Fletchers Group acquires Rayden Solicitors in first move beyond serious injury work
Fletchers Group, the private equity-backed legal business best known for serious injury and clinical negligence work, has entered the family law market for the first time through the acquisition of Rayden Solicitors. The deal marks a significant expansion for Fletchers, which has focused exclusively on personal injury for much of its history.
Rayden Solicitors, founded 20 years ago by Katherine Rayden, is the second largest family law firm in the country after Stowe Family Law. It employs 113 staff, including 66 lawyers, and operates from 10 offices across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Kent, London and Birmingham.
According to its latest financial statements for the year ending 31 March 2025, Raydens reported an operating profit of 1.4 million pounds on turnover of 11.4 million pounds, representing a 70 percent increase in profit and a 10 percent rise in revenue compared to the previous year.
For Fletchers, the move continues its rapid growth trajectory under the ownership of private equity firm Sun Capital, which acquired the business four years ago. The group has completed ten acquisitions since then. Its most recent results showed turnover rising by 32 percent to 77 million pounds, although profits fell by one million pounds to 8.1 million pounds.
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Following the acquisition, Rayden Solicitors will retain its brand, offices and leadership structure. Katherine Rayden will continue to lead the business and will join the Fletchers Group executive committee.
Speaking to Legal Futures, Ms Rayden said the partnership came at the perfect moment. She had been exploring options for expansion and had been approached by other private equity firms before Fletchers expressed interest. She explained that although Fletchers had no background in family law, the firm brought valuable experience in scaling specialist legal practices.
Ms Rayden said her focus had always been on the delivery of family law services, whereas Fletchers offered deep knowledge in business growth and operational support. She said that joining the group provided access to additional resources and expertise across all areas of management, enabling Raydens to accelerate its growth strategy and enhance its services for clients.
She confirmed that acquisitions were part of those plans, saying that joining Fletchers would make it possible to expand faster than would have been achievable independently.
Peter Haden, chief executive of Fletchers Group, described the purchase as part of a wider strategy to invest in leading specialist firms and help them grow. He said the company’s approach combines organic expansion with targeted acquisitions to strengthen its national presence.
He added that Fletchers intended to apply its experience from the serious injury and clinical negligence sectors to build a strong position in family law. The goal, he said, was to establish a national leader in the field through a mix of internal development and strategic mergers.
Mr Haden said the two firms aimed to lead consolidation within the family law market. He emphasised Fletchers’ expertise in marketing, technology, client service and artificial intelligence as key assets for improving efficiency and outcomes for clients.
He confirmed that there were no current plans to move into other areas of consumer law but acknowledged that future diversification could be possible depending on market opportunities.
Rayden Solicitors’ main competitor, Stowe Family Law, was itself acquired last year by Investcorp, an alternative investment manager, after being owned by private equity firm Livingbridge. Stowe has completed five acquisitions over the past three years, including Hatton Family Law in Kent in June, and now operates more than 90 offices across England and Wales with over 200 lawyers.
The acquisition of Rayden Solicitors signals a major strategic shift for Fletchers Group and a further sign that private equity investment is continuing to reshape the UK legal sector.