John Howe & Co Solicitors

What John Howe & Co Solicitors does

John Howe & Co Solicitors is a privately-held, SRA-authorised English law firm founded in 1994 in Pudsey, Leeds, West Yorkshire, with a second office at 10 Park Place in Leeds city centre. The firm operates two service pillars: Business & Employment Law (commercial property, corporate and commercial services, employment law, licensing, and business dispute resolution) and Family, Home & Personal Law (clinical negligence, criminal proceedings, personal employment, family issues, personal injury, residential property, personal dispute resolution, and wills/probate/tax/trusts). It serves both regional businesses and individual clients across West Yorkshire and surrounding areas, with services delivered by an 11-person team under Managing Director John Howe, who founded the firm and has practised since 1988.

The firm is family-led, with the Howe family holding the senior director positions (John Howe as Managing Director and COLP, Jenna Howe as Director and COFA since qualifying in 2018, Bob Howe as Director since qualifying in 2023), supplemented by specialist hires including Richard Whittaker as Head of Litigation and other solicitors, fee-earners, a trainee, and a paralegal on the SQE pathway. Revenue is generated primarily through professional services billing — time-based hourly rates of £250–£300 plus VAT at director/solicitor level, supplemented by tiered fixed fees for residential conveyancing (£1,000–£1,700 plus VAT), probate (fixed fee plus percentage of estate value with a £2,000–£2,500 minimum plus VAT), licensing applications (£1,200–£2,800+ plus VAT), and no win, no fee arrangements for eligible personal injury claims.

The go-to-market is traditional and relationship-driven: direct client engagement via phone, email, in-person consultations across two office locations, supported by a website with factsheets, a monthly email newsletter, a Twitter presence, and media exposure via TV, radio, and newspaper appearances on high-profile cases. Notable reputational assets include the firm's record for the fastest divorce in English legal history and its status as one of only two Law Society-recommended firms for Bulgarian property purchases, but the firm has no disclosed external investment, partnerships, or technology differentiation.

Name

John Howe & Co Solicitors

Legal name

John Howe & Co Solicitors

Website

https://jhowe.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

John Howe & Co Solicitors is a privately-held, family-led West Yorkshire law firm founded in 1994, delivering business/employment law and family/personal legal services across 13 practice areas from offices in Pudsey and Leeds to regional businesses and individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE), Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Legal advisory services
• Residential conveyancing
• Employment law advice
• Wills and probate
• Commercial property law

Headquarters

HQ city

Pudsey

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Time-Based Billing: Professional services billed primarily on time spent basis. Hourly rates range from £250-£300 plus VAT for directors and solicitors.
2. Residential Conveyancing: Tiered fixed fees for property transactions based on property value, ranging from £1,000 to £1,700 before VAT, plus disbursements.
3. Probate Services: Fixed fee of £750 plus percentage of estate value. Percentages vary based on whether acting as executor (2%/1%) or not (1.75%/0.75%) for residence vs other estate assets.
4. Licensing Applications: Fixed fee licensing services ranging from £1,200-£1,800 for simple applications up to £2,800+ for high complexity cases, plus VAT and disbursements.
5. Personal Injury Claims: No win, no fee arrangements offered for eligible personal injury claims.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

John Howe & Co Solicitors is an SRA-regulated law firm providing legal advisory and representation services to businesses and individuals in West Yorkshire. The firm delivers two core service lines — Business & Employment Law and Family, Home & Personal Law — covering commercial property, corporate/commercial services, employment law, licensing, dispute resolution, clinical negligence, criminal proceedings, family law, personal injury, residential conveyancing, and wills/probate/trusts. Services are delivered through time-based billing at £250–£300 per hour plus VAT, with tiered fixed fees published for conveyancing, probate, licensing, and motoring defence.

