What Gordons does

Gordons LLP is a Yorkshire-based full-service commercial law firm headquartered in Bradford with a second office in Leeds. Founded before 2011, the firm employs 170 staff and reported revenue of £23.8m and net profit of £13.2m for the financial year ended 31 March 2025, marking five consecutive years of growth. Its practice is organized around both service areas (Corporate/M&A, Banking & Finance, Commercial Contracts, IP, Privacy & Data Protection, Disputes, Employment, Property, Construction, and Private Client) and sector specialisms (Retail, Grocery, Food & Drink, Manufacturing, Logistics & Transport, Motor Trade, Digital/Technology & AI, Sport/Media, Energy, and Residential Development). The firm serves enterprise and mid-market clients including 7 of the UK's top 14 grocery retailers, with named clients spanning Ocado Retail, Iceland, B&M, Morrisons, Wren Kitchens, Moss Bros, Molson Coors, Evri, Home Bargains, BASF, Mintel, and Houseful.

Revenue is generated through fee-based professional services billed monthly against engagement letters, with retainer arrangements carrying 12-month minimum terms and standard 30-day payment terms. Distribution is partner-led direct sales supplemented by referrals and professional networks; the firm is also legal partner to Leeds-based Lifted Ventures. Marketing is built on sector thought leadership, including a retail-focused podcast, regular national press commentary, and an active LinkedIn and content presence. A notable operational development in February 2026 was Gordons' appointment by the Solicitors Regulation Authority as intervention agent for PM Law Limited following its sudden closure, giving the firm temporary possession of files and funds across 25 offices.

Gordons operates a distinctive talent model anchored by the Gordons Apprenticeship Programme (GAP), launched in 2011 as the UK's first legal apprenticeship scheme, which has trained 40+ apprentices and is recognized by the Law Society and The Lawyer Management Awards for diversity impact. The firm is regulated by the SRA (registration 00441944 for Leeds; 00441942 for Bradford), is registered with the ICO for UK GDPR compliance, and is a signatory to the Law Society Diversity & Inclusion Charter. Ownership rests entirely with the partnership under the leadership of Managing Partner Victoria Davey and Senior Partner Paul Ayre; there is no external equity, no parent company, and no institutional investor exposure.

Name

Gordons

Legal name

Gordons LLP

Website

https://gordonsllp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gordons LLP is a Yorkshire-based full-service commercial law firm serving enterprise and mid-market clients across the UK, with deep sector specialisation in retail, grocery, food & drink, and digital/technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)

Keywords

• Commercial legal services
• Corporate M&A law
• Commercial dispute resolution
• Data protection law
• Retail sector law

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Fees: Fee-based legal services delivered to enterprise and mid-market clients across multiple practice areas including corporate M&A, commercial contracts, disputes, property, employment, and regulatory matters

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gordons LLP is a Yorkshire-based full-service law firm delivering corporate, commercial, dispute resolution, property, employment, and regulatory legal services to enterprise and mid-market clients. The firm is particularly recognised for its sector specialism in retail and grocery (including GSCOP advisory), food and drink, digital/technology/AI, and emerging companies/venture capital, serving clients such as Morrisons, Iceland Foods, B&M, Ocado Retail, and BASF.

