Member Article

North East has "enormous potential" says law firm's new head of corporate & commercial

Opportunities for business and the economic potential of the North East has prompted a respected lawyer to take up a leadership role at one of the region’s best-known law firms.

Dermot Winters, current President of the Tees Valley Law Society, is now a Partner and head of the Corporate and Commercial team at BHP Law.

He will oversee business law, commercial property, dispute resolution and employment law within his team of solicitors, who include specialists in all aspects of corporate and commercial transactions.

Originally from County Cork, Dermot has 16 years’ experience in merchant banking in the UK and the Republic of Ireland as well as 12 years in private law practice across the North East with particular expertise in finance, property and business sales and acquisitions.

He said: “Fantastic achievements are evident across the North East. The region has a long standing and well-deserved reputation for specific expertise in the engineering, chemical, logistics and offshore sectors.

“Teesside contributes £11bn to the national economy each year in terms of trade and Teesport is the only port in England to consistently record a trade in goods surplus, averaging £1bn each quarter.”

Dermot added: “There is a very positive story to tell. It’s a great place to do business and I see enormous potential here.

“Combined with the great structure in place at BHP Law and the knowledge and professional expertise within the team, we are in an excellent position to support businesses of all sizes to maximise the undoubted opportunities which exist in this marketplace.”

Acknowledging that the firm had come through a challenging period, Dermot explained: “We are going in the right direction and in an expansionary mode. We are recruiting to bring in additional capability to our teams to meet demand for our services so as to assist businesses towards growth and expansion.

“Many of BHP Law’s clients have been with the firm for generations. In addition to steady organic growth, and alongside the undoubted opportunities which exist throughout the region as a whole, we see huge potential.”

BHP Law is a full service, regional law firm with offices in Darlington, Stockton, Durham, Newcastle and Tynemouth.

Dermot said: “Our regional network of offices means that clients, whether private or corporate, can meet their advisors in modern offices wherever it’s most convenient for them.”

Outside of legal practice, Dermot is a director of Darlington Rugby Football Club and treasurer of the Tyneside Irish Centre.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sarah French .