Joanna Worby’s interview with Daniel Zambartas, Insider Media. Published 21 February 2025. It can be read here.
A managing partner at Brachers has hailed the Maidstone-based law firm’s opportunities for growth after it was acquired by Lawfront, in an exclusive interview with Insider.
Joanna Worby said the move is set to herald “a significant step forward in the evolution of the firm”, describing it as a “very exciting time for Brachers” in its 130-year old history.
Worby said Brachers was drawn to Lawfront’s ambition to build a high-quality, national legal services business that is dedicated to its people, as well as its proven track record and scale, together with a good leadership team.
“The fact that Lawfront is prepared to invest in regional hubs, back local leadership and enable its firms to benefit from national scale, while also showing a commitment to preserving the identity, brand and culture of the firms is particularly unique,” she said.
“Every law firm owner will say they want to grow their firm but traditional mergers are difficult to align for many reasons.
“Lawfront stood out to us as an attractive option because of their distinct approach to working with firms in the group, as well as a shared cultural ethos with our own vision and values.”
Brachers, which posted a turnover of £19.5m and operating profit of £6.3m in its latest accounts, is expecting to see its numbers continue to rise with it being a part of Lawfront Group.
Worby said: “With increased profit comes increased opportunity to reinvest in the business and drive further value creation, one of the core reasons behind our decision to join Lawfront.
“Their approach to building value through investment in the right technology, resource and skill will enhance our operations and service delivery in a way that secures a sustainable future for our firm.
“With a focus on investing in our people and embracing technology, and with the benefits of a national scale group, Lawfront will support us to position ourselves as a leader in the region with retained independence and a competitive advantage that will help us ensure the sustainability and success of our firm.”
The partnership is also set to help increase the momentum of its organic growth, by leveraging Lawfront’s resources and expertise to further enhance service offerings and deliver greater value to its clients, by streamlining operations and adopting emerging technology to drive efficiencies and innovation.
After featuring in The Times ‘Best Law Firms 2025’ list as well as being accredited by Best Companies as an ‘Outstanding’ place to work and a ‘Top 10 law firm to work for’, Brachers described the current moment as a “pivotal stage of growth” and the ideal opportunity to assess its achievements and plan for the next phase of the firm’s development.
“We are ambitious, so despite our success we weren’t going to stand still. We knew we wanted to build on the position of strength to accelerate our growth plans, as well as be able to confidently embrace the future in a sector which is changing at pace.
“We want to thrive; we already have the foundations in place and now the investment behind us to embrace innovation, adapt to change and bring in more talented lawyers all whilst still being able to retain our culture and brand.”
Worby concluded that the legal sector is facing a period of unprecedented change as well as challenges to deliver greater value, faster, and with more agility than ever before.
“As we look ahead to 2025, it’s clear that success will belong to firms that embrace innovation, adapt to change, and prioritise the needs of their clients and workforce.
“Our partnership with Lawfront will help us to achieve just that and we are excited about what the future holds as part of the group.”
