Watch the interview with Matt Hudson produced by Influence Media.
Written by Tim Goodfellow
Digital innovation has entered all streams of industry and all sectors are ripe for disruption. It’s one of the reasons C4DI exists.
Law is one such sector and Matt Hudson, founder of Ancora Law, recognised this.
Ancora Law started as a one-man commercial property solicitors firm wanting to do things differently and embrace technology to provide a better service.
It’s proven to be a success and along with the help of C4DI’s community and prestige, Ancora has since grown into a team of four with plans to expand further.
We chatted to Matt about the story so far.
Disruption within law
After working in larger law firms for many years, Matt Hudson had an urge to start his own venture, feeling there was “a better way of doing things through the use of IT”.
“Traditional law firms are quite expensive to run. We've tried to flip a lot of the usual expenses - your secretaries, accounts clerks etc. - by bringing in IT substitutes, which frees us up to spend more time with the client and give them better customer service. And from a management perspective it's a lot easier to run.”
The usual draws of starting your own business were there too. “I get excited about work [now] because I know that every bit of effort that I put in directly improves the firm.” By prioritising the use of digital tools, he’s been able to create a fee-earning team who can provide personal service and quick turnaround times.
Matt looked to the world of tech and other startups to get “as clued up as possible on an area that you don't necessarily get to learn about when you're in a large firm like I was.” He then set up a base in C4DI’s own co-working space.
Ainsley, Luiza and Matt from Ancora on Humber Street.
How tech helps Ancora do what they do
Cloud computing is the main thing Ancora have invested in, and Matt was keen to bring in the best tech from the outset.
Through research they landed on a legaltech program called Leap. This is “a case management system that replicates what a secretary would do. We've got systems in place that will automatically draft documentation for us. We collate lots and lots of information, lots of data, which all goes into the system and creates letters and more…”
“The possibilities it provides, and the unlocking of time is just amazing. It really allows us to concentrate on our clients.”
And this is what it’s all about for Matt. Customer service. It’s where they can stand out from the crowd.
“It's at the forefront of what we do. It's very hard to distinguish yourself from other firms in the city. All solicitors are meant to know what they’re doing. You know, we're all meant to have a law degree and train for a few years. That's a given.”
“So, what distinguishes you is how much service you give to the client. Unfortunately, we [solicitors] get bogged down in various tasks. So, the technology takes away that burden and we can then concentrate and give that service back to the client.”
A growing reputation
This focus is paying off. Not only has the team grown but they’re building a good reputation. They’ve moved out of the co-working space on the ground floor up to their own office on the third floor.
“We’re still in the infancy stage as a firm. But we've started from having no clients at all and now we're starting to get a real reputation in the city. People are starting to take notice of what we're doing.”
That’s respect from satisfied clients and other firms. Matt knows how important it is to get on well with other law firms and solicitors in the area and beyond, such is the collaborative nature of the work.
Part of that respect may come from sticking to one area, which in this case is property. Matt has no intention of changing that. “There's a bit of kudos in saying our firm is a specialist.”
They have expanded their offering slightly, from initially focusing on commercial property to looking at residential too, with the addition of Ainsley Sykes to the team. He brought residential expertise and a host of new clients and the team also includes paralegals Luiza Szczepanska and Ollie Gillyon.
“It's pivotal to have that great team around you. I was adamant at the start of Ancora law to not make it about me. You’ll see a lot of firms with the second name of the main solicitor, and I decided that that wasn't the way forward. I made the firm the brand, rather than me.” Matt says this has enabled him to create a more successful and long-lasting brand that attracts talent for what they offer, not who they’re working for.
The importance of innovation
One of those things is that sense of being a bit different and having a disruptive edge. Of course, being ‘disruptors’ or ‘rebels’ are buzzwords that already exist in the legal sector and Matt is keen for this not to be the focus.
Rather, that should be getting the job done for their clients. But he does accept that some of that ethos has made its way into the firm.
“If you don't take notice of the innovation that's happening in law you will fall behind. And a lot of firms will. Our clients expect a lot more now. They want to feel like they're the only client in the world.”
The only way to service these clients in the right way is by bringing in the latest technology and streamlining key processes.
Ancora also has a modern working environment that does away with some of the old-fashioned tropes of a solicitor’s office. “We have an open plan office, there's no closed-door policy. We all work in one big room and if anyone's got a problem, they can come and talk to us. In days gone by if you had a problem in a law firm, you would have to get on with it and hope that you might get a senior partner to glance over your problem. That's not how we want to work. We share files, we work on files together.” This also keeps good people in the business and makes them more likely to attract new talent.
Why C4DI?
Moving to C4DI always made sense. As a centre for tech innovation, it was attractive, but the community side of things and a superb team on reception made it even more appealing.
“There’s a great atmosphere and Tina’s a great receptionist and helps us a lot on a day to day basis.”
“I came to C4DI mainly because it created a talking point. It’s at the heart of the bustling new area of Hull. Clients say ‘Oh, where are you?’ ‘We're at C4DI’ ‘oh that's near Nibble’ ‘yeah that’s the one’, and it creates a conversation straight away. We could have picked numerous office spaces throughout the city but what they don't do is create that little bit of buzz.”
“It also distinguished us as a new startup. They spot us straightaway. People know where we are, and we wouldn’t move for that reason.”
The future
“I’m really excited to see where the firm can go. I think it's got limitless potential at the moment. We could have a firm of 25 employees, very quickly, although we're limiting the growth to be organic. You don't want to grow too quickly.”
With the economy in 2022 not being in the rudest health, any reasonable business would have some concerns about their future. Indeed, where the property sector will be this time next year is anyone’s guess.
But for Ancora, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
“In the last week, we've had four or five instructions per day, which is totally opposite from what we read in the papers. I have a lot of clients who are saying to me that they are waiting for the crash and then they're going to spend a lot of money. We're lucky enough to have a lot of those clients who still want to do these transactions. It's going to be an interesting time. I don't think anybody really knows what's going to happen because nobody is predicting what's happening right now. Everyone is expecting a crash and we seem to be getting more work than you can shake a stick at. And that's just what we can report on.”
It’s looking alright for Ancora. Where there’s property being bought, sold, and developed, solicitors are needed.
With the reputation they’re building, they should have plenty of clients heading their way. Embracing the future has paid off for this law firm.