CASE STUDY

Composite Legal Expenses

When Composite Legal Expenses set out to redefine how legal cases were funded and managed, they needed more than just software, they needed a platform capable of transforming an entire industry.

Software Development UK designed and delivered an industry-first “event litigation funding” digital solution that enabled solicitors, insurers, and financial institutions to operate within a single, secure ecosystem. Delivered in just three months, the platform drove a 400 percent increase in turnover within its first year and earned national recognition at the British Insurance Awards, outperforming major insurers including Admiral. CLE has since been acquired by Arc Legal Group, further validating the long-term impact of the solution.

Brief

CLE were not looking to improve an existing process, they were looking to redefine how legal cases were funded, managed, and scaled across the industry.

Following the introduction of legal reforms, Composite Legal Expenses identified a significant opportunity to modernise how legal cases were funded and administered. Traditional approaches relied heavily on solicitor-led financing, limiting the number of cases that could be pursued and creating operational inefficiencies across the process.

CLE’s vision was to introduce a new model that would enable clients to access funding for legal cases through structured loans and insurance-backed protection. This required a digital platform capable of supporting solicitors throughout the entire case lifecycle, from client onboarding and disbursement requests through to documentation and reporting.

The system needed to support a large, distributed network of solicitor firms, while also integrating securely with external banks and insurance underwriters. In addition, it had to provide robust authorisation workflows, full auditability for regulatory compliance, and automated generation of legal documentation.

Critically, the platform had to be delivered within an extremely aggressive timeframe, with CLE aiming to launch quickly in order to capitalise on market conditions and establish an early competitive advantage.

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Process

We delivered a fully operational, enterprise-grade platform within just three months, enabling CLE to launch ahead of the market and immediately begin generating revenue.

With a highly ambitious timeline and a complex, multi-stakeholder environment, SDUK adopted a structured, iterative delivery approach designed to accelerate time to market without compromising quality or security.

We began with focused discovery workshops, working closely with CLE’s senior stakeholders to map end-to-end workflows, define system requirements, and identify key integration points with external banks and underwriters. This ensured a clear and aligned product vision from the outset.

To validate the solution early, we developed detailed user journeys and use cases, enabling CLE to visualise how the platform would operate in practice. This significantly reduced delivery risk and ensured that development remained tightly aligned to business objectives.

The architecture was designed to handle complex financial workflows, multi-party integrations, and regulatory requirements, while remaining scalable and adaptable to future growth.

Our system architects designed a modular, extensible platform capable of supporting a large network of solicitor firms, while securely integrating with banks and insurance underwriters. The system provided robust authorisation workflows, full auditability, and automated document generation.

Flexibility was a key design principle, allowing CLE to configure workflows, reporting, and operational processes without requiring ongoing development support. This ensured the platform could evolve alongside the business.

Through continuous collaboration and rapid iteration, we exceeded expectations by delivering a solution that was both robust at launch and adaptable to ongoing business change.

Development was delivered in controlled, iterative cycles, with regular demonstrations and feedback sessions involving CLE stakeholders. This allowed us to refine functionality in real time, prioritise critical features, and ensure the platform met both operational and commercial requirements.

Following launch, SDUK continued to support CLE through an active enhancement phase, delivering additional features as new opportunities emerged, all without disruption to live operations.

Technologies

Node.js

TypeScript

Angular

MySQL

Redis

AWS

REST API

Workflow Automation

Secure Document Generation

Role-Based Access Control

Audit Logging

Third-Party Integrations

Scalable Web Architecture

Enterprise Security

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Result

The platform delivered immediate and measurable impact, enabling CLE to launch a completely new legal funding model and rapidly scale operations across a national network of solicitors, insurers, and financial institutions.

By digitising and automating the end-to-end case management process, the system significantly reduced administrative overhead, improved accuracy, and accelerated turnaround times for disbursement requests and legal documentation. Solicitors were able to take on more cases, while CLE gained full visibility and control through robust authorisation workflows and audit capabilities.

The platform’s secure integration with major banks and underwriters ensured seamless daily financial transactions, building trust with key partners and establishing CLE as a credible and scalable provider within the market.

The solution proved transformational, increasing CLE’s turnover by 400 percent within the first year and earning national recognition at the British Insurance Awards, outperforming major insurers including Admiral.

Following its success, the platform continued to evolve, supporting CLE’s ongoing growth and operational maturity. The strength of the business and its underlying technology ultimately contributed to CLE’s acquisition by Arc Legal Group, further validating the long-term value of the solution delivered.

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