In March 2015 LGSS Law Ltd was one of the first companies owned by Non-Lawyers as an ‘Alternative Business Structure’ (ABS). On 1st April 2015, the firm was created, wholly owned by Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire County Councils. In April 2016 Central Bedfordshire Council joined LGSS Law Ltd as its third local authority owner.
Fast forward 8 years, LGSS Law Ltd has been rebranded and Pathfinder Legal Services Ltd created. Currently owned by Cambridgeshire County Council and Central Bedfordshire Council, the firm maintains its love of supporting local authority and public sector organisations with a wider shareholder base.
Our roots are in the provision of legal services to local authorities and a significant proportion of our work remains within this sector. However, our client base has grown to include more than 100 Organisations across the public and not-for-profit sectors including Local Authorities, Children’s Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, Foundation Trusts, Charities and Police and Fire Services.
It’s an exciting time for Pathfinder Legal Services Ltd , and we continue to respond to the growing demand for legal services in the public sector. We offer a variety of options to local authority and public sector organisations looking to engage with Pathfinder Legal Services Ltd from a pay as you go arrangement to a partnership agreement up to joining as a shareholder of the company. We are always happy to talk to any organisation on finding an arrangement which is suitable for you.
Keen to find out more about Pathfinder Legal Services Ltd? We would be delighted to visit you and explain in more detail how our services work and the different ways in which we can engage with many Organisations. Visit our contact page for full details.
Our vision
To provide high-quality legal support to the public sector.
Our purpose
Through effective relationships and mutual trust, to provide our clients with the best legal outcomes for them with as much certainty of cost as possible, and to help them anticipate emerging and future needs for legal services.
Our Values:-
We are:
- Proactive
- Perceptive
- Productive
- Professional
- Partnership Focussed
Our commitment to quality
As part of our commitment to providing a quality assured service, Pathfinder Legal Services Ltd has been awarded the Law Society’s LEXCEL quality assurance standard which is only awarded to organisations who meet the highest management and customer care standards.
What benefits does Pathfinder Legal Services Ltd offer?
Pathfinder Legal Services Ltd can deliver benefits as follows:
For Clients
- Access to a large team of local government legal experts.
- An aim to provide the best legal outcomes for clients.
- Cost-effective pricing compared to private sector law firms.
- Cost certainty (or regular updates on pricing) to enable effective financial management.
- Ability to instruct on ad hoc matters or on a regular basis.
- Providing an extension to an in-house legal team at an attractive cost.
- Arrangements to suit (including secondment and placement).
For Employees
- Great variety of work, allowing employees to be involved in a variety of workstreams or to develop
- Expertise in a particular area.
- Close working with clients to advise on and develop practice improvements within their service beyond just case handling.
- Flexible working arrangements and a friendly working environment.
- Competitive salaries which attract experienced and talented individuals.
- Excellent training opportunities to allow staff to develop and grow.
For Shareholders
In addition to the benefits offered to Clients (set out above) Shareholders will also get the following benefits:-
- Partnership working, providing legal advice plus added benefits (including advice on service improvement, briefing notes etc)
- Having a legal team based “in-house” in Shareholder offices.
- Regular meetings with Heads of Service to discuss service improvement and case planning.
- Management information to assist with service and budget planning.
- Cost-effective pricing (at a preferential rate).
- Attendance at shareholder meetings and a place on the firm’s Board to help develop and shape the company.