In this episode, Alex Rawlings speaks with Adil Taha, a private equity operator specialising in the UK legal sector. They explore why private equity has struggled to scale law firms, the challenges of buy-and-build strategies, and why many legal businesses are weaker than they appear financially.

Adil shares lessons from rescuing and rebuilding Child & Child, explains why consumer legal services are attracting the most PE interest, and discusses how law firms differ from other professional services businesses. The conversation also covers the impact of AI, rising salary costs, partnership structures, and why the US legal market may offer bigger opportunities for investors.

Topics Covered

PE investment trends in legal services
The Child & Child turnaround
Why law firms are difficult to scale
Problems with traditional partnership models
Why buy-and-build strategies are struggling
Consumer legal services vs full-service firms
The role of AI and rising costs in legal
Why the US market is attracting PE attention

Timestamp Highlights

00:00 – Introduction to Adil Taha
02:29 – Child & Child acquisition and turnaround
09:11 – Where PE is investing in legal
14:55 – The hidden weaknesses in law firms
26:51 – Why professional services are hard to scale
35:23 – Investment strategies that may work in legal
45:05 – Why PE is looking toward the US market

Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.

🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/
🌐 Visit Raw Selection www.raw-selection.com

Are law firms ripe for Private Equity investment

The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection

Are law firms ripe for Private Equity investment