Beyond Law Group Plans Cash Acquisition from Waterland Private Equity

The Manchester-based law firm said it was looking to make acquisitions after securing funding from a European private equity fund.

Waterland Private Equity has announced an undisclosed investment in Beyond Law Group, which includes the Beyond Corporate, McAlister Family Law and Home Property Law brands.

Beyond Law presents itself as an organization changing the face of the traditional legal industry and providing an alternative to the law of “big firms”, which it has achieved by creating and developing specialist law firms under one banner.

The company currently employs more than 100 people across offices in Manchester, London and Cheshire, but the cash injection will help fund further growth, including acquisitions.

The group said this week it wants to “expand its portfolio of specialist practices and further develop existing practices across key locations in the UK, having identified potential new partners, team additions and strategic acquisitions that will not only strengthen existing services but also provide new specialist capabilities”.

Steve Smith, former CFO of telecommunications services provider Daisy Group, has joined Beyond Law’s board to build acquisition potential into the firm.

Matt Fleetwood, Founder and CEO of Beyond Law Group, said: “In Waterland we have found an experienced and supportive partner to help us achieve our growth ambitions. We see significant potential for national expansion, particularly in London, and Waterland’s experience as a specialist buy-and-build investor will help us deliver on our ambitious acquisition strategy, finding high-quality businesses to partner with and integrate into our expanding network.”

Following the investment, Fleetwood will continue to run the business, supported by Amanda McAlister and James Corlett. The company did not say how much of a stake Waterland had taken, but Companies House records show Fleetwood ceased to have significant control of the business last month.

Beyond Law’s financial statements for the financial year ended 31 March 2023 show the business had a turnover of £10.5m and a pre-tax profit of £3.25m.

Since its founding in 1999, Waterland has invested in more than 1,000 companies across 150 sectors in Europe. This appears to be its first foray into the legal sector: its previous three investments were in an accounting and consulting firm, an IT platform and a design consultancy.