Private Equity in Law Firms – The Reshaping of a Profession

In early 2025, two former senior partners of a major international law firm quietly launched a new advisory business. Their mission? To help law firms and private equity investors navigate a world that, until recently, barely existed: buying and selling stakes in law firms.

Not so long ago, the idea of external investors owning a chunk of a law firm would’ve sounded like something from a pub quiz trick question. Law firms were partnerships – full stop – and the money stayed within the club. But times are changing. From outright takeovers to buying up and combining multiple firms under one roof, private equity is no longer lurking on the fringes. It’s stepping confidently through the doors of legal practice, briefcase in hand.