Platform firms are pulling in more lawyers from major firms, report finds

More than 5,000 lawyers now work at UK platform firms, with the model increasingly attracting lawyers from established firms, according to a new report.

The analysis from legal analytics company Codex Edge found the sector continued to grow rapidly in 2025, with firms including Setfords, Keystone, Taylor Rose, Gunnercooke and AI-powered newcomer Lawhive driving much of the expansion.

So-called platform firms operate a consultant fee-share model where lawyers work on a self-employed basis while the firm provides infrastructure and back-office support. Lawyers typically keep a large share of the fees they bill with the rest going to the platform for support services.

The model has grown rapidly over the past decade, helped by remote working, pressure on traditional law firm economics and the SRA’s increasingly flexible regulatory framework.

Codex Edge said the market now has a “Big Five” of platform firms, with Lawhive emerging as a major new entrant following rapid expansion over the past year.

Lawhive, founded by three non-lawyers and backed by more than $100 million in funding, added 229 lawyers in a single year on a net basis to reach 421 lawyers overall.

Setfords remains the largest platform operator with 653 lawyers, followed by Keystone with 586, Taylor Rose with 513 and Gunnercooke with 480.

Hiring surge

The report found that Lawhive and Setfords were the two biggest hiring firms in the entire UK legal market in 2025, ahead of firms including Addleshaw Goddard, Pinsent Masons and DWF. Four of the 10 highest-hiring firms in the UK market are now platform firms.

Residential and commercial property remain the biggest practice areas across the top 10 platform firms, followed by commercial litigation and corporate.

The findings also suggest platform firms are increasingly attracting lawyers from established commercial firms rather than mainly smaller regional practices.

The report found that 85 lawyers moved from top 50 and US firms to platform firms in 2025 - up 21% on the equivalent figure in last year’s report and something Codex Edge said reflects how the model is increasingly becoming “an active career choice rather than a default option for those with fewer alternatives.”

Keystone and Gunnercooke attracted the highest proportion of lawyers from top 50 firms.

A changing legal market

Keystone, which listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2017, is often seen as the archetype of the model in the UK, combining flexible working with centralised support and technology infrastructure.

The firm has increasingly attracted senior City lawyers. Earlier this year, a team of arbitration lawyers led by Ben Knowles joined from Clyde & Co, where Knowles chaired the firm’s global arbitration group.

Meanwhile, private equity-backed Setfords is reportedly exploring strategic options, including a potential sale, after appointing bankers.