Founders thoughts…five years of Holden Smith

As Holden Smith marks five years in business, co-founders and directors, James Smith and David Bancroft, reflect on the successes achieved and challenges overcome…and what is next for the Yorkshire-based law firm.

Let’s take things back to the start. Tell us why you decided to start your own law firm and why Holden Smith was born.

David: “James and I worked together at a previous firm, with James working as a conveyancing solicitor, and me in a business development role. We were becoming increasingly disillusioned with the conveyancing industry, and frustrated with how client transactions were processed and how things often felt slow and drawn out.”

James: “So, we decided to take a calculated risk and start our own law firm, based on our belief that we could do things better. We wanted to establish a forward-thinking law firm that placed technology at its core to disrupt the market - creating what we felt was a much-needed shift towards a focus on client experience in the legal sector.”

James Smith, left, and David Bancroft, co-founders of Holden Smith

How has the business developed and grown over the last five years?

David: “In a word: massively! The firm started as just James and me, and we worked hard from the beginning to develop the Holden Smith brand and earn our place in the market. We invested in marketing and PR support from the outset to help us build a profile, which – along with our established networks – started to generate clients and new inquiries.”

James: “Slowly but surely, we began to grow the firm, opening a second office in Elland. This was followed by an office in Leeds Crossgates in 2020, and most recently, our Horsforth office.

“New opportunities meant we expanded into Family Law in 2023, and we also launched our Corporate & Commercial team, led by Rob Kelly, the same year.

“The Holden Smith team now stands at just over 100 people across our four offices – an achievement we don’t think is too shabby after just five years in business!”

What has been the most challenging obstacle you have faced since founding Holden Smith in 2019?

James: “As you would expect with any new business, there have been several, but we have always tried to tackle them head-on and with a client-first approach. Choosing to open our second and third offices was a big commitment, but we wanted to grow the firm and we knew that doing so was an important next step – which paid off!”

David: “The pandemic started just over a year after we opened, and we were employing 20 staff by that point. It was a concerning time, as the housing market came to a standstill and we had to furlough most of the team, uncertain of the future like many other businesses.

“However, we recovered well, and in the 12 months post-pandemic, our growth accelerated rapidly, and we opened a further three offices, eventually launching our family and corporate departments.”

What have been your highlights over the past five years in business?

David: “Launching our family team in 2023 was a proud moment and build a team that now supports hundreds of clients each year.”

James: “Partnering with The University of Law to launch our Graduate Apprenticeship programme was a great achievement. It has allowed us to help people from non-traditional legal backgrounds forge a career in law. Seeing two team members who have worked with us while studying their SQE qualify as solicitors in late 2023 was a proud moment for them, and us.”

Can you give us some insight into what’s next for Holden Smith?

James: “The most important thing for us is to keep our clients at the heart of everything we do, while also exploring new and innovative ways in which we can support them with conveyancing, wills and probate, family law, and corporate and commercial legal matters.

David: “Naturally, we have ideas in the pipeline for the firm that will be revealed in due course….but for now, it’s about celebrating how far Holden Smith has come in the last five years, and raising a glass to future success for our team and our clients!”

Do we sound like a team you want to work with? If you’re looking for legal support, please contact us here or email hello@holdensmith.co.uk