Alex Hatchman left Merseyside law firm Fletchers late last year after driving up revenues 40% to £45m in just 12 months and now she will take the helm at North West practice Napthens. Tony McDonough reports

Law firm Napthens has unveiled former Fletchers Solicitors chief executive Alex Hatchman as its new CEO.

In December, Southport-based Fletchers sent out a press release announcing Peter Haden, a former Oxfam executive, as its new chief executive. Just weeks earlier the firm had been acquired by US-based private equity outfit Sun European Partners.

However, the press release made no mention of Ms Hatchman, who had become the practice’s first CEO in October 2020. Under her leadership Fletchers has enjoyed a record financial performance, seeing its revenue rocket by 40% to more than £44.7m and pre-tax profit also soaring by 39% to almost £5.5m.

Now she will join Napthens as CEO on February 28 and brings a wealth of experience from different sectors, including retail and management consultancy. She has held senior roles at Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Accenture in the UK.  She has also worked internationally in a number of countries including Australia, Spain and the US.

After returning to the UK in 2016, Ms Hatchman joined Fletchers Solicitors, initially as a non-executive director and then shortly after, as the chief strategy and operations officer.  Her achievements were recognised by the Law Society in 2018 when she won the Excellence in Practice Management award.

She joins off the back of a successful year for the firm, with Napthens ahead of target and on track to exceed £17m revenue in 2022. The firm will also expand its footprint in Liverpool and build on the recent success of its corporate team, which in 2021 advised on over £600m value of deals.

Ms Hatchman will be working alongside the partners and Napthens leadership team to help the business accelerate growth in the North West and beyond. She said: “Napthens strength undoubtedly comes from its people.

“I have been fortunate to work with the firm previously, and the level of service, access to partners and the willingness of every team member, no matter their seniority, really impressed me.

“This willingness to work together and the existing company culture is something that really set Napthens apart, and something I’m keen to take to the next level.”

Napthens advises businesses in the North West and across the UK and has offices across Liverpool, Southport, Preston, Blackburn, Cumbria and the Fylde Coast.