Fee-share firm Mezzle hit with HMRC winding-up petition

Fee-share law firm Mezzle has been hit with a winding-up petition from HMRC, with its founders separately locked in a shareholder dispute.

Public court filings show HMRC issued the petition against Mezzle Limited last month. Co-founder and chief executive Mel Kang told Non-Billable that the firm expects the matter to be resolved shortly.

“Although Mezzle has been served with a winding-up petition by HMRC, we are confident that the matter will be resolved shortly,” Kang said.

“HMRC have agreed not to advertise the petition or take any further action in the meantime. We have, of course, notified the SRA and have been fully engaged with them throughout.”

A winding-up petition is a formal application asking the court to put a company into compulsory liquidation. HMRC uses them to pursue unpaid tax debts.

Mezzle was founded in 2021 by Kang, a former Gunnercooke partner, and Raj Sumal, who previously worked at Flint Bishop and DAC Beachcroft.

The firm operates a fee-share model, under which lawyers keep a proportion of the fees they generate while Mezzle provides the infrastructure and back-office support.

Its website currently lists 35 lawyers, with offices across London, Birmingham, Manchester, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Legal strategy consultant Jeff Zindani also stepped down as a director of Mezzle last week, company filings show, around six months after joining the board.

Zindani told Non-Billable that he joined as a part-time non-executive director in March to support the firm on specific projects and that his role was always intended to be temporary.

“My decision to step down was therefore not prompted by the recent developments at the firm,” he said.

Zindani said he was continuing to support Mezzle during what he described as “clearly an incredibly stressful period for both the staff and the leadership team.”

Founder dispute

The HMRC petition comes as Kang and Sumal are also involved in a separate legal dispute.

Sumal served as Mezzle's chief operating officer before leaving the firm in December 2024. Court filings show he is now pursuing a shareholder claim against Mezzle and Kang, which was issued last year.