Arbor Law Appoints First Managing Partner

Why It Matters

By installing a dedicated managing partner, Arbor Law aims to accelerate its commercial performance and broaden its market share in the competitive legal‑tech space, signaling a maturation of the boutique consultancy model.

Key Takeaways

• Sahar Farooqi becomes Arbor Law’s first managing partner.
• Farooqi previously served as chief transformation officer for eight months.
• Arbor Law has ~30 consultants, 13 SRAs, rest freelancers.
• Firm targets FTSE 100 clients across disputes, tech, and commercial contracts.
• Competitors include Obelisk Support, Pierpoint, and Flex Legal.

Pulse Analysis

The legal services market has seen a surge of boutique firms that blend traditional expertise with a consultancy‑style delivery. Arbor Law, launched in 2019, epitomises this hybrid approach, offering agile advice on disputes, employment, IT, media and commercial contracts while operating with a flexible workforce of consultants and freelancers. Until now the three founders shared leadership, a structure that limited strategic focus. Appointing Sahar Farooqi as the firm’s first managing partner signals a decisive move toward centralized governance, enabling faster decision‑making and a clearer growth trajectory.

Farooqi brings a rare combination of courtroom experience and transformation leadership. After a stint as chief transformation officer at Arbor Law, he previously drove change at offshore powerhouse Harneys and founded the consultancy Legalencia in 2025. His background in commercial litigation, arbitration and mediation, coupled with senior roles at DAC Beachcroft and DWF, equips him to expand Arbor’s client base among FTSE 100 corporations seeking sophisticated procurement, outsourcing and joint‑venture counsel. Under his stewardship, the firm is likely to convert its consultant pool—currently 13 registered solicitors and the rest freelancers—into a more cohesive service platform.

The appointment arrives as larger firms and legal‑tech platforms intensify competition for high‑value corporate work. Rivals such as Obelisk Support, Pierpoint and Flex Legal are also scaling agile models, forcing Arbor Law to differentiate through leadership depth and operational excellence. A dedicated managing partner can sharpen the firm’s brand, attract top talent, and leverage data‑driven insights to improve pricing and delivery speed. If successful, Arbor’s evolution could inspire other boutique consultancies to adopt similar governance structures, reshaping the landscape of flexible, high‑quality legal services.