It’s been a day of rapid insurance results news, but when specialist insurance law firm Horwich Farrelly reported its own figures it was some other notes that caught the eye.
That’s because the firm has decided to close its claimant arm, known as Zest Legal, to new business. The arm provided support for not-at-fault claimants – but now Horwich Farrelly states it needs to “focus on defended litigation expertise and its specialisms in large and catastrophic loss, counter fraud and costs management.”
“Our claimant business has its origins in the very early history of the firm but is no longer consistent with our strategy nor with the aspirations of our key clients,” explained John O’Roarke, the company’s chairman. “This arm of our business will therefore be run-down in an orderly manner and our colleagues who work in it will be redeployed into new roles in defendant and operational activities.”
Meanwhile, the company reported a 15% increase in turnover – reaching £39 million. However, it is looking to gain more efficiencies going forward.
“Horwich Farrelly has gained a reputation for providing our insurer clients with innovative and bold defences against fraud and litigation,” continued John O’Roarke. “The challenge now is to ensure we continue to ‘fight the good fight’ while delivering our services as efficiently and competitively as possible. With our in-depth expertise in all aspects of insurance defendant litigation, our national network of offices and our long-term strategic partnering model, I am confident that we will see continued strong growth in our business in the years that lie ahead.”
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