FEATURE: LEGAL SERVICES Taking the world by storm If ever a firm has flown under the radar in Plymouth, Portcullis Legals is it. Until now.


Despite being launched almost 30 years ago, it is only in the past 18 months that Portcullis Legals has come to prominence. The Founder and CEO Trevor Worth, having completed his MBA at the University of Exeter in 2015, decided to use that experience with a transformative approach to overhaul the business to reflect new distribution channels, embrace new technology and business models and to begin fostering the next generation of young talent to eventually take over the reins. “We could hardly call ourselves a


succession planning business if we didn’t look at this for ourselves,” said Trevor. “We have helped thousands of businesses, families and individuals over the past three decades plan for their families, so it made perfect sense to start bringing on new talent.” An impressive array of awards in


the past 18 months, including The National Corporate Livewire Award for Excellence and Innovation in Estate Planning, The Herald Business Award for Innovation 2017 and The Herald Small Business of the Year 2016 and a further shortlisting for Boutique Firm of the Year in London awaits. “We have been


all about innovation since I completed the One Planet MBA because it is crystal clear that firms all of shapes and sizes simply cannot continue down the same path they are on now. We are at the beginning on the fourth Industrial Revolution and technology is challenging, replacing and in most cases, enhancing the way we all operate,” said Trevor. “Of course there will be casualties along the way, but technology needs to be embraced in order to hopefully deliver better service levels and better value for customers and other stakeholders. The law can be a dusty, staid, dull world as we all know and we are striving to bring a bit of colour to it by specialising in a niche field, and offering customers a better way of engaging with us.” Portcullis launched their second


revolutionary retail ‘Law Store’ concept in May in Plymouth (complete with Stormtroopers on Star Wars Day) and both outlets are doing great business by


18 Chamber Profile July/August 2017


‘We want to be seen as a


highly qualified, innovative and


customer friendly company’


offering


customers appointments from


8am to 8pm, guaranteed fixed fees and a


friendly, customer centric service as reflected in their five-star Google Reviews. Trevor said: “We want to be seen


as a highly qualified, innovative and customer friendly company that offers great value and so far the feedback has been tremendous in terms of customer comments and with great humility, the awards we have picked up along the way.” For almost 27 years over 96% of


the business came from professional partners that Trevor had built up across the region from IFA’s, Accountants and Solicitor practices. Portcullis still works closely with the best of breed IFA practices in the area and with a soon to be launched new business model for IFA’s through their groundbreaking Estate Planning Academy too.


“We just wanted to change the


way we attracted new customers by also offering a dynamic, retail direct to public offering”, said Trevor, “without diminishing our professional partners model, and in fact we are now enhancing that partnership model.” Recognised as one of only ten


people in Plymouth to hold the full STEP qualification, the global gold standard for trusts and estate planning professionals, Trevor is committed to investing in his team, with two colleagues taking their STEP examinations shortly and one completing the same MBA that Trevor holds. “It is critical to invest in


education for your team, and we fund that completely as a commitment to each individual and it pays dividends. We also believe in giving opportunities to our apprentices from City College, and to building long term relationships with firms of all sizes across the region whether that is to advising


Trevor Worth, CEO of Portcullis Legal, at the opening of the firm’s second ‘Law Store’


them on their own wills, trusts and estate planning or for engaging their services. I have been very fortunate to travel the world in the past few years, having being invited to attend prominent events at places like Google HQ in Toronto, and to meet some inspirational business and thought leaders who are helping innovate on a daily basis in all sectors. We are learning from that and applying it in our business and I share that with the universities and other businesses through lecturing and consultancy too. “I am so proud of my team and


how they embrace our Portcullis DNA and long may that continue. With all the huge debates in the past year about Probate Fees, the Residential Nil Rate Band and Business Powers of Attorney, we are well placed to advise business owners as to how to look after their hard earned businesses properly as estate planning is all we do. Specialist niche advice, delivered by a great team of people.”


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