Wake Smith Solicitors
Wake Smith Solicitors is a Sheffield-based, full-service UK law firm founded in 1802, serving both commercial clients and individual consumers across South Yorkshire and the East Midlands with 40+ legal professionals across more than a dozen practice areas.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1802
- HeadquartersSheffield, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Wake Smith Solicitors does
Wake Smith Solicitors is a Sheffield-headquartered, full-service law firm founded in 1802, operating as Wake Smith Solicitors Limited, a private limited company registered in England and Wales. The firm delivers legal services across two principal segments: a commercial practice covering commercial property, company commercial matters, employment law, business litigation, banking and finance, and intellectual property; and a personal practice covering family and divorce law, residential conveyancing, medical and clinical negligence, personal injury, wills/trusts/probate, will trust and inheritance disputes, inquest advice, and personal litigation. It employs 51-100 people, including 40+ qualified legal professionals — solicitors, associates, consultants, and chartered legal executives — across its three offices in Sheffield, Rotherham, and Nottingham.
The firm generates revenue through professional services fees, employing a mix of billable-hours engagements and fixed-fee arrangements depending on matter type; fixed fees are published for conveyancing and divorce, while complex commercial and litigation matters are quote-based. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven, combining direct client engagement, professional referrals from accountants and estate agents, an active content marketing programme (advice centre, blog, podcast, newsletter), and social media presence. Its customer base spans mid-to-large regional businesses (e.g., Swann-Morton, Westfield Health, Guardian Electrical) and individual consumers across South Yorkshire and the East Midlands.
The technology stack is standard legal practice tooling with no proprietary platforms: Legl and Minerva are used for client onboarding in conveyancing, and Google Analytics supports web analytics. Operations are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 573270), with residential conveyancing accredited under the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme. The firm reported £6.35 million in turnover in its most recent fiscal year, a 17% year-over-year increase, and has explicitly invested in technology, processes, and key hires across practice areas during 2025.
Wake Smith Solicitors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wake Smith Solicitors
- Legal name
- Wake Smith Solicitors Limited
- Website
- https://wake-smith.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1802
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Wake Smith Solicitors is a Sheffield-based, full-service UK law firm founded in 1802, serving both commercial clients and individual consumers across South Yorkshire and the East Midlands with 40+ legal professionals across more than a dozen practice areas.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wake Smith Solicitors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services (Full-Service Law Firm)
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411), Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE)
Keywords
Where Wake Smith Solicitors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sheffield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wake Smith Solicitors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services Fees: Fee income from providing legal services across multiple practice areas including commercial property, company commercial, employment law, family law, conveyancing, medical negligence, personal injury, wills and probate. Revenue is generated through billable hours and fixed-fee arrangements depending on matter type.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Fixed-fee options available for specific services like conveyancing, divorce, and will writing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Wake Smith Solicitors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wake Smith Solicitors provides full-service legal advice and representation through two main service lines: Business Legal Services (Commercial Property, Company Commercial, Employment Law, Business Litigation, Banking and Finance, Intellectual Property) and Personal Legal Services (Family & Divorce Law, Residential Conveyancing, Employment, Medical & Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, Wills/Trusts/Probate, Will Trust and Inheritance Disputes, Inquest Advice, Litigation for Individuals). Services are delivered by 40+ legal professionals (solicitors, associates, consultants, chartered legal executives) at its Sheffield head office on a matter-by-matter basis, with fee structures ranging from billable hours to fixed-fee and no win no fee arrangements.
Product overview
Wake Smith Solicitors operates as a unified law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services rather than a modular software product. The firm provides Business Legal Services (Commercial Property, Company Commercial, Employment Law, Business Litigation, Banking and Finance, Intellectual Property) and Personal Legal Services (Family & Divorce, Conveyancing, Medical Negligence, Personal Injury, Wills & Probate, Trust Disputes, Inquest Advice, Individual Litigation). Additional offerings include Wake Smith Link. The services are delivered through a team of over 40 legal professionals including solicitors, associates, consultants, and chartered legal executives based at their Sheffield office.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercial Property Services Legal services for commercial property transactions including lease negotiations, property acquisitions, and development matters for businesses and individuals.
- Company Commercial Services Corporate and commercial legal advice including company formations, mergers, acquisitions, shareholder agreements, and business restructuring.
- Employment Law Services Employment law and HR advice for businesses including disciplinary matters, tribunal costs, TUPE, sickness absence, settlement agreements, and redundancy.
- Business Litigation Services Commercial dispute resolution including property litigation, breach of contract, professional negligence claims, shareholder disputes, director disputes, and debt recovery.
- Banking and Finance Services Legal services related to banking transactions and financial matters for commercial clients.
- Intellectual Property Services Legal advice for intellectual property issues including copyright, design right, passing off, patents, and trade marks.
- Family & Divorce Law Services Family law services including divorce, prenuptial agreements, separation agreements, child arrangements, civil partnerships, and financial dispute resolution.
- Residential Conveyancing Services Residential property transaction services accredited under the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme.
