LEEDS LEGAL SERVICES

THE UK CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR LEGAL SERVICES OUTSIDE LONDON

FASTEST-GROWING UK LEGAL CENTRE CITY OF LONDON ADVICE COMPETITIVE PRICE GLOBALLY ACTIVE SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS HIVE OF TALENT LEEDS LEGAL SERVICES 02 INTRODUCTION

LEEDS IS THE FASTEST-GROWING It is ideally placed for middle and back office operations MAJOR LEGAL CENTRE IN THE UK, with a large and growing community of talent, innovative and collaborative tech businesses and residing legal SURPASSING THE CITY OF LONDON, information experts LexisNexis and Practical Law. MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM AND BRISTOL. The brightest and best legal minds in Britain are flocking to Leeds to develop their careers, attracted by quality of Leeds lawyers offer the same range of services as their work, quality of client and quality of life. peers in the City of London, but without the eye-watering Law firms in Leeds are making a positive difference to fees. society by taking on legal apprentices from the wider city Strong competition exists within nearly every specialism, and donating tens of thousands of hours of time in pro providing near-perfect market conditions for buyers of bono work every year. legal services. The city has a bright future and is a strategic centre for Law firms in Leeds are trusted to deliver world-class UK growth; it is the focus of billions of pounds of public advice and services for clients in Africa, America, Asia, investment in transport infrastructure with new high- Australia and Europe. speed rail services to London and Manchester coming down the line. The Leeds City Region is home to the largest provincial financial and professional services community in Sources: Business Register and Employment Survey 2016, Legal 500, Higher Education Statistics Agency and independent research from England, making it easier for law firms to grow and win University of Leeds work.

The benefits of the Leeds cluster are already felt regionally and across the UK – and now Leeds is becoming a major player on the world stage as well.

As an ambassador for all UK-based financial and professional services, I am proud to promote Leeds as a dynamic and innovative city which is integral to the growth of the UK’s legal sector.”

Lord Mayor of the City of London Andrew Parmley

LEEDS LEGAL SERVICES 03 GROWTH IN LEEDS

LEEDS HAS SEEN THE FASTEST LEGAL SECTOR JOBS GROWTH OF ANY MAJOR LEGAL CENTRE IN THE UK BETWEEN 2010 AND 2015, BEATING THE CITY OF LONDON, MANCHESTER, TOTAL EMPLOYMENT IN THE BIRMINGHAM AND BRISTOL LEGAL SECTOR INCREASED BY 20% TO 8,100 ALMOST FIVE TIMES AS FAST AS LONDON’S GROWTH RATE FASTEST GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF SOLICITORS’ FIRMS OF ANY MAJOR LEGAL CENTRE IN THE UK BETWEEN 2010 AND 2016

THE LEGAL SECTOR IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE OUTPUT EXCEEDING

THESE FIGURES DEMONSTRATE THE £300M DYNAMISM WITHIN THE IN 2017 LEEDS LEGAL MARKET AND THE STRONG DEMAND FOR LEEDS LEGAL SERVICES. (SOURCE: BUSINESS REGISTER AND EMPLOYMENT SURVEY 2016) UK CENTRE OF MARKET GLOBAL EXCELLENCE

