SME

Private Credit

3 minutes

21/10/2025

Foresight invests into Montpellier Legal, to support its continued rapid expansion

•    Montpellier Legal, headquartered in Cheltenham, is a tech-enabled law firm and certified B-corp
•    The investment will support further expansion across South West England
•    Tom Hartley joins as Non-Executive Chair to support the next phase of growth
•    This is Foresight’s second investment from its £100m evergreen South West Fund

Bristol, 21st October 2025: Foresight Group (“Foresight”), a leading listed private equity and real asset manager, is pleased to announce the completion of a significant investment into Montpellier Legal Limited (“Montpellier” or the “Company”), a rapidly growing and tech-enabled conveyancing law firm headquartered in Cheltenham.

Founded in mid-2021, Montpellier has quickly established itself as a leading provider of conveyancing services, leveraging technology alongside experienced lawyers to deliver a seamless, customer-focused experience. It has delivered impressive growth since inception, with branches in Bath, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Gloucester, London, Stroud and Worcester. The investment values the Company at over £20m.

The investment, made from the Foresight South West Fund, will support Montpellier Legal’s ongoing growth ambitions, including the opening of further new offices across the South West. This will create more opportunities for current employees and future talent, while also boosting job prospects in the local communities where branches are based. The business will continue to be run by its experienced management team: Chief Executive Officer Simon Thomas, Chief Risk and Operations Officer Lucy Batten, and Chief Operating Officer Nick Ponting. To further strengthen the leadership team, Tom Hartley has joined the business as Non-Executive Chair, bringing significant expertise in scaling and successfully exiting professional services businesses. A Chief Financial Officer is being recruited to build out the senior leadership team. 

The Foresight South West Fund is dedicated to supporting businesses across the region, providing flexible capital and strategic support to help ambitious companies achieve their potential.  The fund is designed to be evergreen, providing a permanent pool of capital around which SMEs in the local community can make long term plans.

Simon Thomas, CEO of Montpellier Legal, commented: “We are really excited to partner with Foresight as we enter the next stage of Montpellier Legal’s journey, especially given their established track record in successfully backing ambitious fast growing businesses. Their expertise will enable us to accelerate our growth plans whilst continuing to deliver the first-class service that our clients and introducer partners have come to expect.”

Amy Crofton, Managing Director at Foresight Group, added: “This is our second investment from the Foresight South West Fund, and we are delighted to back such an experienced team in such a demonstrably high quality business. Their commitment to customer satisfaction and service excellence aligns perfectly with our investment philosophy, and we are excited to support their continued expansion and success.”

Foresight invests in promising growing companies, providing equity or debt to meet the needs of founders and management teams wherever they are on their journey. This year, Foresight expanded its regional footprint, opening offices in Bristol and Exeter after reaching a final close of its new evergreen £100 million South West Fund, followed by a new office in Sheffield for the South Yorkshire Growth Equity Fund. Like its peers in the North West, Yorkshire, the North East, Scotland and East of England, the South West and South Yorkshire funds are also backed by local government pension funds.

ENDS

Advisers to the Company: 
Corporate Finance: Benchmark International
Legal Advice: Hopson Solicitors LLP

Advisers to Foresight:
Financial DD: Hazelwoods LLP
Legal Advice: Freeths LLP and SurSum Advisory Ltd
Management DD: Confidas People
Commercial DD: Fairgrove Partners
Insurance DD: Lockton Companies LLP
Technology and Cyber DD: Vaultinum
Recruitment: Calibre One and Lansdown Partners

Financing:
Virgin Money

Notes to Editors

For more information contact: 
Chris Barry, Influential: Barry@thisisinfluential.com / +44 (0)7733 103 693
Foresight Group: marketing@foresightgroup.eu

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