Work experience to equity: Solicitors cap long stay by buying stake in the business

Stacey Mabrouk first stepped into Olliers Solicitors as a teenager doing work experience while at school. Almost 25 years later, she is a part-owner of the Manchester business, alongside another long-serving colleague Ruth Peters.

Each of the directors has acquired a 10% stake in the Manchester firm as part of a long-term succession strategy. Managing director Matthew Claughton, who took 100% control of the criminal defence firm in 2018, will retain an 80% share.

Mabrouk used her work experience to secure a part-time job during school holidays supporting the accounts team and assisting fee-earners. She is now commercial director, having qualified as a solicitor in 2008.

‘That experience shaped my decision to pursue a career in criminal law. To now have an equity stake in the firm is something I’m incredibly proud of,’ she said.

‘We have built a business that is profitable, independent and growing year on year and this next chapter is about scaling that success while maintaining the legal excellence and client care Olliers is so highly regarded for.’

Peters joined Olliers in 2005 and qualified as a solicitor two years later. She now leads the business development team and has implemented a digital-first marketing strategy to help move the business away from relying on legal aid work.

She said: ‘We are winning the battle for "share of answer" in the AI and search landscape and that has been the engine behind our private client growth.

‘Taking an equity stake is a very proud moment, but the focus remains the same: ensuring Olliers is the definitive first choice for anyone facing a criminal investigation or prosecution in the UK.’

The firm’s turnover has tripled in the last eight years to £6.5m. Claughton said this is the right time to expand the ownership and start planning for the future.

‘Stacey and Ruth have been instrumental in the Olliers’ success story,’ he said. ‘By becoming equity shareholders, they aren’t just being rewarded for their past brilliance but are committing to the future of the firm. This is about ensuring Olliers remains independent, ambitious and at the top of its game for the long term.’