Sherwood

What Sherwood does

Sherwood PSF Consulting Limited is a UK-headquartered professional services consulting firm founded in 1999 in Nottingham and currently registered at Unit 8, Oak Spinney Park, Ratby Lane, Leicester Forest East, Leicester. The firm delivers executive coaching, consulting, facilitation, learning and development, assessment and development centres, coaching supervision, psychometrics, chambers management, diversity and inclusion, and specialist silk (King's/Queen's Counsel) and judicial appointment preparation services. Its primary client base is UK and international law firms, barristers' chambers, in-house legal departments, and other professional services organisations, with named engagements spanning Magic Circle firms, top-50 UK law firms, the London office of a US firm, EY, NHS leaders, and C-suite executives in financial services and technology. The firm claims that approximately one-third of all successful Silk appointments each year are clients of its Bar group.

The firm operates a sales-led, fee-for-service engagement model with pricing on a per-hour basis (typically £350-£400+VAT for judicial coaching, £400+VAT for silk application support) or as packaged programme fees (e.g., £1,100+VAT for judicial selection day prep, £1,500+VAT for a two-hour silk interview panel). Distribution is entirely direct-to-client via email and website enquiry, with no intermediary channel, marketplace presence, or paid advertising. Marketing relies on client referrals, sector reputation, and a LinkedIn company page. The firm is founder-led (co-founder Sally Woodward remains active), privately held with no institutional investors, parent company, or subsidiaries identified, and has not undertaken any disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or strategic partnerships.

The underlying technology consists of licensed third-party psychometric instruments used to support (not replace) human coaching and development programmes; the firm does not offer proprietary software, a platform, APIs, or AI-enabled tools. The 13 named consultants bring backgrounds as former partners and senior in-house counsel at Magic Circle and Silver Circle firms (Freshfields, Slaughter and May, Clifford Chance, Simmons & Simmons, Allen & Overy/A&O Shearman), ex-heads of L&D at major firms, and former chairs/heads of chambers. Many hold EMCC Senior Practitioner or equivalent coaching accreditation. The firm is GDPR-compliant (UK retained version) under the Data Protection Act 2018 and received the Law Society Award for Training Programme of the Year in 2012.

Name

Sherwood

Legal name

Sherwood PSF Consulting Limited

Website

https://sherwoodpsfconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sherwood PSF Consulting Limited is a UK-based consulting firm founded in 1999 that delivers executive coaching, learning and development, facilitation, assessment centres, and specialist silk and judicial appointment preparation services primarily to law firms, barristers' chambers, and other professional services organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services and Consulting: Sherwood generates revenue through fee-for-service consulting engagements, coaching programmes, facilitation, learning and development delivery, and assessment centre services. Fees are charged on an hourly basis or as packaged programme fees. The firm also charges for silk and judicial application preparation sessions at fixed rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Sherwood PSF Consulting Limited provides fee-for-service executive coaching, team facilitation, management consulting, learning and development, and assessment/development centre programmes to law firms, barristers' chambers, in-house legal teams, and other professional services organisations. Its specialist niche practice supports barristers and solicitors applying for silk (King's Counsel) and judicial appointments, with publicly disclosed hourly and packaged rates for these services.

