Ward Hadaway reveals income ‘on track’ at city office as work volumes increase 3pc
LAW FIRM Ward Hadaway said income is “on track” for its operation in Yorkshire in its annual results.
The law firm, which has offices in Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester and employs more than 450 people across the North, said it saw its income steady at just short of £36m in the year to the end of April 2017.
Ward Hadaway declined to provide a comparative figure for the year ended April 2016.
The firm says it has seen 26 per cent growth over the last 10 years and reported that work volumes across the firm rose by 3 per cent in the year to the end of April 2017.
Ward Hadaway didn’t disclose a profit per equity partner figure but said that profits remained on track despite significant investment in its three offices.
Its Leeds office in particular has seen significant investment with the firm relocating to new premises at the Wellington Place development in the city in October 2016.
Jamie Martin, managing partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “We are very content that income remains steady across all of our departments and offices in what was a somewhat difficult year for the British economy.
“Uncertainties caused by Brexit and the political situation in a number of countries including our own have affected the legal marketplace and so to be able to report a 3 per cent increase in volume is a more than satisfactory outcome.
“Income into our Leeds office remained on track and it is particularly pleasing to report that profits have remained satisfactory, despite the significant investment which we made in moving to our new office last October.
“This was not only a mark of the success of our operation in Leeds, but also represented a real vote of confidence in the Yorkshire economy.”
Mr Martin said the firm’s move to Wellington Place was money well spent and that the building was providing the “right facilities, space and environment”.
Ward Hadaway also said it had invested in recruiting experienced lawyers over the past year to continue the firm’s growth and overall increased its number of lawyers by 7 per cent. Earlier this year the firm held merger talks with Weightmans but talks ultimately led to a dead end.