Product overview

Gordons is a law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services organized as distinct practice areas rather than a unified software product. The firm's core offerings span Corporate/M&A, Banking & Finance, Commercial Contracts, Intellectual Property, Privacy and Data Protection, Employment, Property, and Dispute Resolution. Specialist areas include GSCOP (Groceries Supply Code of Practice) advisory for the retail sector, Digital/Technology & AI legal services, and Emerging Companies/Venture Capital support for startups through funding rounds and exits. The firm also operates a pioneering Gordons Law Apprenticeship programme as a social mobility initiative. Services are delivered across multiple sectors including Retail, Food & Drink, Manufacturing, Logistics, Motor Trade, Digital/Technology, Sport/Media, Energy, and Property Development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate / M&A Corporate legal services including mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, company law matters, and shareholder arrangements for business clients.
• Banking & Finance Banking and finance law advisory services for corporate clients, led by the Head of Banking.
• Business Recovery & Restructuring Restructuring and insolvency legal services for businesses facing financial difficulties.
• Commercial Contracts Legal advisory on commercial contracts, supply agreements, and business agreements for commercial clients.
• Intellectual Property IP protection services including trademarks, copyrights, and licensing agreements.
• Privacy and Data Protection UK GDPR and data protection compliance advisory services, including AI-related privacy considerations, led by the firm's first Head of Privacy and Data Protection.
• Commercial Disputes Commercial litigation and dispute resolution services including contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, intellectual property disputes, banking litigation and partnership disputes.
• Regulatory & Compliance Regulatory compliance advisory across various sectors.
• Employment & HR Employment law and human resources legal advisory services.
• Commercial Property Commercial real estate legal services including acquisitions, leasing, and development.
• Construction Construction law and engineering dispute resolution services.
• Property Disputes Property-related dispute resolution and litigation services led by the Head of Property Disputes.
• Residential Property Residential conveyancing and property transaction services, including residential developments.
• Wills, Trusts & Inheritance Tax Planning Private client services for estate planning, wills, and trust arrangements.
• Probate & Estate Administration Estate administration and probate legal services.
• GSCOP (Groceries Supply Code of Practice) Specialist legal services for grocery sector suppliers and retailers on supply code compliance, disputes, and training, led by the Head of Food and Drink.
• Digital, Technology & AI Technology law services covering AI licensing, IT projects, software development, and digital transformation, led by the Head of Technology.
• Emerging Companies / Venture Capital Legal services for startups and emerging companies through funding rounds, including seed, Series A, follow-on investments, and exits, led by the Head of Start-ups and Emerging Companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 7 of UK's top 14 grocery businesses including AO, Iceland Foods, Morrisons, Ocado Retail
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lifted VenturescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 April 2024Gordons appointed as legal partner by Leeds-based Lifted Ventures, a start-up investment network focused on supporting female founders. Gordons advises the network's investors and provides guidance to start-ups throughout the funding process including early stage, growth and exit. Lifted Ventures was founded in 2023 and has facilitated over £450m of funding and helped more than 500 entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Walker Morris LLP: Leeds-headquartered, full-service commercial law firm of broadly comparable size, serving UK corporates across multiple sectors including retail, food and real estate. Closest geographic and portfolio peer to Gordons in the Yorkshire market.
• Irwin Mitchell LLP: Sheffield-headquartered UK full-service law firm with similar sector coverage (commercial, real estate, regulatory) and overlapping retail/grocery and technology clients. Comparable scale and operating model as a partnership-structured national firm.
• Weightmans LLP: Liverpool-headquartered UK law firm with comparable full-service commercial offering and similar geographic Northern England focus. Competes with Gordons for mid-market corporate, retail and insurance-adjacent mandates.
• Burness Paull LLP: Scottish-headquartered full-service commercial law firm of comparable size with similar sector specialism (retail, food, technology) and partnership structure. Relevant benchmark for UK regional firm valuations and growth trajectories.

Broad incumbents

• Shoosmiths LLP: Larger UK national full-service firm with offices across multiple regions, including a strong corporate, retail and technology practice. Competes for the same mid-market enterprise and public-sector mandates Gordons targets.
• DWF Group plc: Large, formerly listed UK-headquartered full-service law firm with significant insurance, retail and commercial contracts exposure. Provides a scale benchmark for Gordons' growth trajectory and capital-light competitive dynamics.
• Knights plc: Listed UK regional law firm built via serial acquisition, providing a useful comparison point for Gordons' organic partnership-led growth model versus a capital-backed roll-up strategy.
• Mills & Reeve LLP: Mid-sized UK national law firm with strong corporate, real estate and private client practices. Competes for similar mid-market enterprise mandates across the Midlands and North.
• Eversheds Sutherland: Global full-service law firm with deep UK corporate, retail and technology practices. Represents the scale-up and internationalisation pathway Gordons would need to follow to materially expand its addressable market.
• CMS UK: Major international UK-headquartered law firm with extensive corporate, retail, technology and regulatory capabilities. Competes with Gordons for larger enterprise mandates and sets the pricing/scale benchmark for the upper end of the market Gordons serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gordons-llp
• Xx.com/GordonsLLP

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gordons