Manchester law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has reported another year of positive results from 2021/22, with revenue of £59.6 million – up 12 per cent on the prior year on the back of strong results across the firm’s teams and sectors.
The firm remains committed to the long-term growth of a diverse commercial and private client practice. At the heart of the firm’s strategy sits a commitment to delivering excellent client service underpinned by a culture built around fully flexible and sustainable ways of working.
Stephen Rosser, CEO, said: “The last two years have been transformational for the firm.
“After a decade of improvements, we have moved the firm onto an excellent footing for future growth. Our results are a consequence of the hard work undertaken by everyone at the firm and the great support from our diverse client base from whom we have received more instructions than ever, on increasingly complex and interesting work.
“Changes implemented during the pandemic have become our new normal and we have a thriving culture built on flexible, collaborative and supportive working.”
Clarke Willmott has continued to focus on staff, wellbeing, inclusion and developing the social aspects of work in a flexible hybrid working model.
A wide range of social activities continues and more new initiatives and events are tested each month. Feedback from staff suggests that the strategy is paying dividends that go beyond the financial results.
Large numbers of people responding to the latest firmwide survey reported:
· Hybrid working is delivering benefits for our people and the wider business – 96 per cent of our people who are in the same or similar roles to the role they had pre-pandemic now perceive that they are now working more effectively
· Not only are staff more effective now, they enjoy working flexibly – 95 per cent are enjoying the days that they work at home
· Whilst working in a successful law firm can be hard work, almost 60 per cent of staff say that they have “a great work life balance”
· Virtually all of our staff would recommend Clarke Willmott as a place to work
In a response that was consistent with many others, one recent joiner stated: “Clarke Willmott is the best business I’ve worked for in the whole of my working life; they look after their staff, progression is there if you want it, and introducing hybrid working was the way forward for a modern, caring LLP.”
Stephen Rosser added: “Whilst there are clearly significant challenging headwinds for all businesses in the UK and more broadly, we are building on the lessons learned and investments made during the pandemic by aligning all of the strands of our growth strategy to provide a long term, sustainable future for the firm.
“Our ESG commitments, property strategy and our fully flexible approach to work all contribute. One of the most visible manifestations of this work relates to the changes in our properties.
“In summer 2021 we moved to a smaller but more environmentally sustainable location in Birmingham. In spring 2022 we fully overhauled and modernised our Taunton office. Plans are now underway for a move from our current location in Bristol to top rated sustainable office space at new development Assembly C in spring 2023.
“All of our offices are designed to support fully flexible working. These changes are part of the plan that will drive us to be net zero by 2035 at the latest and ideally by 2030 to align with the Paris Agreement. We will firm up this commitment once we have fully scoped and planned for all of our impacts.”
Clarke Willmott is a national law firm with offices in Manchester, Cardiff, Southampton, Taunton, Birmingham, Bristol and London.
