National law firm further expands in UK legal market with opening of new Leeds office

Law firm Shoosmiths is set to open a new office in Leeds as part of its strategy to have a larger presence in the UK legal market.

Two new partners have been announced as the first appointments in Leeds, which will be Shoosmiths’ 11th office.

Simon Robinson and Phil Crowe will join the firm from Gordons to spearhead the opening of the office.

Claire Rowe, Shoosmiths chief executive, said: “This exciting move into Leeds will enable us to access one of the largest legal markets in the UK outside of London, bringing both new people and clients to the firm.

“We have an ambitious growth strategy, which includes taking a larger share of the domestic market, and have chosen to build our practice organically through carefully planned expansion of our teams and services across locations, in response to client demand.

“We are focusing on the client experience and listening very carefully to what our clients are asking for. This strategy has enabled us to grow a larger share of our clients’ legal spend because they like what we deliver.

“Although we already advise clients based in Yorkshire, this new office will enable us to develop more work from some of the largest national and international corporates in that region.

“We plan to create a Northern hub of legal expertise for Shoosmiths’ clients with our Leeds and Manchester offices working closely together and anticipate recruiting specialists in key fields including corporate, real estate and commercial disciplines to help us fulfil that goal.”

Shoosmiths has a track record of national growth and has opened new offices in Manchester and Edinburgh in recent years.

The firm’s Manchester office was opened in 2008 with the recruitment of a team of six and now has over 150 people, and the Edinburgh office was established as a result of a merger with Archibald Campbell & Harley in 2012.

The firm has not yet set a confirmed date for the office opening, although it said it would be late 2016.

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