Clarion builds on its growing international reputation with continued double-digit growth to £26.9m revenue
Recently named as Europe’s third fastest growing law firm1, Clarion’s rapid upward trajectory is continuing with the firm once again achieving double digit growth, seeing turnover rising by 16% from £23.2m in 2021 to £26.9m last year (ending 31st May 2022). As the firm strengthens its client base both nationally and internationally, it has also seen team numbers increase, welcoming its 300th colleague in January with turnover in its current financial year set to further increase to £30m.
“While we are a relatively young firm, we’ve always had big ambitions and having proved our ability to rival the large national firms with offices in Leeds, we are increasingly winning work not only from London and across the UK, but also internationally as, post-covid, businesses look for the best value advice, regardless of location,” explains Roger Hutton, joint managing partner.
“2022 was another strong year for us with the team achieving the national and international recognition they deserve by winning a plethora of prestigious awards, as well as adding more and more blue-chip companies and national brands to our client roster. In such a tough economy, our continued expansion is largely enabled by our growing reputation as a national alternative to the biggest firms, both for major UK corporates and international clients.
“With Leeds successfully establishing itself as the main UK legal hub outside London, we’re seeing an interesting dynamic with many talented lawyers looking beyond the capital and seeking challenging career opportunities which can also deliver a better quality of life,” Hutton continues.
“Last year alone, we recruited another 15 colleagues, both from the rich pool of talent we have in the North and also by attracting best-of-breed lawyers from top London firms as our strategy gains momentum. Our national credibility, demonstrated by last year being ranked as the best law firm to work for in the UK2, is helping us to spread the net wider and build the team as we continue to expand.”
Clients of the firm include Safestyle UK Plc, Frasers Group plc, Neom Ltd, Magnet Limited and Leeds Beckett University.
Hutton adds: “We saw impressive growth across most of our practices last year, with the corporate and real estate teams in particular both putting in strong performances. As we look ahead to the next 12 months, we expect there to be more demand for our dispute resolution and restructuring services as business resilience is tested by the pressure of the current challenging marketplace. However, there’s no doubt that there is still an appetite for growth, despite the strong economic headwinds, and many companies are continuing to do well.
“As an established firm with a strong identity and culture, and an ambitious management team at the helm, we know where we are now and where we want to be in the next five years. We have worked incredibly hard to create an inclusive and collaborative environment where colleagues feel valued. Investing in and valuing our people remains one of our core values and goes hand-in-hand with our ability to attract exciting work, increasingly from national or international companies. Our vision goes beyond geographic boundaries – last year alone, we worked across 75 countries, and we plan to strengthen our international team and client base. We are proud of having consistently achieved double-digit growth every year for the last eight years, and, having already seen momentum grow over the last quarter, we look forward to continuing to drive the business forward.”