Invest in expertise, experience & knowledge

THE WHY

M&A in the legal sector is challenging and sits within a highly regulated environment.

THE HOW

ZebraLC is a trusted advisor to law firms, investors and PLC Boards and has experience of handling large-scale DD processes, through to small WIP book acquisition including personal injury WIP valuation.

Our aim is to provide clarity around our client’s key decision making by reducing risk, identifying value and guiding them to take advantage of real opportunity.

We are instructed to carry out specialist reports on vendor, funder, investor and acquisitor due diligence. Our reports are independent.

Our due diligence reports span all areas of legal service.  Growth areas include projects within personal injury, clinical negligence, conveyancing, private client and commercial litigation. We have unrivalled expertise in personal injury WIP valuation.

THE VALUE

Why is independent due diligence valuable?

• * The Target does not always have the Management Information data to provide a detailed picture of their WIP and its condition
• * Acquiring firms do not necessarily have the skill sets or procedures to carry out controlled audits that can deliver reliable results
• * ZebraLC works to a bespoke online audit system, and all auditors are trained under our core methodology approved by ISO9001
• * Either party involved in the deal/ has an element of bias. Involving an impartial party ensures that reports and opinions delivered are relevant and risk focused
• * ZebraLC benchmarks across its own  extensive M&A data sets.

                        
CONFIDENTIALITY

As an SRA registered business, client confidentiality is at the heart of every project. Our ISO 9001 accreditation ensures that our processes and procedures encompass SRA guidance on client confidentiality through audit and all M&A projects. Our team works to a strict confidentiality protocol.

TESTIMONIAL

We instructed ZebraLC to carry out the technical and WIP due diligence in the acquisition of Lees.  The project gave us an invaluable insight to the Firm.  Zoe and her team work in a discreet manner and follow a strict confidentiality protocol, which is imperative in law firm acquisition. I recommend them highly. Andrew Holroyd, Jackson Canter

HIGH PROFILE DEALS

• 1. Fairpoint PLC acquisition of Simpson Millar and Colemans CTTS
• 2. North Edge Capital £15m investment into Roberts Jackson
• 3. Co-Operative Group Acquisition of private client business
• 4. Pure Legal acquisition of Pryers
• 5. Jackson Canter acquisition of Lees Solicitors
• 6. Neil Hudgell acquisition of Harris Cartier

For confidential enquiries and for a copy of our technical capability statement, please contact zoeholland@zebralc.co.uk
/www.legalfutures.co.uk/blog/exiting-pi-value-strategic-measured-approach-selling-wip</a>

THE WHY

Delivery of legal services is constantly evolving within the context of regulatory, judicial, political, financial and economic change. In response, new and emerging risks are developing.

Management teams want reassurance that the firm is dealing with risk in the right way. Whether they have concerns, or want ‘comfort and confidence’ in their own approach. an independent eye is required.

THE HOW

ZebraLC offers independent ‘red flag’ health checks to provide firms with visibility around emerging operational and financial risks.

ZebraLC’s extensive due diligence experience in bank funding and M&A provides our clients with unique insight into emerging risk trends across;

• * WIP recoverability risk, including Retainer and CFA Assignment
• * Professional indemnity risk
• * Technical capability and fee earner performance issues
• * SRA regulation & compliance risk
• * Operational and matter/case management issues undermining financial performance
• * Quality and/or consumer journey areas of weakness.

Our ‘Red flag’ health checks are a cost effective way of exposing, evaluating and subsequently underpinning risk.

Clients also have the option to use ‘red flag’ reports for dialogue with key stakeholders, including funders, professional indemnity insurers and ATE insurers.

Please contact steveastley@zebralc.co.uk for our latest Ebrochure

THE WHY

The current legal landscape demands a collegiate approach between law firms and key insurer stakeholders.

THE HOW

ZebraLC helps build positive relationships between law firms, PII and ATE insurers by providing independent reports to add ‘comfort and confidence’ to legal sector insurers, both professional indemnity insurers and ATE providers.

