Bott and Co completes transition to employee ownership
After more than 25 years in business, Bott and Co has become 100% employee owned.
Selling the firm to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) has been planned for a long time and is a carefully considered strategic next step in our journey, designed to protect the independence, culture and long-term future of the business.
Since the firm was founded in 2001, by Paul Hinchliffe, David Bott and Gary Froggatt, Bott and Co has grown into one of the UK’s leading consumer law firms. Over that period, the business played a part in a number of important areas of access to justice for consumers. We are proud to have taken all the leading cases on flight delay law to the Court of Appeal, taken the leading case on protecting a solicitors lien to the Supreme Court and being one of the few firms continuing to support injured people who have a low value road traffic collision injury claim.
Bott and Co has been built upon our people caring deeply about supporting consumers who are often vulnerable seeking redress for the situation they have been placed in through no fault of their own.
For the founders, the move to 100% employee ownership protects the cultural fabric of the firm, ensures there is continuity of the approach to delivering a high-class customer service and is part of a considered long-term succession plan. Over the coming years the founders will gradually step back from the day-to-day running of the firm and hand over responsibility to a strong new management team who are keen to grow the business. This provides the business with stability, continuity and a focus on ensuring there is a sustainable business in the long-term for the benefit of our clients, partners and all colleagues. Moving to a wholly owned employee ownership structure also allows the business to recognise the contribution of the people who have helped build the business gives them a different and more tangible interest in the long-term fortunes of the business and continuing to deliver on our commitments to our clients and partners.
Most importantly, the purpose of the firm remains unchanged: to help wronged consumers understand and enforce their rights, and to do so in a way that is professional, fair and customer-focused.
Employee ownership is not the end of that story. It is but the start of the next chapter, and one we believe gives Bott and Co the best possible foundation for the future, for the benefit of our  clients, partners and colleagues.