BHP reputation on the rise

Sep 28 2007 By Karen Wilson, The Journal

BLACKETT Hart & Pratt LLP has once again emerged as a rising star in the North East legal sector in the latest Legal 500.

During another year of record growth for the firm, it completed three mergers, became a limited liability partnership, restructured internally and welcomed a number of new Partners to offer additional services.

It has moved up a place to ninth for its number of advisers in this year’s Legal 500 and has grown in staff terms by 25% to 230.

With continued and forecasted future growth, the firm appointed Andrew Sellers in January as Chief Operating Officer, who, along with Director of Marketing Bryan Hoare, became the second non solicitor to join the management board.

Mergers with Newcastle firms Harvey & Marron and Anderson Haggie have increased the family and commercial litigation teams, while a recent merger with James & Baker has helped grow BHP’s presence in the Tees Valley and added to its family and conveyancing services.

The firm has continued to add major clients from across the country, enhancing its position as a North East-based practice with national capability.

BHP has offices in Darlington, Durham, Newcastle and Teesside and is now a leading example of a multi-disciplinary practice, something which the Government is aiming to encourage as part of the proposed Clementi reforms.

Mr Hoare explained: “The reforms will have a significant impact on the legal sector over the next five years. The Government is keen to encourage increased competition and multi-disciplinary practices as a way of offering the public a wider choice of services.

“BHP intends to be at the forefront of these developments. As an entrepreneurial business we already have a strong record for combining legal services to corporate and private clients with a range of other services and expertise beyond the legal sector.”

From planning applications to financial planning, intellectual property to commercial property, sports agency to estate agency, BHP has attracted a number of specialists in growing its range of services.

Stephen Greenway, a Partner who has worked with some of the top names in motorsport including the Williams Formula One team, recently joined the business and company law team.

He is also working alongside former professional player, ex-Darlington FC manager and Football Association registered players’ agent David Hodgson in BHP’s new Sport division in one of the first appointments of its type in the country.

David Wilson has joined the firm’s company law team in Newcastle, while internationally respected lawyer Graham Ridler joined to lead a new corporate recovery team.

Partner Matthew Rippon, a specialist in intellectual property (IP), joined the Darlington office from Watson Burton. His IP expertise is already highly sought after among the region’s digital and design businesses and companies involved in bio- and nano-technology.

The reputation of Graeme Ritzema, who acts for a number of large employers in the North East, has kept BHP high in the list of employment law specialists.

In personal injury, the firm represented clients in two successful claimant cases in 2006 that resulted in six-figure damages.

The growth of the firm’s planning consultancy, which comprises town and country planning, commercial property and construction, makes it the biggest independent, in-house planning team within a North-East law firm with chartered town planners, in-house architectural designers and planning solicitors under one roof.

Experienced senior town planner Barney Corrigan moved from Dickinson Dees LLP to head a second team based at Newcastle, while specialist construction solicitor and Partner Andrea Gardner has brought many years experience of non-contentious construction work, private finance initiatives and advising parties on various aspects of construction projects.