M&A
Garvins Law, a Manchester firm specialising in credit hire litigation, has secured a £2m funding package to support a management buyout (MBO) by principal Neil Garvin, who has become sole shareholder. The funding was provided by Harbour Credit and includes a £1m working capital facility. The firm was founded in 2007 and acquired by the EDAM Group in 2016. EDAM went into administration in January 2025, though Garvins Law itself remained solvent throughout and continued to operate with the support of its then ultimate shareholder. During the administration period, Garvins was used by the joint administrators and EDAM's lender to recover money owed to the group. As that recoveries work has diminished, Garvins has built a new client base across credit hire organisations. Accounts for the year to 31 March 2026 showed turnover more than doubling to £2.5m and a return to profit of £125,000 from a £200,000 loss the prior year. The buyout price was not disclosed. Garvin described the transaction as an opportunity to grow the firm's relationships across the credit hire and accident management sectors, with the firm currently employing 22 people.
Why this matters
This MBO illustrates how legal services consolidation in specialist niche practices is attracting litigation finance capital, with Harbour Credit backing a firm whose core work sits at the intersection of insurance, personal injury reform, and consumer credit regulation. The credit hire sector has generated litigation all the way to the UK Supreme Court, and the recent introduction of a binding ADR (alternative dispute resolution) scheme under the GTA (General Terms of Agreement) for invoices under £10,000 is restructuring where and how disputes resolve. The PE-backed consolidation of rival Canford Law signals that external capital is now active in this niche, increasing competitive pressure on independent firms like Garvins.
On the Ground
The MBO structure activates corporate finance, banking, and litigation finance practice areas: drafting the share purchase documentation, negotiating the working capital facility with Harbour Credit, and advising on professional regulatory requirements around change of ownership of a law firm. The SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) change of control notification process is a key compliance step. A trainee might prepare Companies House filing forms, assist with the facility agreement schedules for the Harbour Credit loan, and draft board minutes approving the transaction.
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