Lawrence Stephens nearly quadruples revenue in five years as Shawbrook backs the firm’s next chapter
One of London’s fastest-growing law firms secures a bespoke funding package from Shawbrook to fuel its next phase of growth.
Shawbrook has backed Lawrence Stephens, a full-service London law firm, with a bespoke funding package that refinances its existing facilities and gives the firm the financial headroom to keep growing.
The deal was introduced by Mantra Group, part of advisory group BTG, and led by Nirav Patel and Nimesh Sanghrajka.
Founded in 1997, Lawrence Stephens has grown from a founder-led practice into one of London’s most ambitious law firms. In the last five years the firm has achieved a compound annual growth rate of 30% with turnover now approaching £30m and the firm employing around 200 people. Its client base spans entrepreneurs, SMEs, financial institutions and high-net-worth individuals, with particular strength in real estate finance, corporate, commercial and residential real estate and dispute resolution, alongside growing practices in sports and entertainment, crypto and technology disputes, and tax.
The growth has been deliberate and carefully managed: built through organic recruitment and the development of specialist teams, supported by meaningful investment in the firm’s leadership, systems and brand. In recent years Lawrence Stephens has appointed its first chief financial officer, completed a full rebrand and overhauled its technology infrastructure.
Shawbrook structured a facility combining a cashflow loan with a revolving credit facility, tailored to the firm’s specific needs rather than a standard template. The result gives Lawrence Stephens a more flexible funding base and the working capital headroom to continue investing in its people and client offering.
“As Lawrence Stephens continues to grow, we remain focused on the clients and sectors where we can deliver the greatest value. This bespoke funding solution provides the flexibility and headroom required to support our long-term growth ambitions. Shawbrook and Mantra took the time to understand our business, adopting a collaborative and flexible approach to structure a facility tailored to our needs. The result is a solution that supports our current position while providing a strong platform for future growth.” — Steven Bernstein, CEO and co-founder, Lawrence Stephens
“Lawrence Stephens is an established and ambitious professional services business that has continued to invest in its platform, people and specialist capabilities. By combining a cashflow loan with a revolving credit facility, we were able to provide a structure that refinances existing obligations while preserving the headroom needed to support the firm’s next phase of growth. We are pleased to support the Lawrence Stephens team.” — John Palmer, senior director, corporate leverage, Shawbrook
“It has been a pleasure working on this deal with Shawbrook and Lawrence Stephens, and Nirav has led our Mantra team exceptionally well to deliver finance for the client that suits the firm. Lawrence Stephens has accomplished a significant amount in recent years by investing in growth and delivering significant value for its clients, especially those in the banking and finance sector. The firm was on a strong footing before, but this tailored finance can be a real springboard to leap to the next level.” — Nimesh Sanghrajka, managing director, Mantra Group, part of BTG