About us

Awarded 2021 Most Innovative Corporate Law Firm London by Corporate Today Magazine Global Business Awards

 

illume was founded in January 2017 by Kate Partridge and Michelle Harris, two former City lawyers who could see that New Law had much to offer the world of corporate transactions. They believed the legal profession needed a shake up – for the benefit of both clients and lawyers alike.

At illume we use the latest technology and flexible working practices to deliver the very best service for our clients and the optimum work/ life balance for our lawyers.

Our lawyers combine technical brilliance with commercial acumen – we understand that clients don’t want their lawyers to just recite the law to them at their expense, they want their lawyers to work in partnership with them and to become part of their team as trusted business advisors. Many of our clients have been with us for a long time and our lawyers have become their indispensable “external, in-house counsel.

illume’s lawyers are all consultants, entrepreneurs in their own right. They understand business, because they run their own.

All our lawyers are at least 15 years PQE (post qualification experience), meaning your work will never be passed down to an inexperienced junior (which invariably leads to increased fees and a lack of commerciality on transactions). 

Our flexible business model allows us to provide City quality advice and experience without the City price tag. We understand that price transparency is absolutely key for our clients. At illume there will never be any nasty surprises on fees.

Put simply, we are the very best bits of a City law firm but our clients don’t have to contend with lawyers trying to meet their billable hours targets, the City law firm overheads or the antiquated structure.

We are illume.

Illume Legal