Eversheds Sutherland advises Harper James on LDC PE investment

Harper James, a full-service commercial law firm provides tailored legal support to SMEs across the UK. Since its inception in 2014, the firm has supported over 6,500 clients and now boasts a team of more than 140 people.

LDC is backing the firm’s management team, led by founder and CEO Toby Harper. The leading private equity investor will support continued organic growth through further investment into Harper James’ differentiated, technology-enabled model and will also support Harper James to target complementary acquisitions that broaden the firm’s range of services and add even more value for its clients.

Eversheds Sutherland advised on all elements of the transaction. The team was led by Partner Jon Gill and Chris Archer, Principal Associate (both Corporate Finance), with support from Rebecca Felton (Associate, Corporate), Catherine Jones (Principal Associate, Banking), Amanda Smith (Legal Director, Employment) and Colin Askew (Partner, Tax).

Jon Gill, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland, commented:

“We were delighted to support Toby and his team on what is a landmark transaction in the legal services market, as private equity investors increasingly look for opportunities in this space. This was a highly competitive process run to a demanding timetable, and I’m personally very proud of the excellent work that our full team delivered to achieve this outcome. Having known Toby and the business for many years, I have no doubt they will continue to enjoy great success with their new partnership with LDC, and look forward to helping that develop in the coming period.”

Toby Harper, founder and CEO, Harper James, commented:

"The Eversheds Sutherland team were fantastic from start to finish. We have enjoyed a great relationship with Jon and his team in our work in the growth company market, and they were the natural choice for this transformational deal for our business. They expertly guided us through the process with rigour, diligence and good humour, leveraging their deep expertise with private equity investors and professional services businesses more generally, and delivered an excellent result for the Harper James team to set us up for future success.”

The investment was led by LDC’s West Midlands team, including Partner and Head of the West Midlands, Chris Handy, and Investment Directors Karen Mann and Matt Newbold.

Following the transaction, Chris and Karen will join Harper James’ board as Non-Executive Directors, alongside Steve Weller as Non-Executive Chairman. Steve brings extensive CEO and board-level experience from working with other private equity-backed businesses, including The Barrister Group.

The transaction is subject to approval by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).