tml Partners are delighted to have supported the team at Freeths in sourcing a senior marketing consultant to lead their brand, marketing and communications strategy, in addition to a redesign of their function

Freeths is one of the UK’s leading full-service law firms, with over 1,000 people across 13 offices nationwide. Known for its client-first approach and strong regional presence, Freeths has built a reputation for delivering commercially focused legal expertise across a broad range of sectors. As the firm continues to grow, investing in its marketing capability and brand positioning has become a strategic priority for the leadership team.

The Challenge

Following the appointment of a new Chief Marketing Officer, Freeths embarked on an ambitious programme to transform its marketing function. The incoming CMO, Caroline Watts, faced the familiar challenge of needing to deliver immediate results whilst planning for the next three to five years. To achieve this, she needed a partner who deeply understood the marketing landscape and could support her in building a team of high performers.

Caroline recognised that delivering on the firm’s growth ambitions would require both an organisational review and a clearly defined brand, marketing and communications strategy. Bringing in an external perspective was critical to getting it right without internal bias. The brief was deliberately open: Freeths needed a senior consultant who could operate at pace, quickly build credibility with internal stakeholders, and bring both the strategic thinking and executional experience to shape the direction of the function. Finding the right individual with genuine depth in professional services marketing was essential.

The Solution

David Price, Partner, Professional Services at tml Partners, worked closely with Caroline to understand the scope and ambition of the project. Delivering an efficient and seamless recruitment experience from start to finish, the team drew upon an extensive network of senior marketing talent within the professional services space.

tml Partners successfully identified and placed an experienced brand and marketing leader with an impeccable reputation in the legal market. Having led some of the industry’s most revered rebrands and campaign projects, the consultant was a perfect match for the firm’s culture and the complexity of the brief.

The consultant’s work spanned two interconnected workstreams:

• Marketing Organisation Design: A comprehensive review of the existing marketing structure to identify capability gaps and recommend a future-state model aligned to Freeths’ growth strategy, supporting the internal progression of a future leader to head the function.
• Brand, Marketing and Communications Strategy: The development of a refreshed strategic framework to sharpen Freeths’ positioning, improve consistency of communications, and elevate the firm’s profile in priority markets, directly mapped to the firm’s newly scoped Business Development team and capabilities.

For a newly appointed CMO stepping into a transformation mandate, bringing in an interim consultant offered immediate impact and objectivity. The external consultant challenged existing thinking and offered an independent perspective without internal politics. Furthermore, the scoped, project-based model provided the flexibility to access senior marketing expertise precisely where and when it was needed, without a long-term headcount commitment.

The engagement was initially scoped as a three-month contract. The impact delivered in that first phase led Freeths to extend for a further three months – a strong signal of the value the consultant brought and the confidence the leadership team had in the execution.

Caroline Watts, Chief Marketing Officer at Freeths, commented:

“Working with tml was – as always – a fantastic experience. They quickly understood our open brief and with their extensive network, were able to connect us with the right consultant to help shape and execute our brand marketing strategy.”

About tml Partners: Specialist Headhunters for Commercial Roles

tml Partners are specialists in Executive Search and Interim Management with access to a global network of commercial, marketing, communications, brand, product and digital leaders. Our team works with businesses ranging from fast-growth challenger brands to established professional services firms to develop their in-house teams.

As one of the world’s leading commercial and marketing recruitment agencies, we can support whether you’re seeking interim or permanent solutions. Additionally, our sister business, Growth Partners, specialises in Fractional Marketing, Sales and Revenue Operations consulting.

To find out how tml Partners can support your next hire or consulting project, get in touch with David Price: [email protected]