RJW U-turn sees family and private client take centre stage
Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) is putting its newly acquired family and private client team at the heart of its growth strategy two years after outsourcing the practice.
George Marriott
In January 2008 RJW outsourced its family practice to Gorvins after Matthew Arnold & Baldwin hired the firm’s only remaining family partner Jeremy Abraham (The Lawyer, 21 January 2008).
RJW then acquired the family and professional disciplines teams from Gorvins in January this year. The deal gave RJW four partners, including Gorvins senior partner and regulatory lawyer George Marriott and family head Amanda McAlister, who join RJW’s equity.
Marriott will join the firm with a team of four, while McAlister’s family practice has a staff base of 20.
RJW chief executive Neil Kinsella told The Lawyer: “We want to become known for private client and family work. It’s a strategic decision and part and parcel of our product remit.”
The firm is looking at how best to provide commoditised family services, such as prenuptial agreements through the internet. It also plans to position itself as a service provider for larger firms that lack family law expertise.
