Professionals: Pinsent Masons, Squire Patton Boggs, Bevan Brittan

LAW firm Pinsent Masons has teamed up with Ahead Partnership and clients including ASDA, KPMG, Lloyds Bank & Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) to host a debating tournament for students from around West Yorkshire.

Abbey Grange Academy; Cockburn School; Grange Technology College and; Leeds West Academy each submitted a team of 5 students to compete in the competition, which took place last Friday at Pinsent Masons’ office in central Leeds.

Debates included motions on whether Yorkshire should be an independent state, and whether university education should be free.

The final debate was won by a team of students from Abbey Grange Academy.

Judges for the competition included partner sponsor for Starfish for the Leeds office of Pinsent Masons, Matthew Baker; chief executive at Ahead Partnership, Stephanie Burras and Angela Knowles, the original ‘Miss February’ in the alternative Women’s Institute (WI) calendar created by the Rylstone WI in 2000.

Since the calendar was launched, Angela and her fellow ‘Calendar Girls’ have raised over £4million for Blood Wise (formerly Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research).

Starfish, Pinsent Masons’ corporate responsibility programme, focuses on partnering with local communities to inspire young lives.

Matthew Baker, said: “We lawyers love a good argument and we have thoroughly enjoyed today. I for one have been impressed by the standard and would think twice before taking any of these guys on! On a serious note, I hope today has whetted their appetite for more. There are serious issues to be resolved around access to the legal profession and part of our aim here is to demonstrate how engaging the job can be.”

Rob Walker, relationship director, Lloyds Banking Group said: “Lloyds Bank is delighted to support the students with this event. Meeting and helping them to find their voice has been very rewarding and a pleasure for us all.”

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A TEAM from Squire Patton Boggs has acted for Leumi ABL in a funding deal for Knighton Foods.

Squire Patton Boggs’ Leeds managing partner John Alderton, senior associate Tom Telford and associate Jenny Jones all advised on the deal which saw Knighton, a powdered food supplier, secure a £14m funding facility to aid growth.

A recent joint venture with Premier Foods meant that Knighton Foods required a more flexible approach to their working capital requirements.

Mike Kirby, chairman of Knighton Foods, commented: “The business is looking to expand rapidly over the next few years with new investment in people, systems, product development and packaging formats, while retaining the same focus on delivering high quality products to our customers.

“Leumi ABL offered the most comprehensive and flexible funding package to meet our working capital requirements. In addition, we found John Walsh and everyone we dealt with at Leumi ABL to be very genuine and approachable and we look forward to working with them as the business expands.”

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SEVEN lawyers from the Leeds office of law firm Bevan Brittan spent a day at Middleton St Mary’s primary school near Leeds, promoting the legal profession to kids.

They swapped their desks for a chalkboard as part of Leeds Legal Education Week, where staff from law firms across Leeds help raise awareness in schools about the world of work, and choices and options open to children from a young age.

Organised by Leeds Law Society, in conjunction with Leeds-based social enterprise the Ahead Partnership, Leeds Legal Education Week aims to connect students in inner city primary schools with the legal profession.

Bevan Brittan’s Leeds office at Toronto Square opened in September to complement its existing offices in Birmingham, Bristol and London.

Lyndon Campbell, senior associate at Bevan Brittan who took part in the visit, said: “It was great fun and really rewarding to spend the day with the children of Middleton St Mary’s.

“We explained what lawyers do and tried to inspire them to want to become one! Leeds Legal Education Week is a great initiative and we were delighted to take part. With our new office, we’re keen to get involved in local business and community initiatives.”