ABS conversion allows daughters to keep mother’s firm going


L-R: Akbar Ali, Charlotte Fogg, Sarah Scholfield (Glaisyers) and Andrea Fogg

A trainee legal executive and her practice manager sister have taken over the law firm owned by their mother after her death, by restructuring it as an alternative business structure (ABS).

Maria Fogg Family Law was established in Liverpool in 2011 by the eponymous sole practitioner, aided by Charlotte, a trainee chartered legal executive, and Andrea, the practice manager, along with four other staff.

It has a long-term legal aid contract and strong links with domestic abuse agencies across Merseyside.

Maria died suddenly in November 2018 at the age of 55. Charlotte Fogg said they were committed to continuing running the firm: “We wanted to keep the firm going, and in the family, because we felt passionate about continuing our mother’s legacy.

“The firm always had a fantastic reputation and does really important work for vulnerable clients, with many cases involving domestic violence or child protection.”

The firm has converted to an ABS, with the sisters as directors and shareholders, while Annemarie Hussey has joined as its head of legal practice (HOLP). A director of the company, but not a shareholder, she is also the supervising solicitor and director of legal services.

Fellow ABS Glaisyers advised the firm. Head of corporate Akbar Ali said: “Maria Fogg Family Law is a well-established business providing a crucial service. This is a firm that helps real people in its local community when they are at their most vulnerable and I am proud we have been able to help secure its future.”

Last year, Glaisyers was acquired by a consortium led by ETL Group, which describes itself as an integrated global advisory network combining tax, legal, audit and accounting services.




Leave a Comment

By clicking Submit you consent to Legal Futures storing your personal data and confirm you have read our Privacy Policy and section 5 of our Terms & Conditions which deals with user-generated content. All comments will be moderated before posting.

Required fields are marked *
Email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Blog


What high-performing consumer claims firms get right

Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.


The SRA’s 2025 AML report: What law firms need to know

The SRA has released its 2024-25 anti-money laundering report and the scale of supervision is striking – it carried out 935 proactive engagements in the year to 5 April 2025.


The managing partner in 2026: skills, security and strategic technology

The legal sector stands at a pivotal moment. The pace of technological change is accelerating, cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, and client expectations are higher than ever.


Loading animation