Irwin Mitchell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Headquarters | Sheffield, England, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | 20 |
| No. of attorneys | 1000 |
| No. of employees | 3,000+ |
| Major practice areas | General Practice |
| Key people | Craig Marshall (Group Chief Executive Officer) Glyn Barker (Chairman) |
| Revenue | £304m (2024) |
| Date founded | 1912 |
| Founder | Walter Irwin Mitchell |
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
| Website | irwinmitchell.com |
Irwin Mitchell is a full service law firm in the United Kingdom, established in Sheffield in 1912.[1][better source needed] The firm offers legal and wealth management services from its 20 offices, and employs more than 3,000 people.[1]
In 2018 the company was ranked 21st largest UK based law firm in terms of worldwide revenue, with a turnover of £241.8 million.[2]
1912 – 2009
Irwin Mitchell was founded by Walter Irwin Mitchell in Sheffield in 1912, concentrating on criminal law.[3] The firm acted on behalf of various gangs during the Sheffield Gang Wars of the 1920s.[3]
For most of the twentieth century, Irwin Mitchell was based solely in Sheffield. Over the course of this period the company evolved into a general practice, becoming particularly well known for its personal injury work. In 1989 the firm opened an office in Birmingham, with a Leeds office opening its doors in 1993 and a London office opening in 1995.[4]
The company also made a number of acquisitions throughout the 1990s. Kershaw Tudor was acquired in 1994,[5] then followed Teeman Levine (1995),[6] Rigbeys (1996),[7] and Braby & Waller in (1998).[8] Irwin Mitchell continued its expansion in the early 2000s, opening a Newcastle office in 2003[9] as well as acquiring personal injury outfit Lorenzo Zurbrugg that same year.[10]
In 2005 the firm opened two new offices in Spain.[11] The year Irwin Mitchell moved internationally was also the year the firm's annual turnover broke the £100 million barrier for the first time.[12] The next year Irwin Mitchell merged with personal injury and medical negligence firm Alexander Harris, which had offices in London, Solihull and Altrincham.[13] This merger was quickly followed with the opening of a Manchester office in early 2007.[14] 2007 also saw the firm get a foothold in Scotland when it acquired Golds, together with its Glasgow office.[15]
Recent history (2010 – present)
In 2010 Irwin Mitchell became one of the first UK law firms to convert to a legal disciplinary partnership, which allowed non-solicitors to become equity partners in the firm.[16] The following year the firm announced its intention to become an alternative business structure (ABS), in order that it could seek external investment.[17] In preparation for becoming an ABS, the firm created a new holding company.[17]
In 2012 the application to become an alternative business structure was approved by the Solicitor's Regulation Authority.[16] This made Irwin Mitchell the nineteenth law firm to convert to an alternative business structure, and the first to do so under a "multi-licence".[16] Following the approval of the alternative business structure, the firm continued its expansion with a string of acquisitions and office launches over the next three years. This growth was financed in part by a £60 million finance package that was announced in 2014, funded by HSBC, Lloyds Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland.[18]
In 2013 the firm acquired personal injury specialists MPH Solicitors.[19] This was followed in 2014 with new offices being opened in Southampton[20] and Cambridge.[21] Summer 2014 saw the firm launch a joint venture with online insurer esure called IMe Law. This venture involved a team in the firm's Sheffield office providing legal representation for esure customers who have been injured in motor accidents.[22] In November 2014 Irwin Mitchell announced the acquisition of Berkeley Law, a boutique firm based in Mayfair. Berkeley Law was a specialist in advising high net worth individuals from the UK and abroad.[23]
2015 saw Irwin Mitchell open a consulting office in Middlesbrough.[24] Later that year Irwin Mitchell merged with Thomas Eggar, acquiring its network of five offices in London and the South East. The deal created a £250 million turnover company[25] and signalled a significant shift in focus, with 50% of the firm's income coming from business and private client work.[26]
In 2016 the firm launched a new proposition targeted at private individuals, called Irwin Mitchell Private Wealth. The proposition consolidated teams from Irwin Mitchell, Thomas Eggar, Berkeley Law and Berkeley Hurrell (Berkeley Law's conveyancing subsidiary).[27]
In July 2019 the firm opened its 15th UK office, in Reading.[28] In May 2022 the firm further expanded by opening offices in Cardiff and Liverpool [29] Today the firm has 17 UK offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Chichester, Gatwick, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough (consulting office), Newbury, Newcastle, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton.[30]
In 2023 Irwin Mitchell's turnover was £271 million, with a pre-tax profit of £13.8 million.[30] This makes the firm the 21st largest in the UK by global revenue.[2]
