Gateley, Birmingham
IT has been a busy and important year for the Birmingham office of national law firm, Gateley.
During this time, the firm posted a record increase in turnover for the financial year to April 2011 and broke into the Legal Week top 50 law firms for the first time.
With eight offices across the UK and Dubai, Gateley expanded its national footprint with the opening of an office in Manchester last summer.
The move successfully integrated more than 200 employees into the firm.
The establishment and promotion of the Manchester office has been consummated with several corporate finance and real estate deals as well as high-profile client retentions.
The firm’s commitment and investment during challenging times marks them out and is demonstrated by the 32 key promotions it made earlier this year.
As well as promoting and investing in people, Gateley enjoyed growth within key areas such as pensions, employment, real estate and public sector services.
Gateley continues to attract work from a range of clients including SMEs, major UK companies and UK subsidiaries of overseas-owned corporates.
The firm is particularly adept in providing legal advice in corporate, banking, employment, real estate, planning, corporate recovery and pensions matters.
Key sectors include financial services, retail, telecommunications, social housing and local and central government.
The corporate team is headed by Gateley’s senior partner in England, Michael Ward.
Significant deals in the Birmingham office this year include eight recruitment company acquisitions for Meriden-based Network Group Holdings, the £112.7m cash sale of Midlands-based education services firm, EDI to Pearson Group and the buy-out of Coseley-based Recycled Carbon Fibre by German owned ELG.
Gateley has continued to raise the bar when it comes to supporting its local community.
In September, it brought together 450 people from across the Midlands business community to help raise funds for its local charity the Foundation for Conductive Education.
The Birmingham office hosted ‘Gateley Five for Fifty – a 5km run and family day in Cannon Hill Park raising more than £32,000 for the charity.
In the last few years, Gateley has won over 35 industry accolades and was recently crowned 2011 Corporate Law Firm of the Year at the Midlands Dealmakers Awards.
The firm has also been shortlisted for Regional Law Firm of the Year at this year’s British Legal Awards.
