Leamington law firm is on acquisition trail

Any business holding its head above water in a recession is doing well. But this Leamington firm is actively looking to take over other smaller companies in the West Midlands.

Catherine Wahlberg, managing partner of law firm Alsters Kelley, is pleased to report that her company is expanding, despite the recession.

But a lot of hard work has got the company where it is today.

When Ms Wahlberg took the job in April 2007 the firm was struggling. And she could see what was needed to turn round the fortunes of Alsters Kelley, which has offices in Hamilton Terrace, Leamington, Coventry and Nuneaton.

She said bluntly: "The business had lost its commercial focus, we were inefficient. There were too many people. There was not enough investment in technology and, like many law firms, we hadn’t invested in good, high level financial management.

"The solution was a firm grasp of management. When I took over I gave up solicitors’ work and dedicated myself to looking after the business model and making sure we went forward.

"We lost 18 jobs, mainly support staff, across our three offices.”

The firm also invested in new technology, changed its focus and hired specialist lawyers to handle new areas of business, most of them women.

Now Ms Wahlberg is on the acquisition trail. She wants to take over any small solicitors in the West Midlands who are having difficulties. She reckons that of the 9,400 law firms in the country, 4,000 are likely to disappear.

She said: "The world is moving on. There is a general trend for smaller firms to be taken over by larger ones. We are in positive discussions with some firms.”

At present Alsters Kelley is particularly strong in three areas of business - divorce settlement, legal aid and commercial property.

Their collaborative law team, Erica Kemp and Emma Piff specialise in helping couples to reach amicable divorce settlements with the best interests of their children in mind. Emma said: "This is a relatively new concept from America and Canada. It gives more control to the parties involved. Both parties sit around a table with their collaborative lawyers and try to agree without going to court. This way we can be more creative.”

Not many firms offer legal aid any more, said Ms Wahlberg. "We have a night shift here offering legal advice for people when they need it. Our service is led by the demand of our clients. We offer an email service so people can get in touch with their solicitor easily. For most of our services we have fixed fees so people know how much it will cost at the start.”

The commercial property market has proved difficult for many firms, but Alsters Kelley has focused on contracts for new NHS health centres.

They now have a team specialising in getting national business and turnover in this area has increased by 68 per cent.

Outside the business Catherine Wahlberg enjoys growing vegetables in her Avon Dassett garden. She has a four-year-old daughter.

 

You can read more at The Leamington Courier.