Law firms in Leeds offer the same THE FOLLOWING LEGAL The Leeds legal sector is probably the services as their peers in the City of SPECIALISMS ARE REPRESENTED most global of all service industries in London, but without the eye-watering IN LEEDS: the North of England. fees. CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL, Leeds lawyers provide trusted advice Leeds is home to a wide variety of CORPORATE TAX, EU AND and high quality services to clients in law firms with a diversity of sizes and COMPETITION; CRIME, FRAUD AND every corner of the globe and across structures, ranging from international LICENSING; DISPUTE RESOLUTION, the continents of Africa, North and players to highly specialised niche BANKING LITIGATION, South America, Asia, Australia and practices. COMMERCIAL LITIGATION, Europe. DEBT RECOVERY; FINANCE, They cover an equally diverse array of INSOLVENCY AND CORPORATE They are linked to the world’s capital fields with healthy competition within RECOVERY; HUMAN RESOURCES, markets and biggest and fastest- the city in nearly every specialism, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH growing economies. creating near-perfect market AND SAFETY, IMMIGRATION, conditions for buyers of legal services. Law firms in Leeds advise individuals, PENSIONS; INSURANCE, CLINICAL SMEs, charities, regional and Existing firms and new entrants are NEGLIGENCE (CLAIMANT AND national corporates, multinationals, committing to the city through major DEFENDANT), PERSONAL INJURY governments and leading public investment in new staff, new offices (CLAIMANT AND DEFENDANT), sector organisations. and new technology. PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE (CLAIMANT AND DEFENDANT); Source: independent research from University of Leeds Source: Legal 500 and independent research PRIVATE CLIENT, AGRICULTURE from University of Leeds AND ESTATES, CHARITIES AND NOT FOR PROFIT, CONTENTIOUS TRUSTS AND PROBATE, FAMILY, PERSONAL TAX, TRUSTS AND PROBATE; PROJECTS, ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES (INCLUDING PFI); PUBLIC SECTOR, EDUCATION, Many of our lawyers are ex-City with HEALTH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT; SCOTLAND huge experience in major international REAL ESTATE, COMMERCIAL transactions. You can get the same PROPERTY, CONSTRUCTION AND quality as London but at a fraction of the ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENT, price. PLANNING, PROPERTY LITIGATION, EDINBURGH SOCIAL HOUSING; TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA AND TELECOMS, IT, Regional managing partner at an INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, SPORT; international firm employing 500 TRANSPORT. people in Leeds SOURCE: LEGAL 500 2016 YORK LEEDS LEEDS IS A PREMIER MANCHESTER DESTINATION... for locating back and middle office operations. International firms choose ENGLAND Leeds to base extra-legal support facilities such as tech hubs and document WALES production teams.

The city has a ready supply of competitively priced Grade A floor space and a large and growing pool of talent and continues to attract inward investors. LONDON It has a dynamic digital community to feed from, including creative media, data analytics, cyber security, financial technology, telecoms, health and education technologies.

LEEDS LEGAL SERVICES 05 UK CENTRE OF TALENT EXCELLENCE

The Leeds legal sector is located Some of the brightest and best minds within the strongest financial and in Britain are flocking to Leeds to professional services community in develop their careers, attracted by England, outside the City of London. quality of work, quality of client and quality of life. Leeds has a high concentration of accountancy firms and financial Prestigious and career-focused institutions serving a powerful client academic institutions in the wider base, which makes the city more Leeds City Region are educating attractive to investors in the legal 3,700 students a year at graduate Ashley Armitage, 30, returned sector. and undergraduate level, producing to Leeds at the end of 2016 after a steady stream of work-ready new three years with a City law firm in A report from The Law Society found recruits and more law graduates London. that 69 per cent of the legal sector than Greater Manchester and Greater turnover is generated by work for Birmingham. She enjoyed her job in the capital businesses. and found it rewarding but felt Leeds is a very attractive destination Source: Regional Economic Intelligence Unit, unable to progress in her life in for young people to develop their Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership the same way as her friends in the careers because of the vibrant city North of England. life, strong and resilient business community and prospect of home Buying a nice house and going on ownership in one of the most beautiful regular holidays are simply out of Look at the firms and the quality here. and accessible locations in the reach for so many professionals The quality of client base among Leeds country. living and working in London. firms is far superior to anything else in Ashley came home for a job at a the regions. leading international law firm in Leeds and has found that her City experience is very useful in her Office senior partner at one of the new role working on big matters largest full service law firms in involving some well-known the world names. She said: “I can see that I have a future up here.”

BEYOND Leeds is a major legal, financial and BORDERS business city, often termed as second After graduating from Liverpool only to London in terms the size and They are lawyers beyond University and the Sorbonne, dynamism of its legal services market borders. Law firms from Leeds Rebecca Kitson chose Leeds as and constitutes a heavyweight regional have advised high-powered clients the biggest and best legal and economic success story. With law firms including Indian conglomerates financial centre outside London. undertaking major regional, national, on billion-dollar cement deals, the and international work, many of the She was attracted by the wide owners of iconic hair brand ghd on northern ‘supersets’ of barristers choice of high quality law firms, international anti-counterfeiting chambers, and its well-developed offering top quality work. operations and Reckitt Benckiser, the commercial infrastructure and links $44bn consumer products giant, on Rebecca now advises on high- to the rest of the country, Leeds is the its global infrastructure. value strategic work and complex obvious choice for many entrants to the legal professions. They also represent the world multi-jurisdictional transactions. famous Hotel Cipriani in Venice, the Her firm is taking on work that favourite destination of royalty, film had traditionally been done by City Tom Macdonald, Leeds centre stars and celebrities. lawyers in London. director at The University of Law.

