Rayden: Fletchers’ approach came at the right time
Private equity-backed Fletchers Group has moved outside of injury work for the first time by buying leading family law firm Rayden Solicitors, which is now looking for acquisitions of its own.
Second in size in the market only to Stowe Family Law, Raydens has 113 people, including 66 lawyers, in 10 offices across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Kent, London and Birmingham city centre.
Its most recent accounts, for the year to 31 March 2025, show an operating profit of £1.4m on a turnover of £11.4m, increases of 70% and 10% respectively on the previous year.
It is Fletchers’ 10th acquisition since it was acquired by Sun Capital four years ago. Its most recent results showed a 32% increase in turnover to £77m, although profits were down £1m on the previous year at £8.1m.
Raydens will retain its brand, offices and leadership team, with Katherine Rayden – who founded the practice 20 years ago – joining the group’s executive committee.
She told Legal Futures that she had been looking at options for growth – and had been sounded out by other private equity houses – when she was approached by Fletchers. It came at “just the right time”.
It did not matter that Fletchers knew nothing about family law, Ms Rayden said: “The bit I know is family law. What I have less experience of is growth… Fletchers are 10 times the size of us. And what they’re really experienced at is growing.”
The deal gave her access to “more resources and support in all areas of the business, helping us to accelerate our growth plans and thereby augmenting our capabilities and our offering to clients”.
This will include acquisitions, she confirmed. “Coming to Fletchers will really accelerate what I’ve done before in a way it wouldn’t be possible to do by myself.”
Peter Haden, chief executive of Fletchers Group, said: “Our strategy is clear: to invest in brilliant specialist firms and help them grow more quickly, help more clients, and strengthen their organisation.
“We’re keen to apply the same successful approach to Raydens as we have in our serious injury and clinical negligence practice, moving at pace to build a national leader in family law through a mix of organic and inorganic growth.
“Our experience in scaling up specialist legal practices gives us a strong platform to support Raydens’ next stage of growth, drawing on our expertise in marketing, client service, people development, and the use of technology and AI to improve efficiency and deliver exceptional outcomes for clients.”
Mr Haden said the pair would look to “lead consolidation in family law”.
He added that Fletchers had no current plans to move into any other consumer law markets, but went on: “It’s not something I would rule out permanently.”
Stowe Family Law was bought from private equity house Livingbridge a year ago by alternative investment manager Investcorp. It has completed five acquisitions in the past three years, most recently Kent firm Hatton Family Law in June.
It now has more than 90 offices across England and Wales and over 200 lawyers.
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