The centre will open in September
International law firm Taylor Wessing is launching a low-cost support hub in Liverpool.
The centre will open in September, initially with a small number of new legal service roles as well as local operational support. According to Taylor Wessing, it’s also proposing to move its business acceptance team out of London, as it looks to meet the increasing demand on business services and adapt to changing clients’ needs.
Over the coming months, the 32-office outfit will continue to review its operations to assess the development and growth of its new outpost. On why it punted for Liverpool, Taylor Wessing cited the city’s thriving and progressive environment, high volume of experienced people and excellent universities.
And training contract hunters of Liverpool take note.
On the possibility of a Liverpool offering, Taylor Wessing’s graduate talent partner, Matthew Royle, told Legal Cheek:
“It’s still early days and we’ll continue to assess all options in line with our business needs — including our training contracts and alternative qualification routes. The new office will provide yet another opportunity to encourage our talent to flourish and embed our culture, developing new ways of working, and complement our teams across both offices.”
Taylor Wessing isn’t the first international legal player to be lured beyond the boundaries of the City.
In April, Legal Cheek reported that Reed Smith was gearing up to launch a low-cost support hub in Leeds. At the time, Reed Smith said the centre will offer support to its London office while providing a “creative environment” for its lawyers and support staff “to find new approaches to problem solving”.
Last year, Norton Rose Fulbright confirmed it was expanding its Newcastle operations following a successful 12-month pilot project. Other firms to launch similar ventures outside London include Allen & Overy, Herbert Smith Freehills and Baker McKenzie, in Belfast, and Latham & Watkins, Freshfields and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisne, in Manchester.
