Contact | Search |

Category: News

Harbottle & Lewis advises Kord on $6.4 million series A round

Posted on by Nikhita Sagar

Harbottle & Lewis has advised Kord, formerly known as Checkboard, on its $6.4 million Series A funding round.

The investment was led by Guinness Ventures, with participation from Beringea, SFC Capital and a group of angel investors.

Founded by James Owusu in 2019, Kord is a UK-based fintech company which provides an end-to-end platform for firms in regulated industries, enabling seamless client onboarding, identity verification, compliance checks, document management and payment processing. Its innovative modular system addresses the inefficiencies of traditional fragmented legacy systems, offering a streamlined and secure solution for businesses.

Kord’s platform is already trusted by estate agents, law firms, conveyancers and financial services companies, helping them to mitigate fraud risks and improve operational efficiency. The Series A funding will enable Kord to accelerate its growth, expand its team, enhance product development and acquire new customers.

The Harbottle & Lewis team was led by partner Tom Macleod and managing associate Rosie Marston, with support from associate Suzie Hamilton.

On working with Harbottle & Lewis, Kord founder and CEO James Owusu said:

“Harbottle & Lewis provided high-quality support during this pivotal stage for Kord. They clearly have great expertise in handling fast-paced venture capital transactions and combine this with a very pragmatic approach. The team’s dedication and collaborative approach around the clock made them an invaluable partner and we’re excited to move forward with their guidance as the business grows.”

Commenting on the transaction, Tom Macleod at Harbottle & Lewis added:

“Supporting innovative companies like Kord on their growth journeys is always incredibly rewarding. This funding marks an exciting milestone for Kord as they continue to transform client onboarding and compliance processes for regulated industries. We are proud to have worked alongside James and the Kord team on this transaction and look forward to seeing their continued success as they scale their platform and expand their reach.”

Harbottle & Lewis advises Poolhouse on $55 million series A round

Posted on by Nikhita Sagar

Harbottle & Lewis has advised Poolhouse on its $55 million growth equity investment led by Bluestone Equity Partners, a global private equity firm focused on the sports, media and entertainment industry.

This Series A round represents the next significant step in Poolhouse’s trajectory and the round will be used to fund the continued global rollout of Poolhouse’s venues, as well as to expand BillyQ, Poolhouse’s proprietary vision-processing platform.

Co-founded by long-standing Harbottle & Lewis clients Steven and Dave Jolliffe (the founders of Topgolf and co-founders of Puttshack) alongside CEO Andrew O’Brien, Poolhouse brings a new dimension to social entertainment. By fusing the timeless game of pool with cutting-edge technology and world class hospitality, Poolhouse has quickly established itself as a standout name in the leisure and entertainment space.

Harbottle & Lewis has advised Poolhouse since the company’s inception, including on its $34 million seed funding round in 2025. The seed funding round was led by Sharp Alpha (a US leisure-focused venture capital investor) and DMG Ventures (DMGT’s consumer venture capital fund) and paved the way for the opening of the company’s highly anticipated flagship London venue at Liverpool Street.

The Harbottle & Lewis team was led by partner Tom Macleod and managing associate Rosie Marston, with support from associates Elizabeth Compton and Suzie Hamilton, and trainee solicitor Hugo Carter.

On working with Harbottle & Lewis, Poolhouse CEO Andrew O’Brien commented:

“Harbottle & Lewis has been a trusted adviser to Poolhouse since the company’s inception and has supported us through each important stage of our development. Tom, Rosie and the wider team went above and beyond throughout this transaction, combining excellent legal judgment with a genuine understanding of what matters to us as a business. Their commitment was exceptional, and we are extremely grateful for their continued support as we enter the next phase of Poolhouse’s growth.”

Commenting on the transaction, Tom Macleod said:

“We are delighted to have supported the Poolhouse team once again on this significant milestone. Having advised the business from its very earliest days and through its seed round last year, it is incredibly rewarding to see the company’s continued growth and momentum. We are excited to see what comes next.”

Broadened recognition for private wealth expertise in Chambers High Net Worth 2026 Guide

Posted on by Nikhita Sagar

Chambers and Partners has today published its High Net Worth 2026 Guide, in which we have received an increased spread of individual and departmental rankings across multiple practice areas.

In total, seven departments and 20 individuals have been recognised, with many achieving rankings in the higher bands.

Our rankings this year build upon our strong performances in recent guides. Notably, we have been ranked in the Private Wealth Disputes category for the first time, reflecting the growth in size and prominence of our contentious practice in recent years. Other highlights include an array of new and improved individual rankings for lawyers across multiple categories.

