Talbots hires accountant CEO to drive growth

Midlands firm Talbots Law has become the latest practice to recruit a non-lawyer chief executive in a move which it says will help it capitalise on a record year of performance. Talbots employs more than 280 people across six offices in the Black Country and Worcestershire.

Dave Hodgetts, the new chief executive, is a qualified accountant and joins after a 25-year career with Taylor Wimpey and E.ON. One of his first tasks being to put in place a five-year growth plan that will involve consistent organic growth, the opening of new offices and the potential for future acquisitions. The firm says its fee income has grown by 26% during the pandemic and will reach £16m by the end of 2021.

'This is a very exciting time to be joining Talbots, a law firm that dates back more than 200 years and one that boasts an excellent reputation,' said Hodgetts. 'We have emerged from the pandemic in a very strong position, with growth across all of our core areas of law, including residential property, trusts and estates, dispute resolution, commercial, family and criminal defence.'

He said that the new strategy would take the firm into new geographic areas, expanding 'through a blend of organic growth and complementary acquisitions'. 

Director Mary Morgan, who has handed over the role of chief executive, said: 'It’s fantastic that we have attracted Dave to the Talbots family, and he has come along at the right time in our development. His commercial and operational expertise is second to none having successfully expanded the operations of two national PLCs and it is this experience of bringing people together to deliver outstanding performance that really appealed to us.'