Stowe Family Law, the largest family law firm in the UK, has been sold by its private equity owner, Livingbridge, to global investment firm Investcorp. This marks Investcorp's first foray into the legal market. Investcorp, headquartered in Bahrain, manages over $50 billion in investments, significantly more than Livingbridge, which acquired Stowe in 2017.

Under Livingbridge's ownership, Stowe has seen substantial growth, expanding from 100 staff in 10 offices to nearly 400 staff in 90 locations. This growth was fueled by four acquisitions in the past two years. Stowe's annual turnover for the year ending March 2024 exceeded £37 million, up from nearly £25 million the previous year, with profits rising from £2.7 million to £3 million.

Investcorp plans to collaborate with Stowe on its five-year growth strategy, known as Stowe 3.0, aiming to serve over 10,000 clients annually by 2029, up from the current 5,000. The firm also intends to offer more comprehensive support to families undergoing changes. Investcorp will leverage its expertise in technology to enhance Stowe's services and client delivery.

Ken Fowlie, Stowe's executive chairman, expressed optimism about the partnership with Investcorp, highlighting plans to invest in technology and artificial intelligence to improve customer experience and service quality. Gilbert Kamieniecky, head of private equity in Europe at Investcorp, praised Stowe's commitment to building a resilient, technology-driven business and looks forward to advancing the Stowe 3.0 vision.

Adam Holloway, a partner at Livingbridge, reflected on the successful growth of Stowe, attributing it to exceptional customer service and employee engagement. Livingbridge's exit follows similar successful sales of law firms by private equity investors, such as Setfords and Keoghs.

Since 2012, Investcorp European Private Equity has invested over €2 billion in companies across Europe. The terms of the Stowe deal remain undisclosed, but Livingbridge described it as a "successful exit."