Inspire Legal Group provides job boost for Yorkshire as it plans to open third office in county

A law firm established during lockdown is set to establish its third office in Yorkshire, as it responds to revolutionary changes in the legal sector.

Inspire Legal Group, which is headquartered in Scarborough, opened a second office in Leeds last year, and is now seeking premises in Hull. It also has a London hub.

Formerly Foster Clay, the firm, which relaunched under its new name last month, offers lawyers of all disciplines the chance to work as consultants, building up their own practices and retaining 70% of their fees, while Inspire takes care of issues such as compliance and insurance.

A spokesman said: “It operates as a ‘virtual first’ business meaning colleagues can live and work from anywhere so they can choose to be in an office or other location. The founders Natalie Foster and Isabel Bathurst, both originally from Yorkshire, say it is already opening up opportunities for people in the region.”

Ms Foster, a former business manager at Barclays Bank, still lives in Scarborough where the firm opened its first office in March 2020 in the old county courthouse.

Eleven support staff also work there, providing back-office assistance to the 23 consultant lawyers currently on Inspire’s books, a number it is hoped will double by the end of the year.

She said: “We could have chosen to run everything from a city, but I think Scarborough has been very underrepresented in the legal market for a long time and there has been a real lack of opportunity for anyone wanting to get into the profession.

Ms Foster added: “Location is not the obstacle it once was. We attract clients from all over the world and consultants too.

“We have one lawyer who splits her time between Bermuda and New York.”

Inspire Legal Group also includes Inspire Crypto, a business that will develop tech products enabling property transactions to proceed via blockchain, and Inspire Legal Academy, offering training in- house. Lawyers can also access business coaching.

A spokesman said: “The alternative business structure, licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, is open to lawyers of all levels including solicitors, licensed conveyancers and paralegals, as well as legal entrepreneurs and engineers who need support to create their own tech products.”

Ms Bathurst, an experienced complex injury and clinical negligence solicitor, who grew up in Sheffield, added: “It’s not about growth for growth’s sake. It’s about inspiring lawyers to see there are many different things they can do in practice and to find new ways of delivering legal services.

“We are a group of colleagues where everyone has a stake in the success of the business.

“Our goal is to provide a supportive yet virtual, flexible working environment for lawyers and other professionals, with a focus on technology and modern, innovative working practices.”

The spokesman said: “Inspire Legal is a new-breed law firm which provides all the support lawyers need to build and run their practices, in return for a share of their fees.

"By taking care of issues such as compliance and professional indemnity insurance, Inspire allows lawyers to focus on what they are good at while retaining the majority of what they earn.”

It is an alternative business structure law firm licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.