News Archive

• 2007-02-02
  The decline of erudition and the rise of commodity
• 2006-07-14
  UK Ltd spends more on compliance than on paying its people.
• 2006-05-15
  The Future’s Bright – But It’s Not Legal.
• 2006-04-13
  Safety Compliance help is available in spades for UK Businesses.
• 2006-04-01
  The UK Health & Safety Market: Consulting, Training, Advisory, Content and Computing Services is a new Market Report published in April 2006, price £895.
• 2005-11-14
  With the Red Tape tide rising, why are Personal Injury cases, Employment Tribunals and HSE prosecutions dropping?

The Future’s Bright – But It’s Not Legal.
2006-05-15

“Peninsula Business Services will over take Croner this year as the largest independent supplier of employment law advice, consultancy and dispute resolution services in the UK.” So says A.R.K. Business Analysis Ltd’s CEO, David Johnston LLB, MBA.

So what? Well, this makes them bigger than the largest barristers chambers in in the UK in terms of sales per year. It also puts them well up the top 50 league tables compared to firms of solicitors. “We estimate that Peninsula and Croner both have around £35m in sales in employment law services currently”, explains David Johnston, “and while Clementi and the Future of Legal Services debate rattles on about new formats for legal practices in the future, UK business is already voting with its feet”.

A.R.K.’s Market Report, The UK Employee Relations and Employment Law Services Market analyses over 80 suppliers competing directly with high street and specialist lawyers. It quantifies a market outside the legal profession of 80 suppliers focused on employment law services for UK firms. The Report brick builds the market size to over £200m currently, and growing at over 3 times the rate of inflation each year. David Johnston adds “Most lawyers simply don’t see it – these firms are experts in Tribunal representation, they deliver all of the documentation clients need, and back it up with on site and 24 hour advice and often insurance as well. They completely replace the need for using a legal firm.”

Submissions to Clementi referred to competition from other legal structures, such as insurers and licenced conveyancers. They missed the fact that in employment law and health & safety services alone (another market A.R.K. has quantified) there is already a market for legal and paralegal services outside the legal firms in excess of £700m per year. “That means the legal profession are missing out on the impact of another Allen & Overy size competitor.” according to David Johnston, “and while it is fashionable to be in denial about the impact of these firms, lawyers could learn a lot from them”.

The UK Employee Relations and Employment Law Services Market is a new Market Report published in May 2006, price £895. Further information about the Report is at: www.arkbusiness.co.uk/employment-law

About A.R.K. Business Analysis Ltd. A.R.K. is a specialist corporate finance research business focused on complex B2B service and compliance markets. Their experienced team of analysts are typically senior directors who have built, bought and sold businesses in the markets they compile Market Reports for. A.R.K. have developed a unique market mapping process, and provide research to developing businesses, potential acquirers, bankers and investors. Specialists in legal and regulatory compliance markets, A.R.K. publishes Market reports on the UK Health & Safety Market, The UK Employment Law Market, Regulatory Consultancies, and HR & Payroll Software Services.

For further information, please contact: David R Johnston, CEO, A.R.K. Business Analysis Ltd, Tel: 01280 843900, Fax 01280 706606, Email dj@arkbusiness.co.uk.

For review copies of the Market Report contact Kaye: kc@arkbusiness.co.uk.

 

A.R.K. Market Maps:

The map below illustrates the financial map of employment law suppliers.  The size of the circle is the sales of the business, and the position reflects it profitability and growth record.  This is a market with clear leaders emerging, and a strong supply of entrepreneurial talent.

Market Fundamentals:

The chart below shows sales and profits to date and projected for this market to 2010.