Background 

In an industry defined by hierarchy and long hours, gunnercooke was founded in 2010 by Darryl Cooke and Sarah Goulbourne to reimagine what a law firm could be – combining world-class legal expertise with entrepreneurial freedom, flexibility and social purpose. Their mission – “to leave the world a better place than we found it” – underpins everything from recruitment and leadership to community impact through the gunnercooke foundation.

Approach 

Purpose is embedded in the firm’s fee-share model, which empowers professionals to “design the life they want,” supported by gcTrust, a team offering coaching, business development and operational support. The model fosters autonomy, inclusion and belonging, particularly for parents, carers and neurodiverse professionals.

To strengthen wellbeing and connection gunnercooke invests over £100,000 annually in community engagement, including health walks, team dinners and its flagship Symposium, which has grown from 37 attendees in 2010 to 350 Partners and 75 employees in 2025. The event blends professional learning with music, art and wellness workshops, featuring leaders such as Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Mary Portas on purpose-driven leadership.

“By putting purpose at the heart of law, gunnercooke created a firm where freedom, inclusion and impact thrive together”

The gunnercooke foundation brings purpose to life beyond the firm. Inspire* supports 170 small charities a year to build leadership, resilience and operational capacity, while gcScholars mentors underrepresented students, creating future access to the legal profession. House of Books & Friends, a Manchester social enterprise, combats loneliness through community events and pay-it-forward schemes.

Internally co-founder Goulbourne champions mentoring and equity initiatives, with 47% of Partners now women. Partners “pay forward” their experience through networks supporting neurodiversity, menopause awareness and female leadership.

Outcome

Gunnercooke’s purpose-led model continues to deliver measurable growth and social impact. The firm has grown 20% year-on-year, with more than 600 lawyers and advisors across 15 offices in the UK, US, Germany and Austria. It has an NPS of +97, reflecting exceptional client trust and loyalty, while it reports £277,000+ in charitable benefit and 596 volunteer hours delivered through the foundation in 2023. For every £1 invested, £2.38 of benefit was delivered.

House of Books & Friends, continues to grow its impact, hosting events for Loneliness Awareness Week and welcoming the National Association of Children of Alcoholics for an event, raising the issue of work, alcohol and family, which was shared as a download across its network.

Gunnercooke proves that when purpose guides every decision it creates not only better business outcomes but a thriving, human-centred culture that leaves a lasting legacy for people and communities.

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