Prime Highlights
- Flex Legal appoints Rachel Murphy as chief executive, with Kate Gaskell returning as chief operating officer.
- Murphy joins from Lawyers on Demand, part of Consilio, after five years as managing director.
Key Facts
- Flex Legal employs 40 people across London and Manchester on-demand legal roles.
- More than 120 people have completed the firm’s Flex Trainee social mobility scheme.
Background
Flex Legal, an alternative legal services provider headquartered in London, has appointed Rachel Murphy as chief executive, while Kate Gaskell returns to her previous role as chief operating officer. The move separates the two responsibilities as the company enters its next phase of growth.
Murphy joins from Lawyers on Demand, part of Consilio, where she spent five years as managing director overseeing growth across the UK and Europe. She joined the firm in 2015 following a role as client relationship manager at law firm Olswang.
Murphy said she feels excited to join Gaskell and the wider team at a business she has long admired for its human-centred approach and its impact on legal careers, adding that the fast-evolving legal industry makes this an exciting time to help shape future talent.
Gaskell will focus on executing the company’s long-term strategy and supporting its continued development. She called leading Flex through a period of strong growth a privilege, noting the team has built a platform for further scale and momentum across its business lines. She said separating the two roles is the right step as the company grows, and that she looks forward to working with Murphy to build on what has been achieved.
Founded a decade ago, Flex Legal employs 40 people across London and Manchester, providing businesses and law firms with on-demand legal professionals. It also runs a social mobility programme for aspiring lawyers and company secretaries from under-represented backgrounds, with more than 120 people completing its Flex Trainee scheme.
The leadership changes follow Flex Legal being named New Law Business of the Year at The Lawyer Awards and gaining recognition in Chambers and Partners’ New Law Guide.
