Developing scalable client acquisition strategies for a leading Scottish law firm.

Thorntons Law is one of the largest independent full-service legal firms in Scotland. From its headquarters in Dundee, the firm serves clients across the country and has developed strong specialist teams across multiple practice areas.

John was introduced to the firm’s Joint Managing Partners as Thorntons prepared to deliver on ambitious growth plans.

The Challenge

Thorntons wanted to accelerate growth across several practice areas, with some departments requiring more immediate focus than others as the legal market evolved and new ways of acquiring clients emerged.

A key objective was to develop repeatable, scalable client-acquisition approaches that Thorntons could embed across the firm.

Two example areas requiring immediate focus were Family Law and Personal Injury, both of which were experiencing shifts in how clients discovered and selected legal services.

Family law clients were increasingly researching services online and expecting greater transparency and accessibility. Thorntons needed to ensure its expertise was clearly positioned and discoverable in a competitive digital landscape.

Within personal injury, the majority of cases were generated through partnerships with Claims Management Companies (CMCs), including National Accident Helpline. Thorntons wanted to strengthen its position and identify opportunities for further growth.

The Solution

Working closely with the leadership team and practice heads, Robertson Collaborate focused on strengthening the firm’s commercial approach to client acquisition across selected practice areas.

For Family Law, this began with a review of the Scottish market, including competitor analysis and research into how clients were searching for legal services. This informed the development of a clearer proposition, improved online presence and a structured approach to client acquisition.

For the Personal Injury division, Robertson Collaborate undertook market analysis, competitor review and evaluation of existing acquisition channels. This work supported the development of strategic options to strengthen the division’s growth and its relationships with key partners.

Working alongside Thorntons’ internal marketing team, Robertson Collaborate collaborated closely with senior team members to develop the approach while sharing practical commercial insight and mentoring emerging leaders within the team.

Key Contributions

• Market analysis and competitor review across legal practice areas
• Strengthening Thorntons’ online visibility and enquiry generation
• Development of a clear family law proposition and client acquisition model
• Strategic review of the personal injury market and partner growth opportunities
• Supporting internal teams to embed a measurable, repeatable acquisition processes

The Result

• During the period Robertson Collaborate worked with Thorntons, the firm experienced significant growth, tripling turnover and expanding its team.
• Within Family Law, online visibility increased substantially. What had previously been only a handful of online enquiries each month grew to represent almost 50% of all enquiries, with three out of four cases coming from clients with no prior relationship with the firm.
• In Personal Injury, Thorntons secured a long-term partnership with National Accident Helpline and case volumes returned to pre-April 2013 levels. The firm also secured a major contract with Quindell, further strengthening the division’s growth.