25 Sep 2024
Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm, today announced its acquisition of Stowe Family Law (“the Company”), the largest specialist family law firm in the United Kingdom, from investment firm Livingbridge. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Based in Leeds, the Company was founded by Marilyn Stowe in 1982, and has quickly grown into one of the leading technology-enabled UK family law firms. Spanning practice areas such as divorce, financial settlements, child law, mediation, nuptial agreements, adoption and international family law, the firm has more than doubled in the last two years, now operating from 90 locations across the United Kingdom with nearly 400 staff supporting 5,000 clients a year. The Company had a reported annual turnover of over £37 million in the fiscal year ending March 2024.
With this investment, Investcorp will work with the Stowe team to continue in the development of its growth strategy, focusing on its 5-year Stowe 3.0 plan. The firm’s ambition is to serve more than 10,000 clients by 2029 and to offer more holistic support to families going through the challenges of change. Investcorp will also use its vast experience in building technology-enabled businesses to help Stowe continue to expand its services and delivery for clients using the latest solutions.
Gilbert Kamieniecky, Head of Private Equity, Europe at Investcorp said: “We are pleased to be starting this new partnership with Ken and the Stowe Family Law team, as they continue on their growth trajectory of building the number 1 brand in family law in the UK. We were impressed by the company’s commitment to build a resilient and scalable business powered by technology, and look forward to working with Ken and the team as they continue on their vision of Stowe 3.0, a true leader in the legal field.”
Ken Fowlie, Executive Chairman at Stowe Family Law, added: “We are delighted to begin this next chapter in the Stowe story and look forward to working with the Investcorp team, who share our passion and strategic vision for the firm. With their support and collaboration, we will continue to invest in our business and people to achieve our mission to become the first choice for family law. Given Investcorp’s experience, we will accelerate investment in technology, including looking to unlock the power of artificial intelligence to further enhance customer experience and service quality.”
Since 2012, Investcorp European Private Equity has invested more than €2.0 billion in companies across Europe. Investcorp has a long history of investing in and supporting technology-enabled professional services businesses, with notable investments in the European buyout group including the leading digital marketplace business Innova Semplice (formerly CloudCare) in Italy, that connects consumers to service providers in utilities, insurance, and financial products; the digital communications and marketing provider IDX; and European cybersecurity services provider SecureLink. Further, as part of their Investcorp Technology Partners business, the firm has made investments in Northern European accountancy software and service provider Ageras, German full-suite HR software business VEDA, and Italian cybersecurity company HWG Sababa.