Jeanette Burgess on taking Walker Morris beyond £100m and saying no to private equity

Walker Morris has nearly doubled in size over the past seven years while holding on to a model that looks increasingly distinctive: one office in Leeds and no international network of its own. Revenue reached a record £90 million last year, leaving the firm within reach of its £100 million Ambition 27 target.

Managing partner Jeanette Burgess explains why she believes the single-site model still works. The next question is what happens beyond £100 million - Burgess says Walker Morris can continue scaling from Leeds for now, although the firm is reviewing its options as it develops its post-2027 strategy. She also discusses why the firm is attracting lawyers looking for greater autonomy than they may find at larger City and national firms.

In relation to AI, Burgess expects firms may need “fewer, better people” in some areas and anticipates a gradual move away from hourly rates for routine work. But she rejects private equity as an answer to the investment challenge, arguing that surrendering control would cut against Walker Morris’ partnership model.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction
01:35 Record growth and Jeanette’s path to leadership
05:13 Evolution, innovation and leading the firm
07:33 Walker Morris’ position in the market
09:13 The advantages of a single office in Leeds
16:01 How far can the model scale?
18:51 AI, talent and the future law firm pyramid
28:13 Why private equity is not right for Walker Morris
33:02 What comes after Ambition 27?