The next chapter of platform law firms is about differentiation 

By Hayden Cooke, Chief of Staff, gunnercooke 

The Codex Edge Platform Firms Report 2026 confirms a structural shift in the UK legal market. Total headcount across platform firms has crossed 5,000 lawyers for the first time. Platform firms took the top two spots in the UK legal market hiring table for 2025, and four now sit inside the top ten across the entire profession.  

The data makes clear that the credibility question is settled. Differentiation is now the question that matters. Over the next five years, headcount and growth rates will matter less than the quality of the work, the calibre of the people doing it, and the culture holding it together. That has always been our experience at gunnercooke, and it becomes more important, not less, as the sector grows noisier.  

gunnercooke was founded in 2010, an early pioneer of the platform or fee-share model. Our preferred term was always fee-share, as our ambitions were to build a stronger culture and community than that in any traditional law firm. Something the terms “platform” or “virtual” don’t quite embody. 

gunnercooke is built on the principle that experienced lawyers should keep the income they generate, supported by the infrastructure to focus on client work rather than the administrative load of traditional partnership (and politics that come with it). Sixteen years on, that founding principle still holds, with the wider sector growing up around it. 

gunnercooke recently began the path to becoming a family business, something that I am immensely proud of and feel privileged to be a part of. It is no secret that private equity and public listing have both been considered seriously over the years, yet both have been set aside.  

Ownership shapes priorities. It gives the space to make decisions that take longer to pay off and the space to prioritise people and culture over returns. Family ownership will give us flexibility, autonomy, and longevity.  

The report helpfully draws out some of our core growth priorities: 

The first is quality. Whilst there are many fee-share models in the space, the report makes clear that there is a top two, gunnercooke and Keystone, when it comes to hiring from Top 50 law firms. As we grow, our priority will always be on quality over volume. 

The second is breadth and depth. gunnercooke is highly collaborative, with 20-30% of revenue typically cross-referred in any given month. Collaboration requires a breadth and diversity of specialists, so it is great that our “diversity of sourcing” is reflected in the report as a “core strategic strength”.  

Whilst breadth is key, the top law firms in the world are built on the back of strong Corporate M&A (and adjacent) practices. With Darryl’s background as a leading private equity partner, and my corporate experience at Slaughter and May, that will continue to be a focus for our growth. Again, it’s great to be recognised as having the largest Corporate M&A offering of the fee-shares.  

The third is international footprint. Our clients are global and we therefore must offer a global service, so it’s great to be recognised as the most internationally strong of the fee-share firms. Our growth in the DACH region and the US shows that the pull towards the fee-share model for lawyers and clients is not limited by borders, and we’re excited to continue building on that early growth.  

The report quotes Syed Nasser, our new Director of Talent and a seasoned headhunter in the London legal market, on his perspective of the attractiveness of gunnercooke:  

“Big law has got harder for individuals, not easier,” he says. “For the experienced partner with an established client base and the confidence to build on their own terms, the case for the fee-share model has never been stronger.”  

On where the market is heading, he is direct: “AI accelerates that logic further. The traditional model of law firm growth, built on leverage and billable hours, is under structural pressure that will only intensify. Firms that can operate lean, adopt technology quickly, and retain senior talent are best placed to thrive. That describes the platform model precisely.” 

What the report can’t speak to is the intangibles. That our clients, lawyers, and communities being happy and thriving is more important to us than any metrics.  

As the AI-native law firms become the “new model” that fee-shares once were, our vision is to build a firm with a market-leading, AI-enabled technology offering for clients and lawyers, but with the sense of freedom and community that humans actually want to be a part of.  

Crossing 5,000 platform for fee-share lawyers is a real achievement for the sector. What was unproven when gunnercooke started in 2010 is settled now. Differentiation is there for those alert to it, but my prediction is that what each firm stands for will become clearer over the coming years.