Contract wins deliver seven-figure turnover growth for insurance lawyers Horwich Farrelly

Insurance industry law firm Horwich Farrelly has achieved double-digit turnover growth.

The Manchester-headquartered company’s revenues for the 2016/17 year hit £39m, up15% against the year previous.

Horwich Farrelly attributed the uplift to a rise in demand from existing clients and a series of new large contract wins.

The firm said that diversifying into non-motor sectors and the recruitment of industry specialists also contributed to growth.

Chairman John O’Roarke said: “Horwich Farrelly’s latest results demonstrate the firm’s increasingly prominent role in helping the insurance industry tackle fraud and drive down the cost of claims.

“Our focus now is to ensure we are completely fit for purpose as regulatory reform and the changing shape of fraud put new pressures on the bottom lines of our clients.”

Following a recent strategic review, Horwich Farrelly decided to close its claimant arm, Zest Legal, to new business.

John continued: “Our claimant business has its origins in the very early history of the firm but is no longer consistent with our strategy nor with the aspirations of our key clients.

“This arm of our business will therefore be run-down in an orderly manner and our colleagues who work in it will be redeployed into new roles in defendant and operational activities.”

Elsewhere, Horwich Farrelly is undertaking a structural and operational review to improve efficiency, which includes investing in a new case management system.

Speaking further, John said: “The challenge now is to ensure we continue to ‘fight the good fight’ while delivering our services as efficiently and competitively as possible.”