The founder of North East legal firm Square One Law has announced his retirement.
Senior partner Ian Gilthorpe will retire from the business he initially launched as a start-up 11 years ago, growing it into a successful commercial law practice with offices in Newcastle, Leeds and Darlington.
Gill Hunter will continue to lead the firm as managing partner, having joined as part of the succession plan back in 2018. Over the last four years she has worked closely with Mr Gilthorpe and the company’s 16 other partners, which is active in sectors including advanced manufacturing, digital and IT, energy and infrastructure, and health and life sciences.
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One of the region’s best-known lawyers, Mr Gilthorpe’s career started at Muckle, where he spent 25 years, before moving to Eversheds where he was business development partner. He said his experiences at the two law firms inspired him to create his own business.
He said: “Having started the business in a recession and then opening our Leeds office on the first day of the full Covid lockdown, the firm is adept at overcoming challenging situations, and the team here will undoubtedly continue in that vein notwithstanding the current economic situation.
“Long term planning is so important in succession, so I concluded the time was right for me to step aside and I am now looking forward to working with one or two businesses with specific projects.
“I particularly want to thank all the clients who place their trust in Square One Law to help their businesses. Many of them came to us when we were a start-up and continue to work with us today and it has been that amazing support that has helped Square One Law grow and develop.
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“My thanks also to the whole Square One Law team for all their support and I know they will continue to focus on providing an excellent service and solutions for the firm’s clients.”
Ms Hunter said: “Ian is one of the most respected lawyers in the North and a real trailblazer in our sector and we wish him well for the future. He has helped build and guide the firm into a very strong position, which my fellow partners and I will continue to build upon. The new structure we have evolved within the business will maintain our reputation as an innovative and fresh-thinking law firm and enact our next five-year business plan, which will deliver further growth and services for our established and new clients.”
Mark Lazenby, head of corporate at Square One, added: “Ian and I have worked on a large number of regionally significant projects and deals over the last few years. His legacy is the great clients he has introduced to the firm and showing our people the importance of building long-term relationships with them.”