PE-backed HF takes Rosling King team out of administration

Private equity-backed HF has taken on Rosling King’s London-based legal team after the firm entered administration, in a deal that preserved about 40 jobs and provided continuity for the firm’s clients.

Rosling King appointed Kirstie Provan and Mark Fry of BTG as joint administrators on 26 May 2026. Immediately after their appointment, the administrators completed a transaction with HF Ltd, the insurance and commercial law firm formerly known as Horwich Farrelly, under which Rosling King’s legal team joined HF the same day.

The transaction gives HF a larger London platform and adds specialist capability in dispute resolution, insolvency and real estate. For Rosling King clients, the deal was structured to allow the same legal team to continue handling existing work, now within HF’s broader operating platform.

The rescue follows a period of rapid expansion at HF, which has been backed by UK mid-market private equity firm CBPE since 2024. CBPE acquired a minority stake in HF to support the firm’s growth strategy and its ambition to become a leading technology-driven legal services provider to insurers and corporates.