John Lamb Hill Oldridge

What John Lamb Hill Oldridge does

John Lamb Hill Oldridge is a UK-based, FCA-regulated specialist insurance adviser focused on complex life assurance and protection planning for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families with landed estates, business owners, and senior executives. The firm operates as an independent adviser with access to the whole of the global market, structured around an in-house underwriting capability that provides early insight into risk and approach for complex cases. Its core product set comprises Inheritance Tax Planning, Gift Cover, Personal Protection, Business Protection, and a Renewal and Valuation Service that delivers ongoing stewardship of placed policies, complemented by insurance-based investment products (offshore bonds/PPLI).

The firm was formed in July 2020 through the merger of John Lamb Financial Planning (founded 1959) and Hill Oldridge (founded 1992), combining two specialist practices and creating what the company describes as the UK's foremost specialist protection adviser, with advisory relationships across more than 150 major landed estates. Distribution is referral-led: clients are typically introduced by their lawyer, accountant, financial adviser, or family office, and the firm works alongside UK private client law firms, family offices, private banks, and wealth managers.

The business model is commission-based, with revenue earned from insurers on initial placement and renewal of protection arrangements; clients and trustees do not face additional servicing charges because ongoing oversight is covered by standard renewal commissions. The firm is family-owned and managed with no disclosed external investment or parent entity, operating from London with a headcount in the 11-50 range and a leadership team that includes Managing Director Alex Gibson-Watt plus directors Ken Maxwell, Dan Garcia, and Paula Steele.

Name

John Lamb Hill Oldridge

Legal name

John Lamb Hill Oldridge Ltd

Website

https://jlho.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

John Lamb Hill Oldridge is a UK-based specialist insurance adviser providing complex life assurance and protection planning for high-net-worth individuals, landed estates, and business owners, distributed via professional adviser referrals on a commission-based model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commission: The firm earns commission from insurers for placing and renewing protection arrangements. Servicing work is covered through standard insurer renewal commission arrangements, meaning clients and trustees benefit from ongoing support without additional servicing charges.
2. Advisory Services: Provides independent advisory services on complex life assurance and protection arrangements. Advice is independent and informed by access to the whole of the global market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

John Lamb Hill Oldridge is a specialist protection insurance adviser that structures and places complex life assurance and protection arrangements for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, landed estates, family offices, private banks, and professional services firms. The firm provides independent advice drawn from the entire global insurance market, supported by in-house underwriting expertise, and works alongside an established network of legal, tax and wealth professionals as part of its referral model.

Product overview

John Lamb Hill Oldridge is a specialist insurance adviser offering a portfolio of protection products and services for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses. The core offering centers on life insurance solutions—Whole of Life, Fixed Term, Gift Inter Vivos, Business Protection, and Relevant Life policies—designed to address inheritance tax planning, gift cover, personal protection, and business continuity. These products are supported by specialist services including a Renewal and Valuation Service for ongoing portfolio stewardship, claims management, and insurance-based investment products (offshore bonds/PPLI). The firm operates as an integrated advisory model where protection products are structured within wider estate, tax, and succession planning frameworks, working alongside clients' professional advisers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialist life assurance and protection advice Independent specialist advice on structuring and placing complex life assurance and protection arrangements for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, landed estates, family offices, private banks, and professional services firms, with access to the whole global insurance market.
• Inheritance tax planning through life assurance Structuring of life assurance solutions used as part of inheritance tax and estate planning strategies for HNW/UHNW individuals, landed estates, and family offices, typically delivered in conjunction with legal and tax advisers.
• In-house specialist underwriting support Specialist in-house underwriting expertise used to assess, structure, and present complex protection cases to insurers, supporting both direct clients and the firm's professional adviser referral network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% claims payment record across all policies overseen

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Horatio's Garden London & South EastminorOthers · 31 January 2025John Lamb Hill Oldridge became a Corporate Friend of Horatio's Garden London & South East. This partnership underscores the firm's commitment to making a meaningful impact in the community. Horatio's Garden is a charitable organization promoting and providing palliative care.
• St Christopher's HospiceminorOthersJohn Lamb Hill Oldridge is proud to support St Christopher's Hospice, a local hospice providing skilled and compassionate palliative care of the highest quality. The firm has a long history of supporting this charity.
• US-based International Insurance BrokerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFor non-domiciled clients unable to obtain sufficient cover in the UK market, the firm works closely with a US-based broker with whom they have worked on many occasions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Drewberry Insurance: UK specialist insurance and protection adviser serving HNW clients with bespoke life and income protection. Comparable to JLHO as a UK protection specialist, though Drewberry serves a broader income range rather than the ultra-high-net-worth landed estates segment JLHO dominates.
• LifeSearch: UK specialist life and protection insurance broker with whole-of-market access. Comparable business model to JLHO as an independent protection intermediary, although LifeSearch focuses on mass-affluent and HNW rather than UHNW landed estates.
• Boodle Hatfield: UK private client law firm with deep landed estates practice that frequently advises on life assurance and trust structures alongside legal work. Comparable to JLHO because it serves the same landed estates client base and competes for related advisory mandates.
• Clear Insurance Management: UK independent insurance broker arranging life, critical illness and protection cover for professional and HNW clients. Comparable as a specialist UK protection intermediary with whole-of-market access and bespoke case handling.
• Seddon Insurance Brokers: UK independent insurance broker offering life, protection and wealth-related insurance for private clients. Comparable specialist protection intermediary model, though with broader client base and less landed estates specialisation than JLHO.

Broad incumbents

• Marsh UK Private Client: Global broker operating a UK High-Net-Worth private client practice that arranges life, health and specialty insurance for wealthy families. Comparable on life insurance broking for HNW, but at much greater scale and breadth than JLHO's niche protection focus.
• Aon UK Private Client: Global insurance and reinsurance broker with a UK private client team serving UHNW individuals, families and family offices. Overlaps with JLHO on life assurance placement and protection for HNW clients, but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Stackhouse Poland (Rothschild & Co): Long-established UK private client insurance broker now part of Rothschild & Co Wealth & Trust, advising HNW and UHNW clients on life assurance and protection. Highly comparable specialist positioning to JLHO, with broader group resources behind it.
• Willis Towers Watson (WTW) Private Client: Global advisory firm with UK wealth and private client capabilities including life insurance placement for UHNW individuals. Comparable in serving HNW protection needs but operating as part of a large diversified platform.

Others

• Burges Salmon Private Client: UK private client law firm with a landed estates and family office practice that works alongside specialist insurance advisers on protection structures. Comparable ecosystem participant, often sitting on the same side of the table as JLHO rather than competing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JohnLambFinance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 John Lamb Hill Oldridge