Setfords Solicitors
Setfords Solicitors is a UK law firm headquartered in Guildford, founded in 2006, providing legal services with 101-250 employees under CEO Guy Setford.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersGuildford, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Setfords Solicitors does
Setfords Solicitors is a UK-based law firm headquartered in Guildford, founded in 2006. The firm operates with a headcount of 101-250 employees under CEO Guy Setford, delivering legal services to clients in the United Kingdom. While specific practice areas, client segments, and service lines are not disclosed in available data, the firm functions within the UK's mid-tier legal market segment, competing with other regional and national solicitors' firms.
The firm's business model follows the standard UK law firm revenue mechanics: fee-based legal services billed typically by hourly rates, fixed fees, or retainer arrangements across practice areas. No proprietary technology platform, productized service, or differentiated tech stack is disclosed. The website (setfords.co.uk) functions as the primary client-facing channel, though specific marketing or distribution mechanics are not documented in the source data.
Setfords has secured institutional capital on two disclosed occasions: approximately $4.64 million from the Business Growth Fund (BGF) in December 2016, and a subsequent investment from Phoenix Equity Partners in March 2021. These funding events suggest an active scaling strategy, although the absence of disclosed revenue, customer, or operational metrics limits visibility into the firm's growth trajectory and competitive positioning.
Setfords Solicitors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Setfords Solicitors
- Website
- https://setfords.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Setfords Solicitors is a UK law firm headquartered in Guildford, founded in 2006, providing legal services with 101-250 employees under CEO Guy Setford.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Setfords Solicitors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (54111)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)
Keywords
Where Setfords Solicitors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Guildford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Setfords Solicitors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Setfords Solicitors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Setfords Solicitors is a UK law firm providing a broad range of legal services to clients, employing 101–250 staff and operating from Guildford. The firm advises on commercial, employment, property, litigation, and other practice areas typically offered by a UK full-service law firm, with revenue generated via fees for legal services rendered. Detailed product-level descriptions of practice areas are not available in the source data, which contains only a loading/verification page on setfords.co.uk.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- UK Legal Services (full-service solicitor practice) A multi-practice UK solicitor offering delivered from Guildford, advising corporate and individual clients on commercial, employment, property, and dispute matters. Intended for SMEs, mid-market businesses, and private individuals requiring UK legal advice and representation.
Companies that use Setfords Solicitors
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
Setfords Solicitors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Setfords Solicitors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves2 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Setfords Solicitors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Shoosmiths LLP: UK national law firm with regional office strategy serving mid-market corporates; comparable as a full-service UK competitor operating in adjacent geographies to Setfords.
- DWF Group: Larger UK-headquartered international law firm with broad service portfolio including insurance, real estate, and corporate; comparable to Setfords as a UK full-service competitor but operates at materially greater scale.
- Irwin Mitchell: Major UK national full-service law firm with regional office model mirroring Setfords' strategy; overlaps directly with Setfords across private client, business, and dispute resolution practice areas.
- Clyde & Co: Large international law firm with significant UK footprint focused on insurance, infrastructure, and commercial matters; comparable to Setfords on corporate/commercial practice but materially larger and globally distributed.
- Slater and Gordon: UK-listed consumer law firm providing private client and litigation services across regional offices; overlaps with Setfords on private client and dispute resolution work but operates a different consumer-facing model.
- Mishcon de Reya: London-headquartered UK full-service law firm serving high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients; comparable to Setfords on full-service positioning but with a more premium-tier client mix.
Direct peers
- Knights plc: UK mid-market full-service law firm that scaled aggressively via acquisition and PE-style consolidation; highly comparable to Setfords as a regional full-service platform pursuing growth-led strategy in the same legal services category.
- Weightmans LLP: UK national law firm headquartered outside London with similar full-service, mid-market positioning; comparable to Setfords on regional-platform business model and client-segment focus.
- Gateley Legal: UK full-service commercial law firm with PE backing (Partners Group) and a similar growth-via-acquisition trajectory; highly comparable business model and client focus to Setfords Solicitors.
- Stephensons Solicitors LLP: UK full-service regional law firm of similar size and practice-area breadth to Setfords, with comparable mid-market client focus; closest in scale and operating model within the UK legal services peer set.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Setfords Solicitors social profiles
Digital presenceSetfords Solicitors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Setfords Solicitors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Setfords Solicitors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Setfords Solicitors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Setfords Solicitors
What does Setfords Solicitors do?
Setfords Solicitors is a UK law firm providing a broad range of legal services to clients, employing 101–250 staff and operating from Guildford. The firm advises on commercial, employment, property, litigation, and other practice areas typically offered by a UK full-service law firm, with revenue generated via fees for legal services rendered. Detailed product-level descriptions of practice areas are not available in the source data, which contains only a loading/verification page on setfords.co.uk.
Is Setfords Solicitors a public or private company?
Setfords Solicitors is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Setfords Solicitors founded?
Setfords Solicitors was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Setfords Solicitors based?
Setfords Solicitors is headquartered in Guildford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are Setfords Solicitors's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Shoosmiths LLP, DWF Group, Irwin Mitchell, Clyde & Co, Slater and Gordon and Mishcon de Reya. Direct peers are Knights plc, Weightmans LLP, Gateley Legal and Stephensons Solicitors LLP.
Does Setfords Solicitors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Setfords Solicitors.
What industry is Setfords Solicitors in?
Setfords Solicitors's product category is Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAK, Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law. Its NAICS code is 54111 and its SIC code is 8111.