Waldie heralds new era for HBJ Gateley Wareing

THE head of law firm HBJ Gateley Wareing’s new Manchester office has thanked the Birmingham-based practice for “having the guts” to invest in the city.

MORE than 150 business contacts and clients, celebrating the official opening of the office, were told by partner Rod Waldie that staff were determined to repay this act of faith.

Mr Waldie and his Manchester colleagues were formerly part of Halliwells, the North West firm which was broken up and placed into administration in the summer.

HBJ Gateley Wareing, which also has offices in Scotland, London, Dubai, Nottingham and Leicester, acquired Halliwells’ commercial business including its corporate, real eastate, property, tax, employment, corporate recovery and pensions departments in July, which employ 186 people.

Mr Waldie said it had been a “tough year”, but the firm was now looking forward, not back.

“I have become very, very passionate about this business very quickly because of the people in it and the people with whom we work.

“It has been a tough year, but HBJ Gateley Wareing is a strong business. We have been encouraged by the support of clients and intermediaries – we’re expecting to welcome 475 over the next few days.”

Mr Waldie thanked the firm’s manaaging partner  Peter Davies and senior partner Mike Ward  – who were both present – in particular for “having the guts to do the Manchester deal”, a move which he said was a “significant step in the firm’s development”.   “We are grateful that they did it, ” he added.

He described being part of HBJ Gatgeley Wareing as a “massively exciting project”, and said the Manchester office was focused on replicating the success of the rest of the firm.

“Our goal is to be the corporate firm of choice in Manchester, and the firm that clients enjoy working with and get value from.”