These results reflect the firm’s leading reputation for advising high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals, families and their businesses on their increasingly complex personal and commercial affairs.

The Chambers High Net Worth Guide identifies the leading law firms and advisers serving high net worth individuals and families. Based on extensive independent research and client feedback, it is regarded globally as a benchmark of excellence in the private wealth sector.

View the full rankings here.

Shireen Peermohamed named among top 250 women in IP for 2026

Posted on by Dea Dragashi

Partner and head of our intellectual property group Shireen Peermohamed has once again been recognised by IP Stars across three categories in its latest rankings, including its global list of the top 250 women in IP for 2026.

This continued recognition reflects both Shireen’s long-standing international reputation and the strength of our IP practice.

Shireen is recognised in the following rankings:

  • Top 250 women in IP 2026
  • Trade mark star 2026
  • Transactions star 2026

IP Stars, part of the Managing IP media group, is a specialist guide covering legal practitioners who deal with contentious and non-contentious intellectual property issues. Its rankings assess and rank law firms and practitioners globally in a range of IP practice areas. Its list of top 250 women in IP recognises senior IP practitioners from more than 50 jurisdictions across the world, who consistently go above and beyond for their clients and firms.

Click here to view the full rankings on the IP Stars website.

Harbottle & Lewis announces hire of employment partner

Posted on by Alex Molyneux

Harbottle & Lewis has announced that partner Peter Finding will join the firm on Monday 13 July. He will join from US firm Pierson Ferdinand.

Peter brings extensive experience in employment and workplace matters, specialising in complex international projects, advisory work and litigation. He is known for his distinctive approach to cross-border employment issues, acting as a substantive strategic adviser to multinational businesses by delivering integrated, cross-jurisdictional advice. This aligns with the firm’s commitment to enhancing its international offering and continuing to provide exceptional service to clients on a global scale.

Peter’s client base is made up of multinational and domestic companies operating in a range of sectors, including technology, sport, financial services and the creative industries.

On joining the firm, Peter said:

“I am thrilled to be joining Harbottle & Lewis, a firm with a strong reputation for its high-calibre client base and a collaborative, forward-thinking approach to legal practice. The firm’s dynamism and ability to support businesses across a broad spectrum, from ambitious startups to established global companies, aligns closely with my own practice. Its existing international client base and the opportunity to contribute to its continued growth in this area provide the perfect platform for me to take my practice to the next level, in tandem with the elite lawyers I am joining. In addition, its focus on encouraging its lawyers to follow their entrepreneurial instincts and be innovative when shaping their practices will undoubtedly help mine reach its true potential. The firm has a clear cultural identity and strategy for sustained, long-term growth and I am excited to contribute to this, and to both my colleagues’ and our clients’ long-term success.”

Co-managing partner Charlie Leveque commented:

Peter has built a strong reputation in the market and we are extremely pleased to be welcoming him to the firm. He has substantial expertise delivering specialist advice to businesses at all stages of their growth and advises across many of our key sectors. His arrival is a natural fit with the firm’s broader international focus, and his experience will further enhance the support we provide to our existing clients while also broadening the scope of what we can offer to new clients. He is known for taking a relationship-driven approach with his clients which has enabled him to build long-term connections anchored in personal trust. This is exactly how we do things and we are certain he will be a valuable addition to the firm.”

Five partners recognised as leading family lawyers by Spear’s

Posted on by Nikhita Sagar

Five of our partners have once again been recommended by Spear’s as leading family lawyers for HNW and UHNW individuals in the 2026 Spear’s family law index, published today.

Senior partner Catherine Bedford has been recognised as Top Flight, Nicholas Westley and Mark Irving are Top Recommended, whilst Lidia Cantele and Alex Ward are Recommended. The index recognises the leading family lawyers advising on high value divorces, cohabitation disputes, child custody, nuptial agreements and mediation and is compiled using extensive data from advisers themselves, as well as submission forms, nominations, peer reviews, data from third-party sources, references, recommendations and hundreds of interviews.

You can see the index in full here.

Marriage counselling for the client-lawyer relationship: building trust in an age of innovation

Posted on by Nikhita Sagar

Legal innovation is often discussed in terms of technology, adoption and efficiency. At this year’s LegalTechTalk, our director of innovation, Michael Vasalos, joined a panel where the focus of discussion was firmly on the client experience, and whether innovation is making legal services clearer, better communicated and more trusted.

The discussion explored the pressures currently shaping relationships between law firms and their clients. Clients increasingly want strategic partners, not just reactive advisers, while firms are looking to build loyalty in a market where work is often spread across multiple providers.

