Overview

Keystone lawyers benefit from a huge range of facilities, paired with a highly experienced management team that truly understands lawyer needs and client demands. 

Our 70-strong Central Office team is there to offer an exceptional level of support and treats Keystone lawyers like the VIPs they are. Handling all our lawyers’ administration, compliance, IT, finance and marketing needs, the dedicated teams help Keystone maintain seamless cohesion across all its business’ operations. 

When our lawyers need additional fee earner assistance, Keystone’s collaborative culture regularly sees them working in teams, in order to provide the best possible service to clients. 

James Knight is the founder and CEO of Keystone Law.

 

Fiona retains an encyclopaedic knowledge of all of the lawyers at Keystone with instant recall, which means she is brilliant at finding the right people to work together
Ed John, Real Estate Litigation Partner

Community

Keystone is a cohesive law firm with an unparalleled sense of community where the firm’s lawyers work and play together; not just occasionally, but all the time, if they wish. Keystone lawyers know each other well and have excellent working relationships, unencumbered by internal politics. Our lawyers regularly refer client instructions to colleagues with complementary expertise. In fact, approximately 30% of client work at Keystone is cross-referred between lawyers. They also work in teams on matters that require a multi-disciplinary approach. 

Our vibrant and varied social programme includes lunches/dinners, award ceremonies, wine tastings, theatre/opera, sports teams and two firm-wide parties a year. All in all, there are over 50 events a year, entirely voluntary, but well-attended nonetheless. Skiing, cycling and horse-riding holidays are also arranged by various lawyer groups, with financial and branding support from Central Office. 

Keystone’s events programme fosters a strong culture of support and collaboration and creates a lively and enjoyable working environment. It is an integral part of life at Keystone and part of our DNA. 

A great deal of time and care is taken integrating new Keystone lawyers into the firm by way of a tailored induction programme that covers both the technological and the human sides of the business. This gives new lawyers an overview of our systems and processes and a knowledge of who to turn to for ongoing guidance. 

Our Community and Engagement team provides one-to-one support to integrate new joiners into the firm, introduce them to colleagues with complementary expertise and provide continuous support. The team’s role is about understanding each lawyer and their practice, and facilitating introductions to help lawyers find true partnerships with colleagues. 

The team is led by Fiona Severs, Director of Community & Engagement.

Junior Support

Keystone lawyers have access to high-calibre junior support, ranging from paralegals to junior associates who are employed by Keystone and colloquially known as COLs (Central Office Lawyers). Whether support is required on a major deal, or bundles need assembling for trial, the COLs are ready, willing and able to assist. 

The COLs invariably have previous experience at Top 100 law firms and are carefully selected to provide the right level of support to Keystone lawyers. 

The COL team is managed by our Senior Risk Lawyer, Mark Healing. 

Alternatively, Keystone lawyers may themselves recruit junior lawyers to support their thriving practices on an exclusive basis. These PAs and junior lawyers (including trainee solicitors) may be employed through our lawyers’ personal service companies and can significantly enhance a lawyer’s earning potential. Click here for our Team Calculator.

If you are a junior lawyer or paralegal looking for more information on joining the firm, please click here.

A responsive and diligent team which is always on hand and keen to help.
Tracy Sell-Peters, Health Litigation Partner
The Marketing team provides ongoing support from the moment you arrive and help you to grow your practice.
Johnny Drysdale, Residential Property Partner

Marketing and Business Development

Our experienced Marketing professionals deliver the marketing and business development support available at a conventional firm, and a whole lot more. Using passion and originality, the team provides tailored solutions that position each lawyer as a leader in their field. 

The Marketing Team produces bespoke brochures and tailored presentations; helps write thought-leadership pieces; offers advice on maximising social media presence including LinkedIn profiles; prepares compelling legal directory submissions; and assists with public appearances, including conference speeches, radio interviews and television appearances. 

Beginning the process well in advance of a new lawyer’s joining date, the Marketing Team works with the lawyer in question to showcase their move, their services and any supporting collateral in an exciting, sophisticated way. 

