Validatum

What Validatum does

Validatum is a specialist legal services pricing consultancy founded in 2008 by Richard Burcher, a former practicing lawyer and managing partner with 35–40+ years of experience. The firm is registered in England and Wales as Validatum (UK) Limited and operates from London (headquarters at ArtHouse, 1 York Way, N1C 4AT) and New York, serving clients across 23 countries including the UK, Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. Validatum exclusively advises the 'sell side' of legal services, working with law firms and barristers' chambers whose turnovers range from £10 million to £1.25 billion.

The company's offerings span training, consulting, recruitment, community, and software. Core services include the Validatum Partners Pricing Masterclasses (registered trademark, small-group programmes capped at 15 partners), Associates Pricing Workshops, Pricing Support Retainers, Procurement/Bids/Pitches consulting, Specialist Pricing Talent Recruitment, the Validatum Pricing Forum (an invitation-only community for UK Top 100 firm pricing professionals), and Conference Presentations. The associated Virtual Pricing Director (VPD) software platform introduces the firm's proprietary Reference Class Forecasting methodology with AI-powered analytics, real-time profitability dashboards, and alternative fee scenario modelling designed to counteract optimism bias in legal pricing. The firm operates a 4-step sales process (Introduction, Due Diligence, Diagnostics, Execution), targeting senior buyer personas such as Managing Partners, Finance Directors, COOs, and Heads of Learning and Development, and puts 50–100% of engagement fees at risk tied to client-defined KPIs.

Validatum operates as a bootstrapped, founder-led boutique consultancy with 1–10 specialist employees, no external investors or parent company, and no disclosed funding. The team combines former practicing lawyers, ex-McKinsey/KPMG/Capgemini/Clifford Chance consultants, a former FTSE 100 Head of Legal Procurement, and one of the first Costs Lawyers to make partner. Distribution relies entirely on direct consulting engagement, thought-leadership content (commissions in Managing Partner, Global Lawyer, Commonwealth Law Journal, The Times London, and the Pricing Journal), conference keynotes, and community-led demand generation via the Pricing Forum.

Name

Validatum

Legal name

Validatum (UK) Limited

Website

https://validatum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Validatum is a London-based specialist legal services pricing consultancy serving 300+ law firms and barristers' chambers across 23 countries. It offers training, consulting retainers, recruitment, community forums, and the AI-enabled Virtual Pricing Director software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Direct consulting engagements with law firms on pricing governance, strategy, tactics, and execution. Engagements include pricing audits, needs analysis, and implementation support. Revenue is project-based or retainer-based depending on scope.
2. Training Programs: Partners Pricing Masterclasses (small group, maximum 15 partners, high-intensity courses), Associates Pricing Workshops, and custom training sessions. Programs are priced with meaningful fees at risk, demonstrating confidence in outcomes.
3. Pricing Forum Membership: Invitation-only forum for UK Top 100 law firms providing networking, mentoring, and training events. 35-40 firms attend each forum event.
4. Specialist Pricing Recruitment: Recruitment services for pricing-related roles in law firms, leveraging deep expertise in the specific skill sets and experience required for successful pricing professionals.
5. Bid and Pitch Support: Procurement and bid support services helping law firms navigate procurement processes, develop winning bids, and manage client relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Validatum is a specialist legal services pricing consultancy that helps law firms and barristers' chambers with pricing governance, analytics, and execution. The firm offers direct consulting engagements, intensive Partners Pricing Masterclasses, Associates Pricing Workshops, Pricing Support Retainers, Procurement/Bids/Pitches consulting, specialist pricing talent recruitment, and the Validatum Pricing Forum community event. The firm also offers the Virtual Pricing Director (VPD), an associated AI-powered legal pricing software platform incorporating reference class forecasting for data-driven pricing proposals.

Product overview

Validatum is a specialist legal services pricing consultancy offering a portfolio of consulting services and software. The core offering consists of training programs (Partners Pricing Masterclasses, Associates Pricing Workshops), consulting services (Procurement/Bids/Pitches, Pricing Support Retainers, Specialist Talent Recruitment), and community programs (Validatum Pricing Forum). These are complemented by the Virtual Pricing Director (VPD) software platform, which provides AI-powered pricing analytics, reference class forecasting, and scenario modelling capabilities. The Validatum Price Customisation Clinics serve as an add-on to the masterclasses for hands-on application. Together, these services address the full spectrum of pricing governance, analytics, and execution for law firms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Validatum Partners Pricing Masterclasses Small-group, intensive training programs for law firm partners (maximum 15 partners per cohort) covering pricing theory, pricing psychology, and practical execution strategies to improve pricing capability and profitability KPIs while reducing client pricing tension. Refined for more than 15 years across firms with turnovers ranging from £10 million to £900 million.
• Associates Pricing Workshops Condensed training programs for associates covering file economics, pricing skills, and practical techniques to support partners in pricing execution within law firms.
• Procurement, Bids & Pitches Consulting services helping law firms navigate procurement processes, develop winning bid strategies, and improve win rates for panel appointments and tenders.
• Specialist Pricing Talent Recruitment Recruitment services placing pricing professionals in law firms, addressing the specialized skill sets and experience required for legal pricing roles that traditional recruiters struggle to source.
• Validatum Pricing Forum Invitation-only networking and knowledge-sharing forum for UK Top 100 law firm pricing professionals, typically attended by 35-40 firms per event, providing mentoring, training, and peer community.
• Pricing Support Retainers Ongoing consulting retainer arrangements providing continuous pricing governance, analytics, and execution support to law firms on a multi-year contract basis.
• Conference Presentations Keynote speaking engagements delivered by Managing Director Richard Burcher on pricing psychology, pricing strategy, AI impact on billing, and legal industry transformation topics at legal industry events globally.
• Virtual Pricing Director (VPD) AI-powered legal pricing software platform that enables partners to generate data-driven proposals, model alternative fee arrangements, and produce client-facing pricing options aligned with firm strategies. Incorporates reference class forecasting to overcome optimism bias and provides real-time profitability insights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Measurable improvement in profitability KPIs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Burcher JenningscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Burcher Jennings is a related legal costs and pricing consultancy. Martyn Jennings, CEO of Burcher Jennings, serves on the Validatum Advisory Board. The relationship provides strategic support and reflects shared expertise in legal pricing and costs management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/validatum
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/in/validatum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Validatum