Eight delegates from Milan arrived on Monday to learn more about doing business in Yorkshire, keen to develop relationships with the finest of the region’s legal professionals.
The two-day visit, organised by Leeds Legal – the UK’s only law sector marketing campaign – in conjunction with UK Trade and Investment and the British Chamber of Commerce for Italy, follows a handful of visits from local lawyers and city leaders to Milan over the last 18 months.
As part of a packed agenda during their short stay, the Italian delegates met many of the city’s top law firms, to develop key relationships, which it is hoped will lead to reciprocal referrals, cross border collaboration and increased opportunities for Leeds lawyers.
On Monday, ahead of these meetings, delegates were given the opportunity to learn more about doing business in Leeds and the Yorkshire region, they attended presentations from their hosts, Anne Staton from the city council’s Inward Investment department and Ian Williams at Leeds Chamber of Commerce, which demonstrated the collaborative links between these bodies.
In the evening delegates were officially welcomed at a dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor councillor Brian Cleasby, held at the Civic Hall. On Tuesday the visitors – many of whom have not been to the city before – were treated to a walking tour, conducted by the Leeds Civic Trust, before enjoying a night at a typical Leeds pub.
Deborah Green, chief operating officer of Marketing Leeds and a director of Leeds Legal, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Italian delegation to Leeds. It’s a great chance to build a network of business support for all parties involved, to learn more about collaborative working and explore new potential business opportunities.”
Leeds Legal is a unique organisation dedicated to raising the profile of the world-class expertise of the city’s legal services sector. It continues to be one of the most successful city agencies to utilise European and international trade missions.