Director of Marketing & Business Development Kristina Oliver leads the team.

IT

Keystone’s IT infrastructure reflects the firm’s ethos by ensuring that, from the moment lawyers join the firm, they are equipped to work effectively and securely from any location, without restrictions on connectivity: our IT systems ensure security, while facilitating collaboration between lawyers. 

Our systems have been designed to be incredibly intuitive, and full IT training is given as part of the Keystone induction. Additionally, our friendly team of IT professionals is available 24/7 to help resolve any issues. 

Keystone’s administrative IT platform is called Keyed-In.  Keyed-In is an award-winning, custom-built intranet which is a one-stop-shop for everything from time recording to collaboration. The platform was built in-house using the latest development tools and incorporates clever technology that dramatically reduces the time our lawyers spend on administrative tasks. The vast majority of these tasks are then picked up by dedicated members of the Central Office team. 

Director of Technology & Innovation Maurice Tunney heads the team.

The best I have worked with. Maurice and his team seem to make improvements and tweaks on a regular basis, before the lawyers realise they need them.
Nadim Zaman, Corporate Partner
The Keystone Cashiers’ Team is incredibly helpful and friendly – they all work hard to make the financial side of property completions simple, safe and stress free.
Ian Cooke, High-Value Residential Property Partner

Finance

Keystone’s Finance team is there to support our lawyers’ every financial need. The team performs a similar function to that of a conventional law firm, but they do it with systems and processes that make life much easier for Keystone lawyers and their clients. Keystone’s custom-built systems enable client set-up and conflict checks to be completed in a matter of minutes, while complex client invoices can be produced with ease. 

When new Keystone lawyers join the firm, they are guided through the complete client lifecycle process, including how to set up a new client, record time and raise invoices. These steps are managed quickly and easily via our bespoke intranet, Keyed-In. 

The Finance team operates a structured credit control process, designed to improve the speed of cash collection without affecting the lawyer/client relationship, but lawyers retain the utmost flexibility as to when, what and how to charge each client. 

Ashley Miller heads up the Finance team. A PwC trained and qualified accountant, Ashley has spent his career establishing and managing international finance departments for SME businesses operating across the professional services sector, including leading law firms. 

Compliance

For Keystone lawyers, the days when they personally need to spend hours of valuable time on corporate governance and compliance are a thing of the past. 

The Compliance team provides expert guidance on anti-money laundering provisions, conflicts, client due diligence, legal practice and professional obligations, including continuous professional development. 

We understand that training and CPD form an essential part of all lawyers’ careers and try to make them enjoyable as well. We ensure that the sessions are highly focused and tailored to the needs of the practice areas; and they provide a valuable monthly opportunity to get together with colleagues and the Central Office team to share ideas and also to enjoy a sociable evening afterwards in the private bar. 

William Robins, our Director of Compliance & Operations, leads the team.

The assistance at Keystone goes well beyond anything I’ve very experienced in traditional firms. William and his team provide practical and legal solutions, and never just the usual “compliance says no” answer.
Nigel Forsyth, Employment Partner
I can always rely on the Admin team to deal with my requests promptly and efficiently. They really take pride in what they do.
Family Partner

Administration

The Administration team is dedicated to helping our lawyers with all their ad hoc administrative needs, freeing up lawyers’ time to focus their energies elsewhere. 

The team arranges printing, copying and scanning of documents, handles incoming and outgoing post, printing, booking couriers, archiving and organising document storage. 

We provide voice transcription software, and high-quality, round-the-clock secretarial and typing services. 

Our Office & Administration Manager Emma Millar heads the team.

Meeting Rooms

In the heart of London’s legal district, 48 Chancery Lane houses the Central Office support teams as well as 12 top-flight meeting rooms and a large Lawyer Centre.

The meeting rooms can be easily booked in real time through Keyed-In for as long as necessary. They have been designed and finished to the highest specifications and are well-serviced by a team of receptionists.

The Lawyer Centre includes 30 hot desks, telephone cabinets, document production facilities and permanent desks for those Keystone lawyers who choose to work there on a daily basis.