Napthens

Napthens advises businesses and private clients from its head office on Winckley Square in Preston and from offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Blackburn, Kendal, Lytham and Southport. Its business teams cover corporate and commercial, commercial property, employment and litigation. For individuals it handles wills, trusts and probate, residential conveyancing and family law. The firm says it has 31 partners and more than 300 colleagues.

Stephen Faulkner is managing director and sits on both the board and the executive committee. Jonathan Fox is non-executive chairman. The group also includes Afterathena, which provides legal services and health and safety consultancy to commercial and private clients. Napthens LLP was incorporated at Companies House in 2007.

Turnover up 19%

The group accounts for the year to 31 March 2025, filed at Companies House in January 2026, show turnover of £26.9m, up from £22.6m the year before. Operating profit rose from £3.5m to £6.5m. The group employed an average of 288 people, excluding members: 145 legal executives and 143 support staff.

Top Tier in the North West

In the Legal 500 UK 2027 guide Napthens holds four Top Tier rankings, the firm said in October 2026: commercial litigation in the North West, agriculture and estates, corporate and commercial in the North West, and commercial property in the North West. The guide also ranks its Liverpool corporate and commercial and commercial litigation teams and names it a Firm to Watch for family and for personal tax, trusts and probate, eight practice areas in all, with 13 lawyers individually ranked.

In October 2026 the firm was again shortlisted for Mid-Size Law Firm of the Year at the North West Business Insider Dealmakers Awards. Its real estate team was shortlisted at the Insider Property Awards 2026, the third year in a row.

For owner-managed businesses, landowners and families across the North West, Napthens offers Top Tier commercial teams with offices from Kendal to Liverpool. In September 2026 five of its trainees qualified as solicitors and took permanent roles at the firm.