News
LDC completes investment in Harper James to accelerate growth of SME-focused law firm
8 Sep 2025
LDC, the leading private equity investor, has completed its investment in Harper James, the full-service commercial law firm purpose built to enable ambitious businesses to succeed.
The transaction, which exchanged earlier this year, was subject to regulatory approval from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and completed in September.
Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Birmingham, Harper James delivers tailored legal support to SMEs across the UK through a transparent and cost-effective subscription-based model that can scale according to their needs. Clients have access to a team of fully remote top-tier lawyers – with an average of 17+ years’ experience – at a fraction of the cost of traditional city law firms.
Since its launch, Harper James has supported more than 6,500 clients and grown to a team of over 140 people. It is a people-first business with a strong focus on work-life balance, an established culture and core values. Technology has always underpinned the firm’s model and it is investing further in proprietary AI-driven technology to enhance client experience and service delivery. The business has achieved consistent double-digit year-on-year growth, with revenue increasing annually by an average of 33% over the past three years.
LDC has backed the firm’s management team, led by founder and CEO Toby Harper, and is supporting continued organic growth through further investment into Harper James’ differentiated, technology-enabled model. It is also helping Harper James to target complementary acquisitions that broaden the firm’s range of services and increase value for clients.
Finalising our partnership with LDC is an important moment for us. Our mission has always been to make high-quality legal expertise more accessible for the UK’s most ambitious businesses. This investment will give us the firepower and strategic support we need to accelerate growth and create new opportunities for both our clients and our people.”
Chris Handy, Partner and Head of the West Midlands at LDC, added: “Harper James has built an exceptional reputation by challenging traditional legal models and putting flexibility and innovation at the heart of its service. That forward-thinking approach, coupled with a strong culture and clear growth ambition, really sets the firm apart. We’re looking forward to working with Toby and his team as they expand their offering and continue to redefine how SMEs access legal advice.”
In the last decade alone, LDC has invested over £644m into 29 business services companies, with a combined enterprise value of £2.2bn. The firm’s experience of backing management teams in the sector extends across the UK and includes investment in tech-enabled legal services company The Barrister Group, a seven-year partnership with law firm Keoghs, and its exit and reinvestment in professional pensions trusteeship and governance provider, Independent Governance Group.