Qualifying as a Commercial Litigation solicitor in 1990 at Pannone in Manchester, Simon’s role evolved from fee-earner into a wider role – Head of various teams, Marketing Partner, Director of Business Development, Equity Partner, and part of the Management Team at the 1000 people, £50m turnover firm.
In 2007, Simon became Managing Partner at a full-service Top 200, £6m turnover law firm in Oxford, Darbys Solicitors. The firm made a trading loss in 2007 but after going a long way backwards – and during the Credit Crunch – the firm emerged to be the country’s fastest-growing law firm.
In 2016, Darbys was acquired by Knights and Simon exited to form McCrum Consulting and the McCrum Training Academy, to help the business performance and growth of law firms, teams, and lawyers. Simon helps partners, teams, and firms to secure ongoing growth in a safe, sustainable way. As well as the “mechanical” improvements that can be implemented (though in a joined-up way) Simon focuses on the “magic ingredient” – the power of leadership.
He has pulled all of this together into a model which he calls ‘The Perfect Legal Business’ out of which has flowed his Law Firm Management & Growth trilogy – “The Perfect Legal Business”, “The Perfect Lawyer”, and new in 2025, “The Perfect Partner”, a seminal work on leadership and on the role of partners in law firms. These books have sold thousands of copies in over 50 countries and Simon is invited to speak on these topics around the world.
Further information about Simon and his work can be accessed at his website at www.mccrum.legal