Ian Hopkins
Team Profile
Ian is a non-practising solicitor with over thirty years’ experience of leading and growing Top 250 UK law firms.
Ian has previously been Managing Partner or Chief Executive of four regional heavyweight law firms – Leo Abse and Cohen South Wales, Warners LLP Kent, Debenhams Ottaway LLP Hertfordshire and B P Collins LLP Buckinghamshire.
Ian’s passion is improving law firm performance and under his leadership business awards achieved include:
- Western Mail Law Firm of the Year (Leo Abse and Cohen)
- Finalist Law Society Gazette Marketing Firm of the Year (Leo Abse and Cohen)
- St Albans Chamber of Commerce Corporate Social Responsibility firm of the Year (Debenhams Ottaway)
- Inspiring Hertfordshire Business of the Year (Debenhams Ottaway)
- Law Society Excellence Awards Private Client Firm of the Year (Debenhams Ottaway)
- Legal 500 Regional Corporate Team of the Year (B P Collins)
Prior to joining cpm21, Ian was Regional Director at Ince, a UK Top 50 AIM listed PLC with specific responsibility for the Cardiff, Bristol, and Wandsworth Common offices.
During his time at Ince Ian was engaged in the merger of Gordon Dadds and Ince and Co, and the successful integration of both businesses with a UK workforce of seven hundred including the rationalisation of satellite offices and development of the Ince brand.
Ian has led numerous strategic reviews both at firm and team level and has a strong record of delivering growth for law firms with improved profitability.
Ian has experience of collaborating with partners at partnership and board level and is adept at encouraging partners to “pull together” to implement strategic plans.
Ian’s leadership skills have been recognised by both the Leading Wales Consortium where he won the Best Business in Wales with under 250 employees’ category, and the St Albans Chamber of Commerce where he was a finalist in the Business Leader of the Year category.
In addition to his legal qualifications, Ian has an Executive MBA from the University of South Wales, Level 7 Qualification in Law Firm Risk Management from the Institute of Leadership and Management and is a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
Ian’s focus is in the following areas:
- Strategy formulation, business planning and management structures
- All aspects of business improvement management
- Leadership and management development with particular interest in performance management and career progression schemes
- Mentoring partners, Heads of Department, and leadership teams
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Quality Assurance including Lexcel and CQS quality mark implementation and maintenance
Fun Fact
As a child Ian won first prize at his local eisteddfod for reciting a poem in Welsh about a squirrel, and still has the certificate and 2 shillings and 6 pence prize money.