Newcastle law firm marks 40th year with expansion into Manchester

North East law firm Short Richardson & Forth (SRF) is establishing an office in Manchester.

The company, founded 40 years ago in Newcastle, decided to expand into the North West following a period of sustained growth.

SRF has experienced 20% year-on-year growth for the last three years under the leadership of directors Tim Berg, Andrew Swan and Max Winthrop.

Recent client wins in Manchester, the city’s busy airport and its proximity to the Information Commissioner’s Office in Wilmslow were all factors driving the expansion.

Andrew Swan, who heads up the company’s regulatory team and will lead the Manchester office, said: “It’s important to the firm that those relationships are cemented, so naturally Manchester was top of the list of places for us to go.

“This is by no means the last though, and with a growing client base, we’re hoping this is the first in a line of new offices for the firm going forward.”

He continued: “The new location near to Manchester Airport has been highlighted regionally as a great place to do business due to developing links with both Europe and America, and in a post-Brexit world could become more important than ever in growing and maintaining a business with both national and potentially new international clients.”

SRF is hoping the move will enable it to create new jobs both in the North West and North East.

The firm’s managing partner, Tim Berg, explained: “This move is an indicator of our intentions for the business to grow, and whilst obviously good news for Manchester, it will also lead to the further development of our head office in Newcastle where we’re already looking to expand our current team.”

Tim Newns, chief executive officer of Manchester’s inward investment agency MIDAS, welcomed the expansion.

He commented: “Short Richardson & Forth are a great addition to Manchester’s legal sector and with specialisations around GDPR, it moves them closer to key national bodies such as the Information Commissioner’s Office which is based just south of Manchester Airport.”