- Employment Services (Personal) Employment law advice for individuals including discrimination, unfair dismissal, settlement agreements, bullying and harassment, and tribunal costs.
- Medical & Clinical Negligence Services Clinical negligence claims including surgical errors, cerebral palsy, A&E claims, cosmetic surgery, medication errors, and pressure sore injuries.
- Personal Injury Services Personal injury claims with no win no fee arrangements for individuals.
- Wills, Trusts & Probate Services Estate planning services including will writing, lasting powers of attorney, probate administration, inheritance tax planning, and court of protection matters.
- Will, Trust and Inheritance Disputes Dispute resolution for contested wills, trust disputes, estate administration disputes, and vulnerable adults matters.
- Inquest Advice Services Guidance and representation through inquest processes for families and individuals.
- Litigation for Individuals Civil litigation services for individuals including disputes following bereavement.
- Wake Smith Link A service offering from Wake Smith Solicitors mentioned in the About Us section.
Quantifiable outcome
- 17% increase in fee income reaching £6.35m annual turnover - double-digit growth for the first time
Companies that use Wake Smith Solicitors
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Wake Smith Solicitors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Wake Smith Solicitors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- BRMminorHeadline sponsor for the South Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards 2026. Wake Smith is also a supporting sponsor of the awards.
- Castle Square Corporate FinanceminorSupporting sponsor for the South Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards 2026.
- FreethsminorSupporting sponsor for the South Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards 2026.
- ShortsminorSupporting sponsor for the South Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards 2026.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wake Smith Solicitors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Irwin Mitchell: Large national UK law firm with a significant Sheffield office and broad commercial and personal legal services. Direct overlap with Wake Smith across commercial property, employment, family, PI, and wills & probate, but at much greater scale and geographic reach.
Direct peers
- Freeths: National UK law firm with a strong East Midlands and Yorkshire presence offering commercial property, corporate, employment, family and private client services. Directly comparable to Wake Smith across practice mix and mid-market client focus.
- Keebles LLP: Sheffield-headquartered full-service law firm with comparable commercial and personal legal services including commercial property, corporate, employment, family, and wills & probate. Closest head-to-head regional competitor.
- Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP: York-based full-service regional law firm offering commercial property, corporate, employment, family and private client services. Closely comparable in scale and practice mix to Wake Smith across Yorkshire.
- Langleys Solicitors: York and Lincoln-based regional law firm with similar commercial and personal practice areas, including commercial property, corporate, employment, family, and wills & probate. Comparable mid-market regional full-service model.
- Taylor & Emmet Solicitors: Sheffield-based full-service law firm offering commercial property, family, conveyancing, wills & probate and personal injury services. Direct local competitor with overlapping client base in South Yorkshire.
- Schofield Sweeney: Wakefield and Leeds-based full-service law firm with commercial property, corporate, employment, family and private client services. Comparable regional full-service competitor across Yorkshire.
- Gordons Solicitors: Leeds and Bradford-headquartered regional law firm providing commercial property, corporate, employment and private client services. Comparable regional full-service model and Yorkshire client base.
- Clarion Solicitors: Leeds-based full-service law firm with strong commercial property, corporate, employment and private client offerings. Direct mid-market competitor across the broader Yorkshire region.
- Hamlins LLP: Not used as a direct peer given primary London focus; replaced with another comparable regional firm.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wake Smith Solicitors social profiles
Digital presenceWake Smith Solicitors compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Wake Smith Solicitors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wake Smith Solicitors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Wake Smith Solicitors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wake Smith 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 Wake Smith Solicitors
What does Wake Smith Solicitors do?
Wake Smith Solicitors provides full-service legal advice and representation through two main service lines: Business Legal Services (Commercial Property, Company Commercial, Employment Law, Business Litigation, Banking and Finance, Intellectual Property) and Personal Legal Services (Family & Divorce Law, Residential Conveyancing, Employment, Medical & Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, Wills/Trusts/Probate, Will Trust and Inheritance Disputes, Inquest Advice, Litigation for Individuals). Services are delivered by 40+ legal professionals (solicitors, associates, consultants, chartered legal executives) at its Sheffield head office on a matter-by-matter basis, with fee structures ranging from billable hours to fixed-fee and no win no fee arrangements.
Is Wake Smith Solicitors a public or private company?
Wake Smith Solicitors is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Wake Smith Solicitors founded?
Wake Smith Solicitors was founded in 1802. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Wake Smith Solicitors based?
Wake Smith Solicitors is headquartered in Sheffield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Wake Smith Solicitors make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services Fees.
Who are Wake Smith Solicitors's main competitors?
Irwin Mitchell is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Freeths, Keebles LLP, Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP, Langleys Solicitors, Taylor & Emmet Solicitors, Schofield Sweeney, Gordons Solicitors, Clarion Solicitors and Hamlins LLP.
Does Wake Smith Solicitors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wake Smith Solicitors.
What industry is Wake Smith Solicitors in?
Wake Smith Solicitors's product category is Legal Services (Full-Service Law Firm). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAE, Real Estate & Construction Law. Its NAICS code is 54111 and its SIC code is 8111.