LEEDS LEGAL SERVICES 06 SOCIALLY GROWTH AND VIBRANT TECH CONSCIOUS CULTURE LEADERS

As responsible businesses, law firms Leeds is the focus of billions of Leeds is home to a vibrant tech in Leeds are making a positive impact pounds of investment in transport economy and some of the UK’s most in the communities in which they infrastructure with new high- valuable technology businesses, operate. speed rail services to London and making it the digital capital of the Manchester coming down the line. North. Leeds pioneered and proved the concept of the legal apprenticeship The Government is starting work A leading global information services in 2011, winning praise from the on HS2 linking London and Leeds, provider has invested in a centre of Government’s social mobility tsar. kickstarting HS3 between Leeds and excellence in the city, a busy facility Manchester and boosting capacity on developing software to help law Since then the talent development the M62 motorway. firms to become more productive scheme has been rolled out by many and competitive. It is expanding into of the city’s largest firms to bring Leeds City Council is investing £270m artificial intelligence and machine on home-grown recruits and widen in the city’s transport network, learning applications for the complex participation in the legal sector. including a new railway station domain of law. serving Leeds Bradford Airport. It is creating an army of dedicated Law firms in Leeds are innovating in and committed young people who The city has a vibrant and diverse the way they integrate AI into their are fully representative of the wider cultural life, with jewels including legal processes with lawyers and community. Opera North, Leeds Arena, Northern machines working side by side to Ballet, Phoenix Dance Theatre and a deliver a better service to their clients. Law firms in the city donate an thriving independent music scene. estimated 82,000 hours of pro bono Their use of technology has changed work a year to good causes, including It has a glittering retail sector, more in the last two years than the the Law Works advice clinic and the including Victoria Gate, which was last two decades. 2023 European Capital of Culture Bid, named the world’s best shopping making an immeasurable difference to centre at the industry-leading MIPIM charities and voluntary organisations Awards 2017, the majestic Victoria and civic life. Quatrer and the popular Trinity Leeds.

Source: Law Society and Leeds City Council The beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Dales - showcased across the world in the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire cycling events - is easily accessible from Leeds. NURTURE

Bryony Russell is a perfect example of the way in which Leeds identifies, nurtures and develops talent straight from school.

Bryony was in the first intake in the city’s pilot apprenticeship scheme in 2011 and has recently qualified as a chartered legal executive employment lawyer.

Her firm’s scheme has been ranked among higher apprenticeship employers such as Barclays, JP Morgan, Bentley Motors, PwC and the BBC.

LEEDS LEGAL SERVICES 07 FAMOUS LEEDS

JET2.COM NICOLA ADAMS

ASDA THE BROWNLEE BROTHERS

LEEDS BUILDING SOCIETY ALAN BENNETT

YORKSHIRE BANK JEREMY PAXMAN

BURBERRY CORINNE BAILEY RAE

MARKS & SPENCER GABBY LOGAN

LEEDS UNITED MARCO PIERRE WHITE

LEEDS RHINOS CHRIS MOYLES

YORKSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB THOMAS CHIPPENDALE

FIRST DIRECT ERNIE WISE

ARLA MATTHEW LEWIS

THE YORKSHIRE POST DAVID STONE

NEXT LIZZIE DUIGAN

GHD PETER O’TOOLE

TETLEY KASIER CHIEFS

SKY BETTING AND GAMING PUDSEY BEAR

LEEDS FESTIVAL SIR EDMUND HAPPOLD

LEEDS BREWERY JANE TOMLINSON

SYMINGTON’S JASON ROBINSON

WADDINGTONS KADEENA COX

NORTHERN FOODS DAMIEN HIRST