Wearing: Geography should not be a barrier
Employee-owned Yorkshire law firm Ison Harrison has opened its first office outside the county in Manchester, a move championed by one of its partners.
Managing partner Jonathan Wearing said: “Our roots are in Yorkshire, but geography should not be a barrier to ambition.”
Partner Niamh Wilson, who specialises in new-build property work, said in her appraisal last year that she would like to run a Manchester office.
Mr Wearing – who laid out the office strategy to Legal Futures last year – explained: “It went against our strapline of being a Yorkshire law firm, but we listened and backed her, and decided a strapline shouldn’t limit you. What is happening is that we’re becoming employee-driven.”
He said Ms Wilson had a lot of clients and contacts in the city. The office’s initial focus will be on property, new build and commercial work.
Earlier this year, Ison Harrison opened two offices in South Yorkshire, in Penistone and Hoyland.
Mr Wearing said these were the result of approaches from people outside the firm in one case, and both outside and inside in the other.
The PM Law Group, which collapsed in February this year and employed 600 people, had operated in both areas and Ison Harrison was able to take on around a dozen former PM Law staff at Penistone and Hoyland and nearby offices.
Ison Harrison became 100% employee-owned in January 2022, when it had 17 offices and a turnover exceeding £16m. It now has 27 offices and a turnover of over £35m.
Mr Wearing said the firm, which has 460 staff, paid a bonus of £5,000 to each of them last year. That compares with a bonus of £3,600 in the first year of employee ownership and £4,000 in the second and third.
Six months into this year, the firm was “doing better again” and further office openings were “very likely”.
He went on: “Opportunities do appear in increasing numbers, but they have to align with our culture and service standards.
“I’m having more conversations because we’ve demonstrated a track record of successfully acquiring and integrating the right type of firm. It helps that we are employee-owned and it seems to resonate with any type of business looking for a home for their staff.
“Employee ownership has given us the confidence to think bigger and plan for the longer term. We’re proud of our Yorkshire roots but we’re excited about taking our culture, our people and our model into new areas across the North.”
He added: “The future of legal services will be about combining profitable growth with high levels of compliance and a very engaged culture. Employee ownership helps us achieve all three things.
“Some people think there is a downside to employee ownership, but I am yet to find one.”
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