Alt Legal expands the team

Heather Robertson and Alex Cooper took an unusual path to the conventional one of law degree to law school to law firm.

Alex studied Pharmacology before qualifying as a corporate lawyer, while Heather did a law degree, but spent many years as a project manager in the tech industry.

Alex joins from Clarion, where she gained years of experience supporting SMEs with buy outs, investments, acquisitions, and joint ventures.

Alex said: “I was really attracted to ALT Legal’s ethos and values. It has a refreshing approach to innovate the sector’s traditional models, coupled with a flexibility for working parents.”

Anna Ashford, Head of ALT Legal, said: “Heather and Alex’s diverse backgrounds accentuate ALT Legal’s commitment to a very different approach to problem solving. Heather’s role in particular will see her utilising those tech skills to bring new products, such as visual contracts, to life.”

Heather said: “After my experience in the more creative, disruptive tech sector before working in traditional law firms, it’s exciting to join a firm with such an innovative approach that isn’t fixated on billable hours. The subscription model gives breathing space to build genuine client relationships without them worrying about unexpected bills for every six-minute unit of advice.”

ALT Legal, founded almost 10 years ago by Richard Turner and Rob Ashall, remains committed to creating a 21st century law firm. Their aim is to draw back the curtain on what has often seemed a rather uptight, sometimes pretentious, and often baffling profession.

The founders insist that there is space for a law firm which can provide the same quality of advice, wrapped in a less formal and perhaps even irreverent approach, which better reflects the tone of voice and culture of many modern businesses.

The firm insists on explaining to clients the secrets behind the legalese, often pointing out the documents that a business doesn’t need, as well as seeking to streamline, automate and improve the ones they do.

Rob Ashall, founder of ALT Legal, said: “Just because we don’t take ourselves too seriously doesn’t mean we don’t take what we do seriously. Our lawyers, as proven by the recent hires of Alex and Heather, are first rate – they just feel the same as we do, that law is a tool to help businesses. It doesn’t need to be the business prevention unit.”

Since 2021, when ALT Legal was relaunched as a spin-out from Alpaca, Anna Ashford has led the day-to-day operations. Her prominence on LinkedIn has brought the firm a legion of loyal followers who appreciate this alternative approach to law.

According to Anna, the change is being driven by clients: “What we hear most often from clients is that they want us to go further. They’re crying out for contracts which make sense to somebody who isn’t legally trained. They want to see visual contracts, automation, and efficiency. They love that we communicate with them in plain English using tools like Slack. It’s really not rocket science but it seems to be a gap in the market.”

With over 250 active clients, most on some form of subscription, and including some heavyweight high street names in the mix, it’s clear that the approach is working.

About ALT Legal

ALT Legal, based in Wetherby, focuses on commercial business law for SMEs. With a subscription fee model and a distinctive human-centric approach, the firm challenges traditional perceptions of law firms. ALT Legal’s commitment to proactive legal support, innovation, and disruption underscores its dedication to fostering client business growth, minimizing risk, and reshaping the legal landscape.