South: Law firm Doyle Clayton creates employee ownership trust

Doyle Clayton, the UK’s leading workplace law and advisory firm has taken the next step in its development through creating an employee ownership trust (EOT). No management changes have taken place or are anticipated.

The firm, with offices in Reading and London, started out as an employment law boutique. It has long been one of the legal industry’s pioneers, with non-lawyers profit sharing (through share ownership) now opening this up to all of its employees.

The move will ensure the firm’s independence and by giving all of its employees a way to participate in the business’s future success will encourage further innovation and expansion that has in recent years seen the launch of new services including pensions, regulatory and HR consultancy, said the firm.

These will be strengthened with further new workplace related capabilities led out of the firms’ offices in the City, Mayfair and Canary Wharf as well as Reading - the UK’s technology capital as the firm continues to evolve and take advantage of new opportunities.

Peter Doyle, Doyle Clayton’s CEO, said: “The most important asset in our business is our people. All of our staff need to be actively involved in improving our services and their delivery. This may be working with suppliers to reduce costs and environmental impact or helping clients - the organisations and individuals we advise to achieve their goals more effectively.

"Ensuring that all of our people are fully engaged in the business and in our future growth will help us to become even more innovative and in turn successful. Employee ownership is not a new idea and many well-known businesses of all types have embraced it successfully. For our next chapter, we believe that it is the right choice and one that will help us to be a more inclusive and dynamic organisation.”