The firm announced plans to add over 200 new lawyers in London by 2024, more than doubling its total UK legal staff. This merger of legal and audit is something of a game changer for the profession, though it challenges both the independence standards of the ICAEW and the client confidentiality standards the legal profession requires.
Globally, KPMG Law now employs 2,700 in 80 countries, according to their own press releases. The new hires will comprise 45 partners and directors and see the total number of practising solicitors increase to over 400.
If the firm achieves this plan, this would place KPMG Law, founded as part of KPMG in 2014, somewhere around 35th on The Lawyer list of top UK law firms by revenue. DLAPiper, Clifford Chance, Hogan Lovells, Allen & Overy, and Linklaters, which provide a broader range of specialisms, have long dominated this list.
Nick Roome, head of KPMG Law in the UK, says: “We’ve built an incredible team of real specialists and experts in their respective fields. We’re now focused on adding further depth and scale to our core offering and sector expertise, while also exploring new growth areas. We’re focused on growing with the right culture. For us, that means building a diverse team of commercial, entrepreneurial and gifted technicians.”
Earlier this year, the firm promoted four UK partners within its practice, including Kennedy Masterton-Smith and Tanvir Dhanoa in London, Paul Kelly in Manchester, and Ed Bartlett in Leeds.