Successful first year for tech-focused law firm

A Huddersfield law firm established by three young residential property and finance experts has marked its first anniversary in business with the opening of a second office in Leeds.

Holden Smith, based in Denby Dale, was founded by James Smith, 31, David Bancroft, 35, and Jamie Megson, 32, in February 2019.

Since launching the business just over 12 months ago, the founding trio has grown employee numbers from three to twenty people, with the firm on track to turn over £1.2m by the end of its second year in business.

The firm’s new office will be in the Crossgates area of Leeds and will initially house a team of six, with plans to create a further fifteen jobs within twelve months.

Smith said: “We started Holden Smith because we wanted to create a law firm that used the latest tech to create a much better experience for clients by speeding up transactions and giving them quick and easy access to their matter.

“There was a much-needed shift towards placing instant communication with the client at the centre of every transaction, something which hasn’t always been the case in the industry and in our collective experience.”

Bancroft added: “We feel we’ve achieved that shift with Holden Smith. By focusing on applying tech such as apps and online portals that people are used to using in their everyday lives to our client’s legal transactions, we’ve been able to change the entire client journey for the better.”

Megson, a qualified financial adviser, said: “A lack of awareness or desire to harness technology has held us back in our previous roles.

“But our focus on embedding it in to the heart of our business from the word go has meant we have been able to build a reputation for quick and effective communication with clients and capitalise on the high level of demand for this type of service.”

Smith concluded: “The opening of our Leeds office is a major step in the ongoing growth of Holden Smith.

“David and I both previously worked in Leeds for over ten years and have built strong networks across the city, so when we reached capacity in our current office, it was a natural decision to base our second office there.”

Smith is president of The Huddersfield and Dewsbury Incorporated Law Society and specialises in commercial and residential property, with clients including developers, buy-to-let portfolio investors, landlords and housing associations.

Bancroft previously managed a team of 45 people as head of residential property at a Leeds-based firm. He has over 16 years’ experience in the residential sector and works with a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals.

Megson has 13 years’ experience in financial services, previously working as an independent financial adviser, now specialising as a mortgage broker.