Top 100 law firm targets Yorkshire legal market
A TOP 100 law firm is targeting expansion in Yorkshire as it plans to double its turnover by expanding geographically.
Andy Raynor, chief executive of Shakespeare Martineau, has told TheBusinessDesk.com that he wants the company to expand into Leeds and South Yorkshire.
Shakespeare Martineau was created via a merger last year between SGH Martineau and Shakespeares.
The combined firm currently turns over £75m and has employs 900 people.
Mr Raynor, who heads the Birmingham-based firm, said that annualised turnover at the newly merged company will be up around 40% when figures are released in April.
“There remain opportunities for organic growth throughout the Midlands,” said Mr Raynor, “but we’re also looking to push into South Yorkshire and Leeds.
“We want to operate up and down the spine of the country.”
Mr Raynor, who is approaching his first anniversary as chief executive, said it is his ambition to double the size of the firm over a five-year period.
He added: “The West and East Midlands are very different markets, but we have staff who come from the Birmingham office to the East Midlands and vice-versa to work. It works very well and we now have the luxury of very strong real estate and corporate and commercial teams – certainly stronger than our main competitors.”
The firm has offices in Birmingham, Leicester, London, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Solihull, Stratford upon Avon as well as an international office in Brussels.
