Only shortly in the wake of the announcement that Hogan Lovells is to launch a low-cost nearshoring venture in Birmingham, Trowers & Hamlins has said it is to build up its existing Birmingham base with the relocation of three public sector City lawyers.
Partner Amardeep Gill will relocate from the firm’s London office to Birmingham to lead the team, which includes projects and construction partner Andrew Vickery and associate Louis Sebastian, who will all relocate in April, growing the West Midlands team by 23%.
Gill specialises in advising local authorities on major transactions and projects, while Vickery has experience of advising on construction contracts, framework structures, public procurement and asset management contracts.
Trowers & Hamlins senior partner Jennie Gubbins says: ‘Birmingham is an important base for us, and we have always been committed to growing our presence there as the needs of our clients evolve. Much of the firm’s work is spread across national teams located in our network of offices, and these moves will enable us to more efficiently and cost-effectively service clients directly from our Midlands base.’
The top 50 firm launched its Birmingham office in the summer of 2011, adding to its national network of offices in Manchester and Exeter.
The expansion follows the announcement from transatlantic firm Hogan Lovells at the start of March that it is to launch a new legal services centre in Birmingham to undertake low-level legal work as a cost-effective extension of its London office.
The nearshoring venture, called the Legal Service Centre, will be developed over time in response to client demand but it is expected to comprise up to 20 lawyers initially. London partner Alan Greenough will be moving to Birmingham to manage the office, which is expected to be established by autumn this year.
Trowers’ most recent LLP filings showed the firm’s net income fell from £26.2m to £16.1m while operating profit was down from £28.4m to £18.8m in 2013. The firm said the sharp fall in profits was largely due to the cost of moving into its new London headquarters.
Its expansion in Birmingham comes after it scaled back internationally this year, closing its Cairo office in January, citing uncertainty over the long-term outlook for Egypt.
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
