husband and I run my department as a team from home. This makes life easier for both of us. We are very happy to have made the move and are looking forward to many more happy years to come with a great firm.”
“Claire Stone, who joined us in 2020, thinks little extras make a big difference,” Chris adds:
“Setfords’ model is great. I love the personal touches from the wellbeing team. They really do make a difference. I like the fact that Setfords is different. It’s different in a good way,” says Claire.
“Back in 2006, if we had said we’d be working with over 400 lawyers and would have a £34 million turnover within 15 years, many would have thought it was impossible,” Chris continues: “As the first full-service law firm to launch a consultancy model, we’ve always stood out. We have always had confidence in our offering for lawyers and our ability to continue to thrive in the face of any challenge. “We have consolidated our position over the last few years, and now we are actively looking ahead to the next five years and what the firm needs to continue this positive trajectory.”
Let’s make some noise
“Despite the challenges that we continue to face from Covid 19, we close 2021 with very loud celebrations,” says Guy. “Even louder than those with which we closed 2020. Thank you to all our incredible lawyers and staff, without whom our success would be impossible.
We’re looking forward to welcoming new lawyers who share our ethos and can help grow Setfords even further”.
Is consultancy for me?
If you want to find out more about becoming a consultant with us, get in touch. We are happy to conduct interviews remotely for suitable, UK-qualified candidates with five or more years of experience. If you’re a good fit, you’ll be joining a team that was created for lawyers
to do their best work.
Call us on 0330 058 4011 or email [email protected].
Thinking about consultancy?
Lawyers who become consultants at Setfords earn more money, experience less office politics, and enjoy a better-work life balance. The next consultant could be you. So get in touch today and take the next step towards a happier life.
The next step towards a better way of working…
Take your first step today
