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Law firm DWF, which was founded in Liverpool 31 years ago, is set to take its offering outside the region for the first time by opening an office in London. Insurance and catastrophic injury lawyer Graham Dickinson, who is moving to DWF from Davies Lavery following its merger with Kennedys, will oversee the launch of the operation. Managing partner Andrew Leaitherland said: "We have been considering a move to London for a while and securing a team of this calibre is exactly the opportunity we were looking for." 
We've got the knowledge This morning Liverpool Science Park hosted the inaugural Knowledge Economy Business Breakfast with the help of Merseyside ICT and Shipley Solicitors. The event featured talks from two park residents, Brendon Ludden of New Concept Gaming and Ben Hatton of Rippleffect. Ludden showcased some of his company's technology and praised the Merseyside Special Investment Fund and The Mersey Partnership. "Everyone we spoke to when we set up here had a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm," he said. Hatton, who recently sold Rippleffect to Trinity Mirror for up to £5.8m, explained his plans to remain with the business. "The deal was structured over three years and it's a long-term strategy," he said. "I want to be part of Rippleffect for years to come."
Planning goes in for giant M&S Manchester-based HOW Planning has submitted a planning application for a 195,000 sq ft Marks & Spencer store at Cheshire Oaks in Ellesmere Port, to be developed by M&S with Simons Developments. Although the planning consultancy says this will be Marks & Spencer's second-largest store in the UK, similar claims are being made in Leeds about the store that will anchor the city's ambitious Eastgate Quarters scheme, which Insider understands is planned to take up 196,370 sq ft.
Fly away Ryanair has announced that it will launch four new routes from Liverpool John Lennon Airport at the end of October 2008. Services will start for the winter season onwards to Gdansk and Scezecin in Poland, Knock in Ireland and Faro in Portugal. To celebrate, Ryanair is offering seats on flights to all four destinations from £31.
Art for art's sake Who doesn't like a bit of public art? OK, who doesn't mind it as long as the taxpayer's not footing the bill? Tower-happy developer Beetham Organization is quite into the whole thing, and last night launched Skyline by Oliver Barratt, a "gracious and enigmatic sculpture created with five metres of steel lines and loops that sweep, move and touch." Fair enough. The sculpture sits outside Beetham's headquarters at the junction of Old Hall Street, Brook Street and King Edward Street. Form an orderly queue.
Defensive sectors are more attractive propositions at the moment and St Helens-based electrical engineering business AT Group has recently scored contracts with North West powerhouse United Utilities and Warrington Borough Council. So Alliance and Leicester Commercial Bank stepped up this week to back a secondary management buyout (MBO) of the firm, led by managing director Rob Rushton. In the original MBO the directors acquired a 49 per cent stake in the company, with the remaining 51 per cent being acquired by Close Brothers Growth Capital, which has now sold out to the directors. The business employs 300 people and has a turnover of about £20m.
Boundlessly optimistic quote of the week "Plenty of people are gloomy about the forecast. But with Liverpool in the spotlight, 2008 is very much the year for the North West to show its mettle. And Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets is right behind the region all the way," Dave Allanson, director and head of large corporate, Lloyds TSB, North West.
Brutally honest quote of the week "We're busy, but probably more with existing clients. Venture capital funding is fine, but the banking side is a lot tighter. It will probably not pick up in terms of completions until after Christmas." David Houghton, head of corporate finance and partner at Brabners Chaffe Street.
View from the nationals The Financial Times' Jonathan Guthrie cast a shrewd eye over the North West's coastal resorts this week, praising in particular the "Southport mafia" of business figures and council officials that have driven visitor numbers up. Some hints for Blackpool followed - buzzy buildings, imaginative leaders and a niche. Simple, eh? While Morecambe, "boasting dereliction that makes Blackpool seem like Monte Carlo", has a chance of returning from the dead if it can build - inevitably - on the impetus of the Midland Hotel.
Canapé won't pay Insider's favourite event of the week, based solely on the quality of food available, goes to last night's Food Northwest Awards, at which the delicious fare was concocted by the likes of Paul Askew of Liverpool's London Carriage Works restaurant and Matthew Nugent of Heathcotes, with the help of secondary schools in the region. All the food was locally sourced and, to top it all off, every diner received a goodie bag of regional food and drink to take home. Event organisers take note.
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