SJ Interview: Karl Jansen

Karl Jansen is the Managing Partner of Freeths, having been at the firm for over 34 years. He took on the role in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic as the firm announced a new senior management team to succeed the longstanding but soon to be retiring Chairman, Colin Flanagan. Prior to taking up his current role, Karl was a corporate lawyer for more than 25 years, latterly as National Head of the Firm’s Corporate Department, and is listed as a Recommended Lawyer and recognised in the Hall of Fame in The Legal 500 (2025 edition) in Corporate and Commercial. The Hall of Fame highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence.

Karl is also a recognised lawyer for Corporate Finance Law in the 2025 edition of 'The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom'.

In his leadership role, and working alongside Senior Partner Philippa Dempster, he is responsible for strategically guiding the firm to achieve continued success and growth.

And so far, Karl has not disappointed. In his first 4 year term as Managing Partner, he has led the firm to consecutive year-on-year double-digit financial growth, increasing turnover from £100m in 2020 to more than £145m last year, an average annual turnover growth of more than 10%. 

As a top 50 firm, Karl’s vision has been to expand into new practice areas as well as achieve significant organic growth through new hires and branching out into new regions with key office openings. The most recent being the launch of Freeths’ Glasgow in 2023, marking its first office outside of England.

Under Karl’s strong leadership and direction, the business’s recent achievements culminated in winning Law Firm of the Year at the prestigious Legal Business Awards 2024, beating off stiff competition.

Having spent his last five years bolstering the firm’s reputation, revenue and reach, Karl has been witness to some of Freeths’ most high-profile work such as Mr Bates Vs The Post Office. Led by its National Head of Dispute Resolution James Hartley, the firm has been advising sub-postmasters affected by the Post Office scandal since the team represented the original 555 postmasters in the landmark High Court victory. The case was instrumental in exposing what is now known as ‘Britain’s biggest miscarriage of justice’.

Now relied upon by high profile clients including Centrica PLC, ENGIE, Aldi, Mercedes-Benz UK, Tarmac, Travis Perkins, and Lloyds Bank, the firm was recently awarded B Corporation (B Corp) certification in 2024, demonstrating its dedication and commitment to complying with high standards of environmental and social impact and governance.

In this interview with Solicitor’s Journal, after being re-elected last year for a second four-year term, Karl provides key insights into the firm’s strategic expansion and its outlook for the next five years whilst discussing his ambitions for Freeths to become the leading UK national law firm.

What were some pivotal moments or influences that guided your career trajectory from corporate lawyer to Managing Partner? 

From the outset, I was inspired by our former Senior Partner, Ian Payne, who recruited me into the firm as an NQ, and set the tone for the growth and success of the firm over the following 30 years. The support, encouragement and guidance of our previous CEO and subsequently Chair of more than 20 years, Colin Flanagan, also played an instrumental part in guiding me.

I also had the opportunity to lead our national corporate team through a period of significant growth, which really helped develop my leadership skills. 

Freeths’ success in achieving the important milestone of £100m revenue in 2020, and the firm’s unabated ambition to be recognised as the UK’s leading national firm, also stand out for me.

As Managing Partner, how have you navigated the balance between maintaining the firm's established traditions and driving change? 

By never forgetting the importance of engagement, consultation and communication so that we are always working towards bringing our people with us. Since taking on my role, we have introduced regular firmwide briefings and townhall meetings, and we have recently completed a firmwide consultation as part of our strategy review as we formulate our next 5-year strategy. 

 Another aspect is making sure that our people embrace, rather than resist, change, but at the same time not trying to change too much too quickly, particularly when it’s not a case of a burning platform but always striving for continuous improvement.

I think it’s also important to always be mindful of the capacity for change, alongside the demands of everyone’s ‘day job’, and maintain a clear focus on making sure that, while improving and professionalising our business, we continue to retain the very best of our special culture.

Tell us a bit more about your own practice. Is there a particularly rewarding case or project you’ve worked on at Freeths? 

I’m no longer practising as a corporate lawyer, although I do still lead some of our key client relationships. That was a really important thing to me when I took on this role because it’s something I really enjoy, and I have invested a lot in those relationships over the years and so they are personal as well as business relationships. I also think it’s an important aspect of someone in my position staying in touch with what’s happening at the coalface, even if I am no longer ‘on the tools’.

