Member Article

Simpson Millar announces major expansion plans for Manchester office

Leading national law firm Simpson Millar has revealed ambitious recruitment plans which will see its team expand by nearly 20% by the end of 2019 – adding 47 new roles at its Manchester office as part of a wider recruitment drive across the country which will create almost 100 new positions.

With a mix of legal and business services positions across the whole of the business now available, the firm is to host an Open Day at its offices at King Street Townhouse, 10 Booth Street, Manchester, later this month.

The announcement marks the next phase of an ‘exciting new era’ for the firm which last year revealed that it had embarked on a £50m growth strategy; resulting in ‘significant’ investment in its technology, its marketing and its people.

Committed to positioning itself as an employer of choice within the legal arena, earlier this month the firm also revealed the appointment of Helen Sutton, who has taken on the newly formed role of Director of HR.

She has been tasked with supporting the firm’s expansion by creating and delivering a ‘strong people plan’, in line with the firm’s new ‘Open’ proposition, which is focused, on ensuring all staff feel supported, informed and engaged as the business continues to grow.

Commenting on the recruitment drive, Helen said: “Simpson Millar is embarking on a very exciting new era – its investment plan, announced last September, was followed very quickly with two business acquisitions, as well as significant and continuing investment in its marketing and technology.

“While the firm has made significant steps in achieving its 5-year growth strategy, successful delivery of its plan will only be achievable with the right teams and people in place.

“This recruitment drive is another step forward in ensuring that the firm is able to realise our aspirations.

“Meanwhile, we have also been talking to our existing colleagues to understand what is important to them and, in response, we are making a number of exciting changes to how we work – this includes piloting a more modern approach to work; with the firm introducing a flexible working policy, a more informal dress code, and the launch of a new learning and development programme.”

Simpson Millar’s commitment to delivering an open workplace and approachable ethos for its colleagues is also mirrored in its commitment to its clients, with the firm’s recent review of the legal market – which considered what clients are looking for when seeking legal help and advice – prompting a rebrand to position the firm as ‘The Open Lawyers’.

Greg Cox, Simpson Millar CEO, said: “We have looked hard at how people want to deal with their lawyers. There is a real need to ‘open up’ the law, removing some of the myths and barriers to access, providing access to legal services which fit in with the lives of our clients not the convenience of lawyers, finding ways to meet the legal need which is currently going unmet and being able to present complex issues in a simple, open way.

“We believe our new identity promotes this and, combined with a number of new initiatives planned for this year, the firm will begin to break down the barriers that exist in people obtaining the legal help and support they need, when they need it and at a price they understand.

“Recruiting the right people will ensure that we are able to achieve this vision, and we are looking forward to welcoming new colleagues to our team over the coming months.”

The investment growth strategy, which follows a review last year by the firm’s owner Doorway and the management team at Simpson Millar, is intended to capitalise on the opportunities in the consumer legal market driven through continued regulatory reform, cost pressures and changing client demands.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Alisha Griffiths .