OUR VALUE

• * Tailored introduction of law firm clients to appropriate PII and ATE insurers;
• * Building relationships between law firms and their PII insurers to ensure that adequate insurance is obtained for high risk areas, such as serious injury, commercial property, commercial litigation and commercial/residential conveyancing;
• * Independent audit function and delegated risk outsourcing services to ATE providers;
• * Independent indemnity risk ‘health checks’, enabling firms to achieve more attractive PII premiums

THE TESTIMONIALS

ZebraLC were recommended to us via a professional indemnity insurer. The team carried out an indemnity risk review of commercial property, residential conveyancing and personal injury. The report was extremely helpful, thorough and was of significant value to us. The whole process was professional and efficient. Following the report, Zoe gave us invaluable advice. Her approach was frank, honest and above all commercial. Thank you. John Roberts, Managing Partner,Waldrons

ZebraLC and Allianz Legal Protection are working together to ensure that good quality firms are prepared to meet the challenges that the CN ATE insurance sector brings, head on. Peter Dobie, Head of Legal Protection Portfolio Management
Allianz Retail

Hera Indemnity have been recommending our clients to ZebraLC for a number of years. They provide an extremely valuable service to law firms, especially with regard to indemnity risk profiling. Zebra have a unique role working with the legal sector and in our experience offer a very professional and comprehensive service. Chris Ficken, Senior Client Manager, Hera Indemnity Ltd

THE WHY

Funders recognise that the lifeblood of legal businesses of the future is dependant on quality, expertise, low operational risk, financial management and healthy asset base (profitable work and valuable recoverable WIP). Independent review of these areas are increasingly required as part of pre-lend due diligence.

THE HOW

ZebraLC provides due diligence reports on all aspects of legal services to enable law firms to obtain funding. This might be to invest in niche areas, fund expansion of existing work, or funding to acquire other law firms and personal injury WIP books.

WIP is usually the largest asset of a law firm, and the only material asset that lenders will use as collateral. Independent audit and technical review of such assets prior to lending are often sought, irrespective of cautious asset/loan ratios.

Understanding the operational and financial management of caseloads/matters is a key factor underpinning WIP value profile and indemnity risk. As experienced technical auditors, ZebraLC has assessed and audited a wide variety of legal service areas where firms use many different IT systems and processes. We are uniquely placed to understand operational risks.

FUNDING CLIENTS

Clients include law firms, banks, funders and private investors who are looking for ‘comfort and confidence’ surrounding WIP value, operational and indemnity risk profiling.

ZebraLC has worked with a number of mainstream banks, including RBS, NatWest, HSBC, and Yorkshire Bank.

RECENT PROJECTS

• Bott & Co
• Switalskis
• Pattinson Brewer
• Hilary Meredith
• GAD LLP
• Unity Law
• Roberts Jackson

Please contact steveastley@zebralc.co.uk for our technical capability statement and Ebrochure

THE WHY

One of the key challenges facing law firms is the ability to bridge the gap between operational performance and financial management. Many firms can claim to have leading case management software, but many find it hard to take full advantage of their system to maximise the monitoring of and overall performance of the firm.

THE HOW

ZebraLC works with management teams to get to the heart of risk management, fee earner performance and financial forecasting, by developing programmes of work to develop meaningful Management Information (”MI”). These programmes enable firm management to understand the relevant MI, and how to drive reporting that leads them to the key questions and decisions, rather than simply reporting factual data tables.

These programmes can include data cleansing, additional MI fields based round our RAMI analytics*, and output reporting development that identifies the relevant questions, exceptions and actions.

* RAMI Key WIP analysis metrics

THE SOLUTION

ZebraLC provides the solution to get to real time data, enabling matters/caseloads to be tracked via prospects, quantum, indemnity risk, disbursement requirement, complexity, costs outcome and predicted timescales.

Please contact johnhumpherson@zebralc.co.uk to request our Ebrochure

THE WHY

Quality, client care and governance are at the heart of successful legal businesses.

THE HOW

Our role is part of a quality improvement process, including review of technical capability, operational performance, consumer focus and financial performance.

In the midst of continued M&A within the legal sector, our projects also include reporting to investment Boards as part of the post acquisition integration.

Our independent reviews form part of annual reporting to Management Boards and/or stakeholders. We report on internal processes and systems, and support Management Boards in the accomplishment of a systematic and disciplined approach.

OUR VALUE

Our clients value our ability to evaluate and improve fee earner performance, risk management, quality, client care and governance processes.

RECENT PROJECTS

• Governance audit for external law firm stakeholders.
• Costs audit – ‘fitness for purpose’ review for law firm costs business.
• Audit and review of the quality of consumer journey in both personal injury and private client.
• Post M&A integration – implementing key operational and financial metrics to assess ongoing WIP profile.

THE TESTIMONIAL

” ZebraLC carried out a ‘business as usual’ governance audit for Minster Law. The team worked to a challenging timeline and produced a clear and insightful report.  Our senior stakeholders found Zebra’s input to be good value.” Jonathan Doughty, Associate Director, Minster Law