For the first time ever, the legal profession in Leeds has joined forces to create 'Leeds Legal' – a major national and international marketing campaign to promote the wealth of legal talent in the city.
At yesterday’s Westminster launch event, key Leeds Legal representatives unveiled campaign plans to attract more business to the city from overseas. The campaign's main sponsor, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), revealed details about a series of receptions across Europe, many of which will be held at British Embassies. Speaking at the event, Tony Sims, director of service industries at UKTI disclosed further information about the programme of overseas events, the first of which is taking place in Brussels on 7th and 8th June 06. The full programme comprises the following:
- Brussels – 7th and 8th June 2006
- Paris – early October 2006
- Barcelona – late November 2006
- Milan – late January 2007
- Düsseldorf – late March 2007
Believed to be the first time a city's law firms have formed an alliance to promote their services collectively in the history of the UK legal profession, Leeds Legal is backed by the Leeds Law Society and the regional office of the Law Society of England and Wales. The marketing campaign will promote areas of particular specialist legal advice, such as IT, energy, competition, property and intellectual property law as well as the wider expertisewhich the Leeds legal profession offers.
Kevin Martin, Law Society President, said: “Leeds is a major legal market which benefits from a wealth of expertise provided by thousands of solicitors and two of the country's finest law schools. The Law Society is pleased to support this campaign and we wish Leeds Legal every success."
Speaking after the event, Mark Robson, regional director at UKTI in Yorkshire said: "Receiving good quality sound legal advice early on is a key factor in the decision-making process for many overseas businesses looking to trade with or locate in Britain. Leeds has the breadth and depth of legal expertise required by these companies, and will act as a gateway to help attract increased foreign investment into Yorkshire and the UK as a whole.”
He continued: “UKTI is now working closely with the Leeds Legal campaign team to encourage both Leeds’ law firms and their clients to trade more internationally. We are delighted that the city’s law firms are working with us to fulfil their global business potential.”
Along with UKTI, Leeds Legal is being sponsored by three of Leeds’ largest corporate legal practices, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Pinsent Masons and Lupton Fawcett, along with a number of smaller specialist Leeds law firms who are associate sponsors**. Other key campaign sponsors include Marketing Leeds, Millnet – specialists in the production and processing of paper and electronic legal documents, Jet2.com, Hilton Hotels and Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds has long been a centre of legal excellence, with the majority of the UK’s national law firms having a major presence in the city. This is coupled with a value for money, no-nonsense approach and strong personal client relationships which have become a hallmark of the Leeds’ legal profession.
For further information about Leeds Legal and its international programme of events, log on to www.leedslegal.co.uk.
Caption: Celebrating success: from left, Nigel McClea of Pinsent Masons, Deborah Green of the Law Society and Alastair DaCosta of Marketing Leeds at the Leeds Legal launch.
