Member Article

Beaumont Legal expands despite unparalleled legal sector change

Wakefield-based Beaumont Legal has appointed three new directors and has increased its staff count by 100% since the start of 2013 legal sector turbulence.

The company attributed its success to the development of web-based services (with an estimated 70% new customers coming via their website) and its adaption to market demands and changes.

The firm has taken on Beverley Smith, who joins from a major logistics company in the position of Director of Human Resources.

Paul Rayner becomes the company’s Director of Marketing and Communications after working on strategic campaigns with international brands while in London and Beaumont’s long-term Conveyancing Manager, Adele Barker, has been promoted to the newly-created role of Director of Conveyancing.

The firm predict that another recruitment drive in 2014 will add a further 50 solicitors, legal assistants and legal secretaries over the coming months to support its major conveyancing drive as well as developing other service specialisms of litigation, commercial property and private client services.

They will also soon outgrow their premises and are looking for further office space near their headquarters in Paragon Business Park.

Beaumont Legal has an annual turnover of more than £4 million.

Partner and head of conveyancing at Beaumont Legal, Nick Masheder, said of the new appointments and latest recruitment drive: “These senior management appointments are a key part of our strategy to become the largest conveyancing firm in the UK within the next three years.

“Through our ongoing drive to recruit quality conveyancing solicitors and by securing substantial new partnering relationships we’ve grown incredibly fast over the past year.

“Our aims is always to provide the high level of service that today’s home buyers demand and these new appointments will enable us to accelerate our existing growth into 2014.”

Roy Cusworth, partner at Beaumont Legal, talked to Bdaily about the firms growth in the face of the turbulent legal climate. He said: “The pace of growth of the business has been dramatic. We realised we needed to bolster the corporate management capability which is why we made these director appointments.

“There are so many law firms which are failing or merging at the moment as a survival strategy, there’s a huge consolidation going on within our industry but we are prospering because of our web based services that we offer for residential conveyancing across the country.

“As we increase our conveyancing clients, we find there are growing cross selling opportunities, that clients want other services, commercial premises, disputes, wills and estate planning assistance.

Roy was asked how the firm has dealt with changes in the Legal Services Act that have come into full force this year after being implemented in 2012, particularly over the introduction of external capital in law firms and ownership.

He said: “We’ve anticipated these changes and it’s a real shake up in the legal services market. We identified a niche service opportunity, to provide an online based national conveyancing service”

“We’re gaining clients through the website, and creating partnerships with national referral agencies”

“I don’t think other firms are seizing new market opportunities. Before the collapse of the property market in 2008 most clients went to high street conveyancing firms.

“Now, we see a lot of change in consumer buying behaviour. Just as people shop much more now online than on the high street, many more people are turning to internet to obtain professional services.

“Traditional firms are losing ground. What we have to do to respond to clients requirements is that we offer services 7 days a week, we’re open 8am-8pm during the week, we have two shifts of staff to be able to do that. It’s a very much a case of people wanting their conveyancing services in a convenient way at convenient times.

“Responding to that change of demand is how we’ve survived.

“Our ambition is the become the leading conveyancing business in the country. Whether we remain a traditional solicitors partnership or become an ABS, it depends what is required to fund the growth of the business.

“There’s a very fast consolidation and period of change happening in this sector. You’ve got to be receptive and open to all opportunities.

“Large scale consolidation going on, there will be fewer in the future who are bigger, but better organised.

“All options are open for the future.”

Beaumont Legal was crowned the UK’s best law firm for conveyancing at the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards earlier this year and receiving a highly commended accolade in the recent Yorkshire Lawyer Awards. Debra Booth, a team leader, was nominated Sunday Times conveyance of the year last week.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .