New research by Thomson Reuters, based on a survey of finance directors at the top 100 law firms in the UK, has found an increase in the number of those interested in going public. Now a report by The Times reveals an insurance law firm is about to take the flotation route – to the tune of £1 billion.

According to the report, Manchester-headquartered DWF LLP is slated to be listed on the London Stock Exchange within the year, in what was described as the largest initial public offering (IPO) ever in legal circles. It would be bigger than the expected figure for Knights (over £100 million), which has announced a June IPO.         

In the UK, so far only four law firms have become publicly-listed – Gateley (June 2015), Gordon Dadds (July 2017), Keystone Law (November 2017), and Rosenblatt Solicitors (May 2018).

DWF, which houses a full-service insurance team, caters to the likes of Aviva, RSA, Zurich, Chubb, Allianz, Direct Line, and QBE. Its insurance services include motor, casualty, marine, property, and professional indemnity. 

The multinational law firm has more than 30 offices worldwide, about a third of which are in the UK.

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