Liverpool city region legal group MAPD, which includes Jackson Lees and Bermans, sees pre-tax losses widen to £8.3m as it bears the significant one-off costs of its expansion and integration strategy. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool city region legal group MAPD has secured a new financing agreement with its lender as it continues its expansion strategy.

Wirral-based MAPD, which includes well-known Liverpool legal brands Jackson Lees and Bermans, has posted its accounts for the 18 months to November 30, 2025, on Companies House. The accounting period was extended from its previous May 31 end.

They show a 70% increase in revenues to £57.5m but pre-tax losses widening to £8.3m from £2.6m in the previous year. Individually both Jackson Lees and Bermans reported strong performances.

Jackson Lees saw a 62% increase in revenues to £22.9m while pre-tax profits more than doubled to £3.3m. Bermans reported a 77% increase in revenue to £13.8m with pre-tax profits rising significantly from £1.08m to £2.4m. Both are also 18-month accounting periods.

In its annual report MAPD joint owner Brian Cullen said the business “continued to incur one-off costs associated with transaction activity, refinancing work, acquisition integration and the development of essential functions”.

MAPD was set up in 2019 by Brian Cullen and Joanna Kingston-Davies. Brian has a 60% controlling stake in the business. Its registered address is Hoylake in Wirral. It now operates 11 brands across 15 UK offices employing more than 530 people.

Brian and Joanna have considered private equity investment to fuel the firm’s appetite for growth. That remains a possibility but a potential deal didn’t come to pass and, for the moment, MAPD says its renewed debt facility with Shard Credit Partners is sufficient for its current phase of growth.

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“The strategic direction is now clear: to move from a collection of strong local firms into a more integrated, purpose-led national legal services group which remains local and relationships-led at the front end, but increasingly common, consistent and scalable behind the scenes,” added Brian.

He also said: “This is an important stage in the group development… (there is) clear evidence that MAPD is worth more than the sum of its individual firms.”