Product overview

Sherwood PSF operates as a consulting firm offering a unified portfolio of professional services rather than a software platform. The core offering comprises individual and team coaching (Coaching Services, Coaching Supervision), organisational development (Team Development and Facilitation, Consulting), and specialised assessment services (Development and Assessment Centres, Psychometrics). These are complemented by targeted programmes in Learning and Development, Building a Coaching Culture, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The firm also provides niche advisory services for the legal profession through its Silk Applications Support and Judicial Appointments Support practices, and Chambers Management and Leadership services for barristers' chambers. All services are delivered by human consultants and coaches; no AI or automated technology components are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coaching Services Executive and individual coaching services providing a confidential, supportive environment for high-achieving professionals to accelerate growth, address role transitions, tackle performance challenges, and build leadership capabilities; includes specialist coaching for career development, neurodiverse individuals, and menopause.
• Team Development and Facilitation Team facilitation and development services to help work groups, management teams, project task forces, and departments improve decision-making, problem-solving, creativity, trust, and overall performance through coaching, facilitation, and skills training.
• Consulting Strategic and operational consulting services spanning strategy, business planning, organisation structures, roles, client surveys, learning and development, service delivery, and profit improvement, underpinned by change management expertise.
• Development and Assessment Centres Design and delivery of development centres featuring practical exercises to assess fee earners at all levels, providing detailed feedback and personal development planning; includes assessment centres for promotion candidates, including partner-level assessments.
• Learning and Development Bespoke and core skills development programmes for professional service firms, including leadership development, associate skills, business development, and inclusive leadership workshops, delivered in-person or remotely.
• Building a Coaching Culture Programmes to help organisations develop internal coaching capabilities through upskilling business leaders, setting up internal coaching faculties, delivering structured coaching skills programmes, and providing ongoing CPD for internal coaches.
• Coaching Supervision External supervision services for internal coaches and people-facing functions in organisations, providing a safe, confidential space to discuss coaching activities, receive objective support, and ensure quality assurance and ethical practice.
• Psychometrics Accredited delivery of psychometric assessments including MBTI, Hogan HPI/HDS/MVPI, Lumina Spark/Emotion, Strengthscope, Strengths Profile, HPTI, TKI Conflict Styles, Merrill Social Styles, and 15FQ+ to support individual and team development.
• Silk Applications Support Specialist support for barristers and solicitors applying for silk (Queen's Counsel/King's Counsel), including application preparation, competency assessment, interview coaching, and practice panel interviews; clients represent approximately one-third of all successful silk candidates annually.
• Judicial Appointments Support Comprehensive support for judicial appointment candidates across all levels, including pre-application guidance, application form preparation, interview coaching, roleplay preparation, and selection day practice for roles from Deputy District Judge to High Court Judge.
• Chambers Management and Leadership Over 20 years of consultancy experience helping barristers' chambers improve management, including reviews of senior clerk/chief executive roles, management committee composition, head of chambers leadership styles, members' contributions criteria, and strategic direction.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programmes and training to create diverse, equitable and inclusive working cultures, including parental leave support, ethnic diversity and social mobility coaching, women's leadership programmes, neurodiversity training, and inclusive leadership workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• Retention rate of associates among groups who benefited from development centres was higher than among those who had not yet had the same opportunity (case study result)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BPP Professional Education: Large UK provider of training and qualifications for lawyers and other professionals. Melissa Andrewes (Sherwood consultant) previously worked at BPP, indicating direct overlap in leadership development, learning programmes and legal-sector L&D.
• Keystone Management: UK firm offering management and consulting services to law firms and barristers' chambers, including strategic reviews and operational support. Comparable in scale, vertical focus and chambers advisory work.
• Janders Dean: Consulting firm focused on the legal sector (knowledge management, innovation, legal technology). Comparable in its niche, vertical-specialised advisory offering to law firms and in-house teams.
• Saxton Bampfylde: Executive search and leadership advisory firm with a strong professional services practice. Comparable in serving law firm leadership for senior appointments, partner promotions and coaching contexts.
• Aldrich & Co: Chartered surveyors and consultants advising barristers' chambers and law firms on premises, strategy and management. Direct peer in chambers management consulting, one of Sherwood's stated specialisms.
• Ciarán Brady Consulting: Independent consulting and coaching practice serving barristers' chambers and law firms on strategy, leadership and management. Direct overlap with Sherwood's chambers management and leadership offering.
• Meyler Campbell: UK executive-coaching firm focused on professional services, with a teaching faculty referenced by multiple Sherwood consultants (e.g. Des O'Connell, Penny Terndrup). Closest direct peer in coaching credentials and buyer base.

Emerging players

• Rare: Contextual recruitment and consulting firm for professional services. Sherwood consultant Melissa Andrewes is an Associate Director at Rare, evidencing overlap in talent, diversity and leadership services to law firms.
• Unfold: Legal-sector-focused coaching and development provider for law firms. Comparable in buyer base (UK and international law firms) and in executive coaching/development services.

Broad incumbents

• Right Management: Global talent and career transition consultancy owned by ManpowerGroup. Overlaps with Sherwood in executive coaching, leadership development and assessment, but at much larger scale and across all sectors rather than legal-specialised.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sherwood-psf-consulting-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Sherwood