Succession for law firm owners
Step back from firm management without walking away from what you built.
A confidential route for employment law and immigration firm owners who are considering succession, merger, retirement or a more supported way of practising.
Kilgannon & Partners works with the right firm owners to create practical, commercially sensible succession arrangements that protect clients, support staff and preserve the legacy of the practice you have spent years building.
Planning ahead
Are you considering winding down, closing, merging or exiting your firm?
Running your own law firm gives you independence, control and the freedom to build something in your own way. But it also brings pressure. Professional indemnity insurance, compliance, accounts rules, COLP, COFA and MLRO responsibilities, employment obligations, IT, practice management systems, marketing and administration can all take time away from client work.
For many firm owners, the question is not whether they still want to practise law. It is whether they still want to carry everything that comes with running a regulated business.
Succession planning gives you a way to look ahead. It allows you to consider how your clients will be looked after, how your team will be supported, how your reputation can be protected and how you might continue to benefit from the practice you have built.
What succession can involve
A structure built around your goals.
There is no single model that suits every owner. Some people want to keep working, but with fewer overheads and less risk. Others want a gradual route into retirement. Some want their brand and client relationships to continue with the support of a wider firm around them.
Protect your legacy
We can discuss ways to maintain continuity for your clients, your team, your reputation and, where appropriate, your brand and website.
Reduce the burden
Move away from day-to-day firm management, compliance responsibility, systems administration and regulatory pressure.
Keep practising
Continue advising clients and doing the work you enjoy, with the support of a wider values-led employment law firm.
Plan retirement
Explore bespoke options that may allow you to earn from your practice into retirement, subject to agreed terms.
Support your people
We understand that staff continuity matters. We can discuss how your team may be supported through the transition.
Avoid a hard stop
A planned merger or succession route may be a more positive alternative to closing the firm outright.
A practical alternative
Closing a firm can be costly, complex and personal.
If you simply close your firm, there may be run-off cover, SRA notifications, client communications, staff issues, unpaid fees, work in progress, files, leases, suppliers and goodwill to consider.
For suitable firms, a well-planned merger with Kilgannon & Partners may provide a more positive route. It can allow your clients to continue receiving specialist support, your staff to move into a stable environment and your own role to evolve rather than stop overnight.
- Potential successor practice structure, subject to due diligence and agreed terms.
- Reduced exposure to traditional run-off arrangements where the right structure is agreed.
- Support with compliance, PII, systems, IT, payroll and operational infrastructure.
- Continuity for clients, staff, files, relationships and reputation.
How it works
A clear process, handled confidentially.
Every conversation starts without obligation. The aim is to understand your firm, your goals and your timescale, then explore whether there is a structure that works for both sides.
A confidential initial conversation
We start with an informal discussion about your firm, your priorities and what you may want the next stage of your career to look like.
Exploring the right structure
You may want to keep working full time, reduce your days, focus on certain work, retain your client-facing role or plan a phased retirement.
Planning and due diligence
Where there is mutual interest, we take time to understand the regulatory, financial, client, staffing and operational position before decisions are made.
Agreeing a merger date
We would work towards an agreed date. In many cases, allowing around three months gives both sides time to plan carefully and make the transition smooth.
Transitioning clients, staff and systems
We work with you to support the transfer of client relationships, files, systems, staff and day-to-day operations, where appropriate.
Supporting you after the merger
The aim is for you to keep the parts of practice you value most, while we provide the wider support around you.
Brand and legacy
Protecting what makes your practice valuable.
For most firm owners, succession is not just a financial decision. It is personal. You have built trusted relationships, supported clients, developed a reputation and created a business that reflects your standards.
That is why any conversation with us starts with respect for what you have built. We can discuss ways for your brand, website and client relationships to continue, where that is the right approach.
We can also support your profile through digital marketing, events, employer client development, targeted websites and wider business development activity.
Life after merger
More freedom, more support and a role that can evolve with you.
The right arrangement should give you more freedom, not less. Subject to what is agreed, you may be able to choose the hours and days you work, the type of work you take on and the level of involvement you want as your priorities change.
You would be part of a values-led firm that is building something different: expert lawyers, autonomy, support, no egos and no unnecessary politics.
We do not believe exceptional lawyers need to be burdened by every aspect of firm management to do their best work. For owners who want to retire fully in time, we can also discuss potential structures that allow you to continue benefiting from the clients and practice you have built, even after you have stopped practising.
Who this is for
This may be suitable if you are...
You do not need to be ready to retire now. Some of the best succession conversations begin long before a final decision is needed.
Why Kilgannon & Partners
A values-led firm for exceptional lawyers.
We understand boutique employment law practices because we are one. We know the importance of trust, expertise, responsiveness and client relationships. We also understand that a merger only works if the cultural fit is right.
Specialist
We are focused on employment law and immigration, with deep experience in specialist client work.
Supportive
We want lawyers to feel autonomous, trusted and properly supported by the wider firm.
Practical
We look for sensible, workable structures that reflect your goals and the needs of your clients.
Human
We understand that succession is about people, relationships and legacy, not just structure.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Initial conversations are confidential and exploratory. You do not need to have made any firm decisions before speaking to us.
Do I need to be ready to retire now?
No. Many succession conversations start years before an owner is ready to retire. You may simply want to understand your options, explore what may be possible and keep the conversation open.
Will I lose my brand?
Not necessarily. In the right structure, there may be ways for your brand, website and client profile to continue. This would be discussed as part of the wider merger planning.
What happens to my staff?
Protecting staff is often a key concern for firm owners. Where appropriate, we can explore how staff may transfer and continue to be supported as part of Kilgannon & Partners.
Can I keep working with my clients?
Yes, where that is what you want and it forms part of the agreed structure. The aim is often to allow you to keep advising clients while reducing the management burden around you.
Is the conversation confidential?
Yes. We understand how sensitive succession, merger and retirement planning can be. Initial conversations are treated confidentially and without obligation.
Start a conversation
Explore your options, without pressure.
If you are considering winding down, merging, retiring or simply exploring what the future of your firm could look like, we would be happy to speak with you. There is no obligation and no need to have made any decisions.
