Business leaders gather to bid top lawyer farewell

AROUND 200 members of the Yorkshire business community gathered at an event to celebrate the work of a popular long-serving Yorkshire lawyer.

Nigel McClea, the head of Pinsent Masons’ Leeds office, is stepping down from his role, to be replaced by property lawyer Mark Owen.

Mr McClea, who is also chairman of Marketing Leeds, was joined by business leaders, political figures and lawyers from rival firms at a drinks event at the City Inn Hotel in Leeds last night where he assured his guests he would continue to play an active role in business and community issues in the city.

With his customary dry wit and self-effacing approach, Mr McClea told his guests that the event was not so much to celebrate his long service with one of Yorkshire’s largest and oldest established law firms, as an opportunity to welcome Mr Owen to his new role.

Guests wrote messages in a book wishing him a successful future.