City centre expansion for professional services firm

Professional services provider Leonard Curtis has added new expertise to its Yorkshire operation and moved into larger offices in Leeds to strengthen its presence and multi-disciplinary offering to SMEs.

Leonard Curtis specialises in corporate recovery, insolvency and business restructuring.

Headed by experienced Insolvency Practitioners (IPs) and directors Sean Williams and Phil Deyes the Leeds team is now 14-strong.

This includes Reach, a brokerage service led by Phil Trueman and Steve Dunwell and a growing legal presence, providing solutions to challenges faced by SMEs at all stages of a business lifecycle.

The company is now based on the ninth floor at 7 Park Row, a fit for purpose space which will allow for further growth.

Its latest recruit is Laura Green, who is a senior associate within the Corporate and Commercial team at Leonard Curtis Legal, and brings over ten years’ experience in corporate law.

She joins business development manager Alana Mills in the senior management team, who also looks after the firm’s fast-growing Lifecycle accountant community – a 3,000-strong group of UK accountants, working alongside specialists at Leonard Curtis to problem solve for SMEs.

Also in the team is IP Anthony Milnes, who is responsible for the firm’s presence along the M62 corridor.

Senior manager Jason Martin specialises in property advisory and restructuring for both lenders within the property space and property owners.

Director Phil Deyes said: “Landlord engagement is as important as it’s ever been for SMEs as they emerge from this pandemic.

“It is also critical for lenders to be mindful of the effect of extended rent arrears on landlords and any impact on the underlying value of the property itself.”

Commenting on the expansion Sean Williams added: “There is no better time to be investing in our Yorkshire operation as we look to meet the needs and challenges of local SMEs navigating their way back to recovery.

“With repayments now due on Coronovirus loan schemes, winding up petition restrictions lifting, creditor forbearance in general reducing and hybrid working conditions in play, there are many reality checks for businesses of all sizes.

“We are strengthening our team to get local SMEs back on track.”

7 Park Row is managed by the Leeds office of global real estate firm CBRE and its office agency team also represented the landlord in the letting to Leonard Curtis.

Dan Middleton, senior surveyor in CBRE’s Property Management team, said: “We are delighted to welcome Leonard Curtis to 7 Park Row.

“We look forward to working closely with them in the coming years and hope the business continues to flourish in this fantastic building in the heart of Leeds city centre.”

To mark the moment and timing of the investment Leonard Curtis will be supporting men’s health charity Movember by growing moustaches and donating to the cause.