Against this backdrop, the panel considered how firms can move beyond transactional service delivery and build stronger, longer-term relationships. Topics included transparency around pricing and scope, the importance of clearer communication, and how difficult conversations can help strengthen trust and alignment.

The speakers also discussed the role of AI and emerging technology in reshaping aspects of legal delivery, particularly where work is repeatable or process-heavy. However, the discussion underlined that technology alone is not the answer. Its value comes from helping firms deliver a better experience for clients and making the work clearer, better scoped and easier to navigate.

LegalTechTalk is one of Europe’s leading legal technology and innovation conferences. Find out more here.

Innovation without inertia: How law firms can move from thinking to doing

Posted on by Alex Molyneux

How can law firm leaders address the difficult decisions behind change and ensure that innovation is successfully embedded across the firms they manage?

This was one of several questions posed to our co-managing partner Charlie Leveque and chief operating officer Andy Wansell in our fireside chat at this year’s LegalTechTalk. Chaired by Line Lolk Thomsen, chief transformation officer at Plesner, the discussion centred around the challenges faced by law firms which often stall progress and the approach leaders can take to overcome the many obstacles.

Charlie and Andy spoke of their respective experiences, highlighting the importance of embracing innovation and seeing it, and the rapid development of AI and technology, not as a threat but as an opportunity to strengthen relationships with clients by meeting their evolving expectations. The most successful firms will be those that are agile and ensure that they act quickly and decisively. In addition, firms must have the bravery to halt a project that isn’t working and moving onto something new – what you aren’t doing is as important as what you are doing.

LegalTechTalk is one of Europe’s leading legal technology and innovation conferences, taking place on 17–18 June at the InterContinental London, The O2. Find out more about the event here.

LegalTechTalk 2026: Driving innovation in the legal sector

Posted on by Nikhita Sagar

We will be part of this year’s LegalTechTalk, where three of our senior leadership team will be speaking on two panels to share insights on the legal innovation landscape, including how law firm leaders can successfully embed innovation across the business and the impact of innovation on the lawyer-client relationship.

Innovation without Inertia: How Law Firms Can Move from Thinking to Doing

In a fireside chat, our co-managing partner Charlie Leveque and chief operating officer Andy Wansell will discuss how law firm leaders can overcome the challenges which often stall progress and ensure a firm embraces innovation by being agile and acting decisively.

Marriage Counselling for the Client-Attorney Relationship

In a panel discussion alongside other experts, our director of innovation Michael Vasalos will explore the challenges that can put strain on the relationship between lawyers and their clients and discuss how to shift from transactional service delivery to genuine strategic partnership.

LegalTechTalk is one of Europe’s leading legal technology and innovation conferences, taking place on 17–18 June at the InterContinental London, The O2. Find out more about the event here.

Harbottle & Lewis advises Primer on its $100 million Series C round

Posted on by Dea Dragashi

We have advised our long-standing fintech client, Primer, on its $100m Series C round to accelerate the development of its AI-native payments infrastructure and its growth in the US.

Founded by former leaders of Braintree and PayPal, Primer is the unified infrastructure for global payments. Its single platform gives finance and payments teams the visibility and control to reduce complexity, improve performance, and capture more revenue. Trusted by leading companies including Get Your Guide, Dialpad, Rail Europe, Printful, Lime, and loveholidays across ecommerce, travel, fintech, and digital platforms, Primer has to date raised $170 million from investors including Sofina, Peak XV Partners, ICONIQ, Tencent, Accel, Balderton and Speedinvest.

This Series C round was led by Sofina, with participation from Peak XV Partners and existing investors. The proceeds from the round will be used to invest in Primer’s AI capabilities and to drive the company’s expansion in the US market, where Primer aims to grow its revenues to account for more than a third of its business by 2028.

The transaction was led by co-managing partner Charlie Leveque, partner Tom Macleod and managing associate Rosie Marston, with support from associates Julia Routledge and Alexander Vinogradov-Wouters.

On working with Harbottle & Lewis, Primer co-founder Gabriel Le Roux commented:

“The Harbottle team has been by our side since we founded Primer and they have been brilliant partners for us on our journey; their advice and support has been invaluable at every stage.”

Charlie Leveque added:

“We are proud and delighted to have supported the Primer team on achieving this milestone. The success of this fundraising round is testament to their talent, hard work and vision, and paves the way for an exciting new chapter for the business.  

We have advised Primer since it was founded on various corporate, regulatory and commercial matters, as well as its investment rounds. Our work for Primer demonstrates the depth and breadth of our offering to emerging companies as they scale, as well as our ability to advise on complex and high-value later stage investments.”

We advise on a broad range of corporate and corporate finance transactions including investments, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity transactions. Learn more about our corporate practice here.