DSW Capital (AIM:DSW) said Apex Employment Solicitors has become the first licensee of DSW Legal, the legal arm of its Dow Schofield Watts business advisory network.
The firm, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Maidstone, will trade as DSW Apex and advises SMEs on disciplinaries, grievances, contracts and tribunal proceedings, alongside retained HR support for smaller businesses.
DSW Legal launched earlier this year as part of DSW Capital's wider push to broaden its licensing model beyond its core Dow Schofield Watts and DR Solicitors brands into resilient, niche professional service lines.
Apex founder Joanna Gooden becomes Partner and Head of Employment at DSW Legal, leading a four-person team that includes two senior associates and an HR co-ordinator, with a target of growing to more than 10 senior associates within three years.
"Joining DSW gives us the opportunity to build on that foundation, retaining our independence and client focus while benefiting from the relationships, infrastructure and wider expertise of an established professional services group," Gooden said.
DSW Apex will also handle employment advice for clients of DR Solicitors, the primary care consultancy DSW Capital acquired in 2024.
James Mallender, Managing Director at DSW Legal, said the group is "looking to add further legal capabilities, giving mid-market businesses access to a broader range of legal services alongside the advice they already receive from DSW."