Lawfront turns to former insurance boss to lead £170m legal group

Lawfront has appointed former esure boss Peter Martin-Simon as its new chief executive as the private equity-backed legal group prepares for its next phase of growth.

Martin-Simon will replace Neil Lloyd, who is stepping down after more than four years in charge. Lawfront, which was launched by private equity firm Blixt in 2021, has grown rapidly under Lloyd, acquiring 16 law firms and increasing revenue to around £170 million.

Those acquisitions have been consolidated into seven regional hub firms, including Nelsons, Slater Heelis, Trethowans and Field Seymour Parkes, with more than 1,500 people across the wider group.

New leadership

Martin-Simon was previously at insurer esure, where he was chief executive and led its integration with Ageas Direct and Saga following their acquisition. He has also held senior roles at British Gas and its parent Centrica.

Martin-Simon said the legal sector was going through “momentous change” driven by consolidation and AI, adding that he plans to use his experience to accelerate Lawfront's growth.

The group is also now chaired by Axel Graenitz, who according to his LinkedIn profile has held the role since January, replacing Jeff Scott.

Graenitz has held chair positions at a number of private equity-backed businesses and lists himself as a senior adviser to European private equity firms Waterland and Triton.

Lawfront recently said it had completed a refinancing with new and existing lenders, doubling the size of its debt facility to help fund further acquisitions.

The CEO change also comes after Lawfront made headlines in July over one of its previous acquisitions.

It emerged that the group had brought a £4.6 million High Court claim against five Slater Heelis partners over warranties given as part of its £16.9 million acquisition of the Manchester firm.

The dispute centres on the valuation of Slater Heelis' Court of Protection practice, with Lawfront alleging that the firm overstated the value of fees it expected to recover from the work. The claim was signed by outgoing chief executive Lloyd.

Lawfront declined to comment when asked about the current status of the proceedings.