Law firm is on the move
Dec 19 2007 by Iain Laing, The Journal
LAW firm Dickinson Dees LLP is moving to bigger premises in York, after tripling its business in the city this year.
The Newcastle lawyers launched the office last year in the first move outside Tyneside in its 200-year history. And now the company, whose York staff has increased from 11 to 37 since January, is moving to the former Terry’s headquarters building in Bishopthorpe Road from its current offices in The Mount.
Dickinson Dees will remain at the 9,000 sq ft building within the Chocolate Works development for 18 months, while new 25,000 sq ft offices are being built close by. The 840-strong firm, which also opened a London office this summer, expects to have around 50 staff working out of York within the next two years.
The expansion of the North-East’s biggest law firm in York follows the takeover of leading York corporate law firm Philip Ashworth & Co at the beginning of the year. The York office now offers the full range of legal services to business, public sector and private clients alike across Yorkshire.
Philip Ashworth, corporate partner with Dickinson Dees in York, said: “Whilst I will be sorry to leave the old offices in The Mount, where I spent seven very happy years, the move represents an exciting time for the firm during this period of rapid expansion. The new offices are fantastic, so full of history, so that softens the blow, too.
“The expansion this year in York has been phenomenal. We now have five partners, two specialising in corporate work, one in tax, one in planning and one in property, who are backed up by a 32-strong team. We are continuing to recruit across all legal sectors, as we continue to establish ourselves as a major legal player in Yorkshire.”
He added: “Market research has revealed opportunities for a high-quality legal service throughout Yorkshire. We see our Yorkshire office in York as being a centre of excellence outside Leeds and an alternative for clients and lawyers.”
Highlights in Yorkshire this year include the £30m sale of an East Riding family business which comprised 24 companies operating from 48 properties across the North of England and advising Beverley-based Hodgson Sealants on its multi-million pound acquisition of the Scapa Group’s sealant business. Other clients in Yorkshire include: Mount Engineering, Helmsley Group Limited, Remote Operations Limited, Yorktest Limited, Phoenix Software Limited, DGP (Group) Limited, Rhodar Limited, Business Internet Directory Limited and Helperby Therapeutics plc.
