Florence Brocklesby is the founding father of Bellevue Regulation, a London boutique regulation agency specialising in office regulation and business disputes for employers, senior executives and business shoppers.
The agency was ranked in Band 2 for Employment: Senior Govt within the Chambers and Companions 2027 information revealed on 15 October 2026, up from Band 3, with Brocklesby herself retaining her personal Band 2 rating. She based the agency in 2014 after a five-year profession break and has grown it to a staff of 35, largely senior attorneys, primarily based in Farringdon.
She tells Enterprise Issues why the Employment Rights Act 2025 is preserving her staff busy, how the college gates grew to become a recruitment community and why sustainable enterprise pays dividends over time.
What do you presently do at Bellevue Regulation?
I’m lucky to steer the staff at Bellevue Regulation, the boutique regulation agency specialising in office regulation and business disputes that I based in 2014. I’ve an enjoyably diverse function, together with spending time attending to know and advising shoppers, rising and supporting the staff, enterprise improvement and preserving updated with adjustments within the worlds of regulation and know-how.
At present our staff is especially busy supporting employer shoppers to implement the adjustments to employment regulation introduced in by the Employment Rights Act 2025. The implications of a number of the adjustments shall be enormous. In excessive paying sectors equivalent to tech and monetary {and professional} companies, for instance, the elimination of the cap on unfair dismissal compensation from January 2027 implies that many employers must overhaul how they deal with recruitment, probation, efficiency administration and potential exits.
Our staff additionally helps senior executives and shoppers with business disputes, and we are sometimes requested to conduct unbiased investigations into allegations of office misconduct.
What was the inspiration behind your online business?
It was my household. I had began my authorized profession within the Metropolis, however had taken a five-year profession break from authorized observe after I had my kids. On the time, many regulation companies required lengthy, office-based working hours, and after I was able to return, I wished extra flexibility and autonomy with out compromising on the standard of my observe. I couldn’t discover the job I wished, so I created it myself, establishing Bellevue Regulation from my backyard workplace with no shoppers on day one.
Because the observe grew and I seemed to start out hiring, I benefited from the wealth of expertise that was being misplaced to the authorized sector due to its lack of flexibility. I employed lots of my first colleagues by my nursery and college gates networks. They’re sensible attorneys in addition to moms, and in flip over the previous 12 years they’ve pushed excessive ranges of consumer satisfaction and enterprise development.
Twelve years and one pandemic later, the advantages of versatile working are broadly appreciated, and never just for working moms. We at the moment are a staff of 35, largely extremely skilled senior attorneys, and primarily based in Farringdon, though lots of our staff work remotely.
Who do you admire?
I love individuals who make change occur, whether or not they’re politicians, campaigners, enterprise leaders or group teams. The truth is that whereas we face loads of challenges as a society, everybody can play an element in tackling them. Enterprise has the ability to be an amazing pressure for good, whether or not in coaching the subsequent technology, offering rewarding and safe work or discovering options to world issues.
Trying again, is there something you’d have carried out in another way?
Hindsight is an excellent factor, but when I had my time once more I might be extra bold about constructing techniques and processes and hiring to scale the enterprise.
Coming from a background in Metropolis regulation companies with the assist of huge specialist groups, it was a little bit of a shock to the system after I out of the blue grew to become liable for every little thing from the web site to purchasing insurance coverage and credit score management. I had a lot to find out about each facet of operating a regulation agency. Now I’m lucky to work with a superb enterprise operations staff and to be a part of a number of supportive teams of different authorized leaders who share concepts and experiences.
Whereas I may need constructed the infrastructure sooner, I might not essentially have seemed to develop extra rapidly. I learnt loads from doing every little thing myself, and it has additionally been an actual privilege to have grown the agency over time alongside elevating my household and a few important caring obligations. I’ve loved the journey thus far.
What defines your manner of doing enterprise?
I consider very strongly in doing enterprise sustainably. That’s typically interpreted as an environmental dedication, and that’s essential, however I additionally wish to work in a manner that’s sustainable and truthful for our staff, our shoppers and wider society. That generally means sacrificing short-term monetary features, however in my expertise it pays dividends over time in long-term relationships with our staff and shoppers and a model that folks belief, in addition to being the suitable factor to do.
As a part of this dedication, Bellevue Regulation has been an authorized B Corp since 2024, which implies that we meet verified requirements for social and environmental enterprise practices.
What recommendation would you give to somebody beginning out?
Be ready to work very exhausting, maintain your self and others to excessive requirements and deal with individuals pretty. And make investments time in constructing a community of individuals you want and respect to come back on the journey with you.