Product overview

John Howe & Co Solicitors operates as a unified law firm offering two core service categories: Business & Employment Law (covering commercial property, corporate services, employment law, licensing, and business dispute resolution) and Family, Home & Personal Law (covering clinical negligence, criminal proceedings, employment, family issues, personal injury, residential property, personal dispute resolution, and wills/probate/trusts). The firm provides these services through individual practitioners and sub-service offerings, with some services offered at published tiered pricing (residential conveyancing, probate, motoring defence, litigation). Services are delivered by a team including Managing Director John Howe, Directors Jenna Howe, Bob Howe, Richard Whitaker, and supporting solicitors and paralegals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business & Employment Law Comprehensive legal advisory services covering commercial property transactions, corporate and commercial services, employment law matters, and licensing for businesses, self-employed individuals, and employers.
• Commercial Property Legal advice covering acquisition and disposal of commercial properties, landlord and tenant matters, secured lending, planning and development, and estate management disputes.
• Corporate and Commercial Services Services including business start-up advice, contract drafting, buying and selling businesses, shareholder and partnership agreements, and debt recovery.
• Employment Law (Business) Legal advice on employment contracts, disciplinary procedures, discrimination claims, tribunal representation, redundancy, unfair dismissal, and TUPE obligations for businesses and employers. John Howe's charge-out rate is £300 + VAT per hour.
• Licensing Application and representation services for alcohol licenses, entertainment licenses, and late night refreshment licenses, including appearances before Licensing Committees. Fixed fees range from £1,200–£1,800 (simple), £1,800–£2,400 (medium complexity), and £2,800+ (high complexity), plus VAT.
• Business Dispute Resolution Dispute resolution services including building disputes, debt recovery, customer warranty claims, fiduciary duty claims, insurance matters, partnership disputes, and landlord and tenant disputes.
• Family, Home & Personal Law Legal services addressing personal legal matters including clinical negligence, criminal proceedings, employment, family issues, personal injury, residential property, dispute resolution, and wills.
• Clinical Negligence Legal representation for victims of clinical negligence including orthopaedic, trauma, surgical, and dental procedure errors, as well as failure to diagnose claims.
• Criminal Proceedings / Motoring Defence Defence representation for road traffic offences ranging from speeding to causing death by dangerous driving, including court preparation and Barrister instruction. Includes published pricing of £150 inclusive of VAT for initial consultation; further representation involves court preparation, mitigation, exceptional hardship arguments, and Barrister instruction at Magistrate or Crown Court.
• Personal Employment Law Employment law advice for individuals on contract terms, disciplinary hearings, tribunal representation, and severance issues.
• Family Issues Family law services including separation and divorce, civil partnership termination, unmarried couple disputes, child arrangements, and domestic violence advice. The firm holds the record for the fastest divorce in English legal history (5 days).
• Personal Injury Claims management for workplace accidents, public area accidents, sporting injuries, defective products, road accidents, industrial diseases, and criminal injury cases. No win, no fee arrangements offered for eligible personal injury claims.
• Residential Property / Conveyancing Conveyancing services including property purchase, sale, remortgaging, buy-to-let advice, equity release, and tenancy and lease arrangements. Tiered pricing: £1,000+VAT (up to £250,000), £1,200+VAT (£250,001–£500,000), £1,500+VAT (£500,001–£750,000), £1,700+VAT (£750,001–£1,000,000). Re-mortgages and transfers of equity priced at £550 plus VAT each.
• Personal Dispute Resolution Resolution of disputes including boundary disagreements, retailer conflicts, estate claims, debt repayment, contract disputes, and landlord disputes through mediation, arbitration, or litigation.
• Wills, Probate, Tax and Trusts Services including Will drafting, trust creation, lasting power of attorney, inheritance tax planning, and probate administration of estates. Probate fixed fee: £750 + 1.75%/0.75% of estate (non-executor) or £750 + 2%/1% of estate (acting as executor), with minimum £2,000 or £2,500 plus VAT respectively.
• Litigation Services Commercial and civil litigation services including contract disputes, boundary disputes, landlord/tenant disputes, and debt recovery, led by Head of Litigation Richard Whittaker.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Weightmans: UK-wide law firm with a strong Leeds office offering comparable personal and commercial services, but operating at significantly greater scale across multiple regions.
• Walker Morris: Major Leeds-based full-service commercial law firm with overlapping practice areas (commercial property, employment, litigation) but materially larger scale and a predominantly corporate client base.
• Irwin Mitchell: Large UK national law firm with a significant Leeds presence, offering overlapping services in personal injury, family law, conveyancing, and employment — but at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Slater and Gordon: UK-wide consumer-facing law firm with strong personal injury, family, and conveyancing practices — overlapping with John Howe & Co's personal law services but competing at markedly greater scale.
• Gordons: Larger Leeds-headquartered commercial law firm serving Yorkshire businesses, with overlapping commercial property, employment, and dispute resolution practices but a heavier commercial focus than John Howe & Co.

Direct peers

• Harrowells Solicitors: York-based regional law firm with similar full-service model covering business and personal law for SMEs and individuals across Yorkshire, comparable in scope and client base.
• Atherton Godfrey: South Yorkshire-based law firm offering comparable full-service personal and business legal services including conveyancing, family law, and commercial work.
• Ramsdens Solicitors: Multi-office Yorkshire law firm offering conveyancing, family law, wills/probate, and commercial services with similar regional focus and service breadth.
• Ison Harrison Solicitors: Yorkshire-based full-service law firm operating multiple offices across the region with comparable headcount, full-service offering (conveyancing, family, employment, litigation), and similar client base of regional businesses and individuals.
• Schofield Sweeney: Leeds-based independent law firm offering business and personal legal services across West Yorkshire, comparable in size and service mix including commercial property, employment, and dispute resolution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jhowe

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 John Howe & Co Solicitors