Prime time to set up in Birmingham, says City law firm
By Stephanie Bartup, Midlands Correspondent
City law firm Trowers & Hamlins has chosen to open an office in Birmingham's Colmore Row to fill a geographical gap in its UK office structure. Partner Sara Bailey, who will head up the Birmingham office of 23, told Insider the firm had an increasing number of clients in the Midlands and wanted to "invest and grow in the regions we are operating in".
The Midlands office will specialise in providing services to the affordable housing sector, as well as offering procurement, property, employment and housing management disciplines.
The firm has offices in London, Exeter and Manchester in the UK as well as five offices located throughout the Middle East.
Bailey, currently partner in the firm's London office, will lead the Birmingham team when it opens up on 4 July.
Joining her in the Colmore Row offices will be a team which the firm acquired from rival Shoosmiths, including two former partners, Rebecca McGuirk and Yetunde Dania. Bailey's fellow London-based partner will also join the Birmingham team.
"We will have a team of 23 in Birmingham, including members of the Trowers & Hamlins team who will come up from the other offices three or four days a week," she said.
Bailey said the new office was a time for the company to expand and grow its staff numbers, rather than simply relocate its current staff.
"We are really looking to grow organically, and I imagine we'll start to recruit again in the city in about six months' time", she added.
Bailey said that alongside the geographical logistics of the Birmingham location, it was the interest of a growing number of Midlands-based clients which encouraged the firm to make the move.
"Although London is close to Birmingham, we had an increasing number of clients in the Midlands who were telling us we should open up in the city. We wanted to invest and grow in the region's we are operating in, and the Midlands is becoming more and more popular for us.
"It is definitely the right time for us to put all our energies into the Birmingham office," said Bailey.
As the firm prepares to open its new office next month, Bailey said it had no immediate plans to expand elsewhere, and was "fully focused" on Birmingham for the moment.
