McMillan Williams Solicitors set for expansion after £5m BGF funding

McMillan Williams Solicitors, a consumer focused high street law firm, is set to expand following investment from BGF.

BGF invested £5m of equity finance in McMillan Williams in February 2015 for a minority stake in the company.

Founded in 1983, the law practice has grown from several high street branches, predominantly in and around south London and the South East, to 18 today. McMillan Williams services clients throughout South, West and Central London, Kent, Sussex, and Devon. Revenues have increased nearly 70 per cent over the past three years and the business is on track to turnover £18m in the year ending April 2015.

McMillan Williams operates a number of practice areas in the consumer legal services sector including conveyancing, personal injury and family law.

BGF’s investment is funding the opening of a further eight offices in London and the South East over the next two years and the recruitment of approximately 75 new solicitors and additional legal staff across the firm. Further opportunities for growth include the recruitment of high quality legal professionals and the possibility of moving into new legal areas as the business scales. Other practice areas that have already been identified include commercial conveyancing, mental health, financial claims on divorce and civil litigation.

McMillan Williams is led by founding Partner John McMillan, CEO Colum Smith and 20 other partners.

The UK legal services market has grown at 4.7 per cent between 2009-2013, with an anticipated growth rate of 3 per cent for the next 5 years, driving the total market to a value of £38bn by 2018. (Source: Data Monitor Legal Services in the UK, April 2014.)