Solicitors’ network in £15m ad blitz to push awareness

The group has booked a 90-second advert to be screened during the live final of ITV’s Dancing on Ice on Sunday night, the prime-time slot for viewers.

This will be followed by 8,000 TV adverts over the coming months and a new website, featuring video testimonials from clients.

Quality Solicitors is one of the first law firms to take advantage of the new Legal Services Act, which allows outside investors to take equity stakes in law firms for the first time.

Palamon Capital Partners is believed to have invested £10m in the network, which has 150 firms and 350 branches in England and Wales.

Craig Holt, chief executive of Quality Solicitors, said: “We want to make going to your local solicitor as simple and straightforward as going to the supermarket.”

Lockings in East Yorkshire was one of 12 founding partners of Quality Solicitors in 2009. It rebranded as Quality Solicitors Lockings in 2010, with the help of the pop singer Stacey Solomon.

Richard Allen, managing partner, said the advertising campaign was the “first benefit” of Palamon’s backing. He added: “It goes much deeper than simply a marketing push. We are striving to improve the client experience.”

The franchise-style network is considering introducing more fixed fees for services and longer opening hours for its branches.

Mr Allen said the involvement of Ms Solomon was to dispel the idea of “the stuffy old law firm”.