London firm moves into alternative legal services market
London law firm Mishcon de Reya have purchased legal resourcing business Flex Legal.
Co-founded by lawyer Mary Bonsor and software engineer James Moore seven years ago, Flex legal now have a pool of over 6,000 lawyers, trainees, apprentices, and paralegals who fulfil temporary roles with firms and in-house teams.
Flex also run the programme Flex Trainee, an initiative which helps trainees and apprentices from historically underrepresented backgrounds complete the necessary qualifying work experience under the SQE pathway.
While now part of the Mishcon de Reya Group, Flex will continue to run as separate business.
This is the latest in a growing number of expansion projects by Mishcon. In the last year, the outfit has snapped up Cambridge based Taylor Vinters and opened a Saudi Arabia office. They have also recently launched a selection of consultancy businesses, including MDR Mayfair, MDRx, and MDR Discover, in addition to litigation finance venture MDR Solutions I.
Kevin Gold, executive chairman of Mishcon, commented:
“The alternative legal services market is a high growth part of the legal ecosystem. Investing in it and creating a broader range of legal and business services to clients has been a key part of our 10-year vision. Flex Legal is a young dynamic business with a motivated and inspirational management team. We have been impressed by the quality of the business that Mary and the team have built and I am looking forward to supporting a successful collaboration between the law firm and Flex.”
Bonsor, who is a former associate at City firm Winckworth Sherwood, added that: “The opportunity for our Flex legal professionals to benefit from Mishcon’s training programmes, depth of legal expertise and brand will be very valuable as we pursue our ambitious growth plans.”
