Leading law firm takes its first step into consultancy
City solicitors Eversheds has become the first top law firm to link up with a major management consultancy group, following its decision to start a worldwide franchising operation with leisure and consultancy group Howarth International.
Howarth Franchise Consultancy Limited, a non-profit-making vehicle, will train and accredit members of the group as well as market the services of the franchising operation. It will refer Howarth clients to the law firm and, in turn, provide Eversheds clients with ‘immediate access to a network of consultants across the world’.
A spokeswoman for Eversheds said the firm’s national group of 43 lawyers would benefit from the deal because of the legal referral work from the new group. Howarth International is an affiliate of top 20 firm Clark Whitehill, but the spokeswoman stressed that the arrangement did not involve the accountancy firm, which would act separately.
In a separate move, solicitors Irwin Mitchell claimed it would be offering the first service which is designed exclusively to handle the legal problems encountered by professionals. The firm said the operation, called Professional First Call, would specialise in solving disputes between partners, employment discrimination and disputes with professional bodies and funding bodies.
