About us
An experienced, tight-knit team
Our ethos is to make end users’ lives easier and more productive through our innovative desktop solutions, delivered by our expert team.
Part of our strength lies in our size; we’re a close-knit team of skilled, highly experienced individuals, well-versed in working with law firms and corporate clients.
We believe what sets us apart is our approachable, flexible way of working. We build strong connections with your team to identify your needs and we work together to solve issues and implement solutions that help your business to become more efficient.
Find out more about who we are and our expertise:
The team
Nikki Pike
Director
The brains and driving force behind our business, Nikki oversees the development of all tools and templates in Word and PowerPoint. Heading up our more technical projects, she’s keenly attuned to clients’ needs, always devising innovative solutions to their problems.
Background
Nikki’s love of programming was sparked by a short computer science course while studying for her MSc in Palynology. She cut her programming teeth working on torpedo guidance and is a former member of the Document Excellence Group.
In a nutshell
Logical, innovative, analytical.
David Pike
Director
David, alongside Rob, looks after the general running of the business, including finance, marketing and administration.
Background
After studying for a degree in Architecture and a stint working abroad, David went on to gain an MBA from London Business School. He then spent time in corporate branding and as a partner in the design arm of Brunswick (Financial PR) before joining Brochet.
In a nutshell
Principled, thoughtful, not-corporate.
Rob Simcock
Director
Rob’s skill is identifying the best solutions for our clients’ user productivity bugbears. He brings deep knowledge of the legal market and has added valuable software and tools to our portfolio.
Background
Rob cut his teeth leading sales teams in the traditional photocopier and printer business. He moved on to build up Kutana, working with law firms and being part of the digitisation of the sector over the last 20+ years. He initiated the conversation that led to kutana and brochet coming together.
In a nutshell
Positive, solution-oriented, problem solver.
Dave Saycell
Head of IT and Operations
Dave looks after the installation, training and support of our print, PDF and signing software, as
well as leading the development team and managing the company’s IT infrastructure.
Background
Dave’s calm and practical manner is a reassuring asset for our clients. He’s been working with Rob for over 25 years and has played a vital role in the growth of Kutana. Historically focused on just print management, he now helps to build and refine PDF editing and document signing software and their integration with associated software, including iManage.
In a nutshell
Tenacious, logical, fixer.
Phill Duffy
Principal Technical Architect
Phill’s role, working alongside Nikki, is to develop our roadmap and ensure our software is robust and well-structured. In a fast-evolving legal tech landscape, he needs to manage and maintain the smooth running of the range of software integrations in a modern law firm.
Background
Phill spent six years at a Top 20 UK law firm working as the IT Development manager. His work involved migrating legacy systems to a modern, cloud-based platform using Azure. He has a clear view of how our clients work with external partners and software. He also has an entrepreneurial streak and has worked on the development and launch of two social media web apps
In a nutshell
Calm, ordered, inventive.
Kristian Bottomley
Client Support and Testing
Kristian keeps a close eye on the delivery of client projects as well as testing software and templates throughout their development, implementation, and post roll-out. During the process, he works closely with clients, suggesting changes to enhance the user experience.
Background
Kristian has enjoyed a varied career; he started out in leisure centres and progressed to specialising in IT for the leisure industry. A small hiatus saw him spend time as a postman and fire alarm engineer, before returning to the IT arena with Brochet.
In a nutshell
Friendly, honest, attentive.
Matthew Price
Account Director
Matthew brings over 20 years of experience in the legal software sector. He is committed to helping law firms harness technology that’s intuitive, impactful, and built around real-world needs.
Background
Working with many top UK law firms, Matthew has led sales and marketing initiatives, supported firms through complex system transitions, and driven long-term client growth.
He combines strategic account leadership with a practical understanding of the pressures faced by fee earners and partners, ensuring firms get solutions that deliver real value – not just features.
In a nutshell
Client-focused, knowledgeable, driven.
Angela Crossland
Product and Client Services
Angela works with clients to understand their needs, and ensure our solutions are configured to meet their needs. She also liaises with the development team to review and plan product enhancements. She has a wealth of knowledge of both the software and processes used by law firms.
Background
After qualifying as an engineer, Angela embraced IT to create efficiencies and reduce risk. She switched to the legal industry in 2001, working with both law firms and solutions providers. She is a key member of the Document Excellence Group.
In a nutshell
Attention to detail, considered, practical.
Alan Cartwright
Senior Developer
Responsible for developing and writing the code of Word templates, Alan works closely with our internal team to refine our solutions and roll them out to clients. He also provides support on internal systems.
Background
Well-versed in IT support, Alan spent eight years working with law firms and latterly a private equity firm, before swapping his commute into London for local life with Brochet (where he’s happy to cycle to work).
In a nutshell
Calm, curious, helpful.
Adrian Leeming
Senior Developer
Working on integrations with various systems for Office and document production. Designing and writing PDF editing solutions.
Background
Adrian has a degree in Business Information Technology. He started with airflow calculations and engineering software, moving into document, data conversion, and systems integration with an emphasis on Microsoft Office. A flexible developer who is at his best when researching and combining front-end and back-end programming techniques.
In a Nutshell
Creative, curious, flexible.
Brian Thomas
Senior Developer
Brian helps turn customer requirements into working code. He also works extensively with version control and builds systems that are part and parcel of modern software development.
Background
Brian spent much of his programming career working on Windows printing. Now he finds himself working with installers, XPS files, TrueType files and PDF internals.
He likes detail – and even today can still be found occasionally squinting at printouts.
In a nutshell
Thorough, detailed, generous.
Duncan Milnes
Senior Developer
Once he’s nailed the design and build of template solutions, Duncan then liaises with clients on the function and performance of those templates in pre-sales, post-sales and post-delivery situations.
Background
Duncan has a wealth of computing experience – his considerable expertise covers everything from system-level programming, through database management systems and, ultimately, he leaves no stone unturned in the exploitation of Microsoft Office.
In a nutshell
Innovative, professional, fun.
Lucy Urquhart
Financial controller
Lucy takes care of all billing, accounts and payroll; her two days a week at the Brochet office are busy ones!
Background
Lucy spent a number of years responsible for the administrative side of a software business, which she ran in partnership with her husband. She then went on to provide valuable accounting support to a variety of local businesses before finding her way to Brochet.
In a nutshell
Loyal, committed, jovial.