Bradford-headquartered law firm Gordons in 600-store milestone with B&M

Yorkshire law firm Gordons has hit a new milestone in its work for B&M by advising the retail group on its 600th store opening.

Commercial property partner Joanne Fearnley has served as principal legal adviser to B&M on property matters for 15 years, acting on every one of the company’s unit acquisitions in England and Wales during that time.

On the 600th deal, which saw B&M acquire premises in Tonbridge, Kent, Joanne worked with Gordons commercial property solicitor James Kimberley.

Liverpool-headquartered B&M was founded 40 years ago and today employs more than 28,000 people.

In May, the retailer posted annual profits of £229.3m before tax, a year-on-year increase of 25.4%.

Discussing Gordons’ contribution to its growth, B&M chief executive Simon Arora said: “Gordons has shown time and again that they understand retail and our business in particular.

“Joanne instinctively grasps what is, and what isn’t, important to us. She is practical, efficient and able to think and act entrepreneurially for B&M. She is a crucial part of our success story.”

Gordons was last month appointed by Heron Foods, the B&M-owned discount convenience grocery brand. It now handles the company’s UK-wide store acquisition programme.

Joanne commented: “We take great pride in having assisted B&M with the opening of so many stores and hope our association will continue through many more milestones of this kind. It is an outstandingly successful business and a great client to work with.

“B&M is one of the UK’s quickest expanding retailers and demands legal services that are delivered accurately and quickly. Our long-established relationship with the company shows we know how to satisfy these needs, provide practical advice and negotiate highly acceptable terms.”

Gordons is based across Bradford and Leeds. The company works with a number of big brands in the retail sector, including AO World, Iceland Foods, Morrisons and Nisa.