Annual Report & Accounts 2026
11
HIGH CALIBRE SUPPORT FOR HIGH CALIBRE LAWYERS The central office team has had another busy and successful year. The support provided is of the highest standard and we work extremely hard to ensure that it continues to meet and exceed the expectations of the high calibre lawyers we support. Each element of the support we provide is fundamental to the overall success of the business and whether that be through the role of the community and engagement team bringing the lawyers together, enhancing the culture and lawyer experience or the compliance team which supports the business in navigating the continually evolving regulatory environment within which we must operate or any one of the other teams. Each team works to the highest of standards, complementing each other to ensure the overall success of the business and I am enormously proud of all they have achieved this year.
LOOKING AHEAD We have made a positive start to the current financial year, with trading conditions remaining largely unchanged to those of last year. In light of this, we are confident that the business will continue to drive forwards, delivering sustainable growth and, due to the change in the interest environment, we now expect adjusted PBT for the coming year to be ahead of market expectations.
JAMES KNIGHT
Chief Executive
28 April 2026
1
Principal lawyers are the senior lawyers who own the service company (“Pod”) which contracts with Keystone. The relationship between Keystone and its lawyers is governed by two agreements: a service agreement (which governs the commercial terms and is between the Pod and Keystone) and a compliance agreement (which governs the behaviour of lawyers and is between each lawyer and Keystone). Pods can employ more than one fee earner. A junior lawyer who is employed by a Pod (“Pod Member”) is, to all intents and purposes, a Keystone lawyer and is presented to the outside world in much the same way as a conventional law firm would present a conventionally employed junior lawyer. Junior lawyers are interviewed and fully vetted by our recruitment team, ensuring they are of the requisite quality and calibre. These juniors also sign a compliance agreement and have to comply with all rules and regulations governing the professional conduct of Keystone’s lawyers. 2 The Legal 500 UK Solicitors 2026 rankings is the leading guide to law firms and solicitors in the UK (Source: Legal500.com).
STRATEGIC REPORT
HIGH CALIBRE SUPPORT FOR HIGH CALIBRE LAWYERS The central office team has had another busy and successful year. The support provided is of the highest standard and we work extremely hard to ensure that it continues to meet and exceed the expectations of the high calibre lawyers we support. Each element of the support we provide is fundamental to the overall success of the business and whether that be through the role of the community and engagement team bringing the lawyers together, enhancing the culture and lawyer experience or the compliance team which supports the business in navigating the continually evolving regulatory environment within which we must operate or any one of the other teams. Each team works to the highest of standards, complementing each other to ensure the overall success of the business and I am enormously proud of all they have achieved this year.
LOOKING AHEAD We have made a positive start to the current financial year, with trading conditions remaining largely unchanged to those of last year. In light of this, we are confident that the business will continue to drive forwards, delivering sustainable growth and, due to the change in the interest environment, we now expect adjusted PBT for the coming year to be ahead of market expectations.
JAMES KNIGHT
Chief Executive
28 April 2026
1
Principal lawyers are the senior lawyers who own the service company (“Pod”) which contracts with Keystone. The relationship between Keystone and its lawyers is governed by two agreements: a service agreement (which governs the commercial terms and is between the Pod and Keystone) and a compliance agreement (which governs the behaviour of lawyers and is between each lawyer and Keystone). Pods can employ more than one fee earner. A junior lawyer who is employed by a Pod (“Pod Member”) is, to all intents and purposes, a Keystone lawyer and is presented to the outside world in much the same way as a conventional law firm would present a conventionally employed junior lawyer. Junior lawyers are interviewed and fully vetted by our recruitment team, ensuring they are of the requisite quality and calibre. These juniors also sign a compliance agreement and have to comply with all rules and regulations governing the professional conduct of Keystone’s lawyers. 2 The Legal 500 UK Solicitors 2026 rankings is the leading guide to law firms and solicitors in the UK (Source: Legal500.com).
STRATEGIC REPORT