During my time as a corporate lawyer, there were many corporate deals that I was proud of, and amongst them all one of the most challenging and demanding, but ultimately rewarding, was the merger of the UK operations of Lafarge and Tarmac. It required a huge team effort and was still quite early on in a client relationship which now spans over 15 years.

More latterly, our work in supporting Travis Perkins on the divestments of their Wickes and plumbing and heating businesses were great projects to be involved in, and demonstrated how far we had come as a firm since I joined Freeth Cartwright 30 years before as only the second corporate lawyer!   

What inspires you the most in the legal sector / what has been your primary motivation in your career?

The diligence, dedication and commitment of our lawyers in delivering excellent results for our clients, from the biggest corporate clients to individual private clients, never ceases to inspire me. Our fantastic work on the Post Office miscarriage of justice case is the highest profile example of us going above and beyond for our clients, but I’m really proud that we’re doing that for so many clients every day. 

It’s a privilege to work with really talented people with a shared passion and ambition to build a leading law firm through building long term and trusted relationships with clients who really value our support and commitment. 

A personal highlight is seeing people develop and progress, through from junior to senior roles, and achieving their personal goals and objectives. I hope that my own career progression with the firm, from NQ to Head of Corporate and now Managing Partner, will help inspire others who aspire to senior leadership positions.

Balancing a demanding leadership role with personal life is no small feat. What strategies do you employ to maintain this balance, and what advice would you offer to others in similar high-pressure positions?

First and foremost, I have a very supportive (and long suffering!) wife.

That apart, I couldn’t do this job without the great people around me. The managing partner role could be a lonely place, but we have a very supportive and collaborative culture, and I always know that I am surrounded by many talented and experienced people who recognise the pressures and demands of my role and are only too happy to help.

It’s important not to lose sight of what’s really important, never assume you have all the answers, and make the most of the support, experience and best qualities of those around you.

So my advice is to try to be open, honest, genuine and humble. You might be in the ‘top job’, but you’re still just one of the team. Which ties into my final point - build a network of your peers in other firms. There’s a lot we can learn from each other – and there’s often an element of mutual therapy!

What are the key trends and challenges you foresee in the legal sector over the next five-ten years, and how might Freeths address them?

New technology and innovation, most obviously Gen AI, is going to transform the way legal services are delivered. So we need to be on the front foot – by making sure we engage and train our people, and identify the right products for our business, which will bring efficiencies for us and our clients, alongside the expertise, insight and judgement that clients will still value from their lawyers.

As well as this, there’s the continuing war for the best talent. We need to continue to set ourselves apart, not just in terms of our culture and ambition, but also by our commitment to the things that really matter to our people, clients and communities, including all things ESG. Our recent success in being BCorp certified, the largest law firm to achieve that, is a real commitment and statement on our part, and reflects everything we’re doing as a socially responsible business. 

What strategies have you found most effective in fostering a cohesive and motivated team across Freeths' multiple offices? Any leadership insights?

Regular and effective communication and engagement are crucial, to ensure our people feel involved, heard and connected, and know about all the great things that we’re doing and achieving.

Part of this engagement is having a clear vision and strategy so that all our people know what we’re aspiring to and the important part that they can play.

On a personal level, one of the best and most enjoyable aspects of my job is travelling around our 13 offices and talking to as many people as I can. That’s the only way of being really in touch with what’s happening around our business, as well as hopefully helping people to feel part of a successful and growing firm.

It’s also crucial to ensure that the senior leaders across our business are together and aligned on what we want to achieve and how we can get there. This helps to foster a creative environment where people feel able and motivated to bring new ideas to the table, and ensures that everyone can contribute to and share in the success of the business.

For lawyers seeking leadership roles, what qualities and experiences do you believe are essential?

There’s no getting away from the sheer commitment and hard work required, but it’s a lot easier when you’re passionate about what you’re doing, and you’ve got a great team around you.

 It can sometimes feel like a lonely place, so resilience and confidence in what you’re doing are important.

Humility is also key – just because you’re in a senior leadership role, doesn’t mean you’ve always got the answers. 

Having the ability to engage with people at all levels across the business will help make you a standout candidate. Everyone has a role to play in the firm’s success, even though some of them might not realise it. 

And finally, persistence and resolve. Sometimes it will take real leadership and determination to achieve the right end result.

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