Law firms apprehensive about private equity investment through ‘Tesco Law’

Law firms in the UK are cautious about the involvement of private equity as shareholders.

Research from Sweet & Maxwell shows that, on the back of the Legal Services Act, law firms would be reluctant to take on investment from private equity firms.

Some 77 per cent of those surveyed do not consider private equity investment as ‘appropriate’ while 88 per cent would not consider listing on the stock exchange (see table below).

The Legal Services Act, which has been dubbed Tesco Law, came into force in January 2012 and now means that law firms can seek external investment, or share ownership, by converting to an Alternative Business Structure (ABS).

Sweet & Maxwell points towards what it describes as a ‘chequered’ history of stock market listings in the professional services sector, such as those involving accountancy firms Vantis and Numerica, as reasons behind the surveyed reluctance.

What kind of external funding is appropriate for law firms?

Appropriate Inappropriate
Private equity investment 23% 77%
Listing on the stock market 12% 88%
Bank lending 85% 15%
Alternative finance, such as asset finance or invoice discounting 50% 50%
Other long-term debt such as bonds 23% 77%
Source: Sweet & Maxwell

The survey also reveals that, so far, only 20 firms have converted to an ABS while just the one has taken on investment from a private equity firm.

Hunter Ruthven

Hunter Ruthven

Hunter Ruthven graduated from the university of Sussex in geography and politics before joining Vitesse Media. He was the Editor for GrowthBusiness.co.uk from 2012 to 2014, before moving on to Caspian...

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