Owner Managed Businesses

Alanah Lenten
June 2026

Access your discount for Ideas Fest here

At Lawrence Stephens, we’ve always believed that the best outcomes for founders come from genuine partnership. Not just providing advice when it’s needed, but showing up early, understanding the journey and supporting businesses as they grow.

It’s why we’re proud to partner with The Ideas Community, one of the UK’s most influential founder networks.

The Ideas Community brings together entrepreneurs, business leaders and high-growth companies through events, awards and curated experiences that create space for honest conversation, shared learning and meaningful connection. It’s a community built on the belief that founders grow faster when they learn from each other and are surrounded by the right people.

That belief closely mirrors our own.

A shared approach to supporting founders

As a founder-led law firm, we understand the challenges that come with building and scaling a business. Many of our clients are owner-managed businesses navigating growth, investment and long-term planning, and they need advisers who think commercially, move at pace and feel like part of the team.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting founders in a more meaningful way.

As Steven Bernstein, CEO and Co-founder at Lawrence Stephens, explains:

“We see our partnership with the Ideas Community as a long term investment in the UK’s entrepreneurial community. As our partnership continues to grow, our focus remains the same: showing up where founders are, contributing value early, and building relationships that last well beyond any single event or milestone.”

Connection, collaboration and practical insight

Through our partnership, we’ll be actively involved across the Ideas Community calendar. From curated dinners and roundtables to larger events and informal meet-ups, our focus is simple: creating opportunities for founders to connect, collaborate and access practical insight.

We’ll also be offering informal conversations and legal clinics, helping founders navigate key moments in their journey, from structuring and governance through to investment and exit. Always practical, always commercially focused.

Kicking things off

We recently launched the partnership at The House of Ideas, an event hosted at The Britannia in Shoreditch. Bringing together a small group of founders and business leaders, the evening was a reflection of what this partnership is all about: honest conversations, strong connections and a room full of ambitious people building exciting businesses.

It was the first of many moments where we’ll be working closely with the community.

Join us at Ideas Fest

One of the highlights of the partnership will be Ideas Fest this September, where Lawrence Stephens will have its own dedicated tent in the centre of the action.

The tent will be a space for founders to drop in, connect with our team, have informal conversations and gain practical insight into the legal challenges that come with growth. Whether you’re navigating investment, scaling your business or planning for the future, we’ll be there to listen, share ideas and support.

If you’re attending Ideas Fest, we’d love to see you there.

And if you’re yet to book your ticket, you can use our exclusive discount page at the top of this article.

Looking ahead

This partnership is just the beginning. Over the coming months, we’ll be woven into the fabric of the Ideas Community, from the Great British Entrepreneur Awards to the UK Fast Growth Index and beyond.

Through each touchpoint, our aim is to get to know the people behind the businesses, understand what they are building and offer meaningful support along the way.

Because building a business is never done in isolation and we’re committed to building better businesses together.