Global focus on city's legal sector

Arranged jointly by the the Leeds Law Society and the city council, the Leeds Conference takes place at Leeds Civic Hall on June 13 and features a stellar cast of national and international speakers.

Leeds has seen the fastest growth of any major legal centre in the UK this decade, surpassing the City of London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol, according to a research project commissioned by the council last year.

Confirmed speakers to date include the head of the Government Legal Department, senior figures from magic circle law firm Linklaters and FTSE 100 giant Aviva, the first female president of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce, government representatives from Hungary, Luxembourg and Flanders and a prominent New York-based international entrepreneur who grew up in Leeds.

Other speakers include new overseas investors in Leeds from China and Australia and directors from the Legal 500. The Yorkshire Post is media partner.

More high-profile business and civic speakers will be added in the coming weeks.

Bill Barton, president of the Leeds Law Society, said: “The inaugural Leeds Conference last year was a great success and generated national headlines about the growing importance of Leeds as the UK centre of excellence for legal services outside the City of London.

“By working together, law firms and wider business community are projecting a strong and dynamic image of Leeds to talent and investors.”

Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “Leeds is leading the way with legal service providers from the city providing expert advice and innovative technology to clients across the world.

“We want to build on this positive momentum to make sure that Leeds fulfils its growth potential in a way that everyone can benefit from.

“It is important that law firms and the wider business community in Leeds support the conference as this will send a strong message to the rest of the country and the world that we have the best legal sector in the UK.”

David Burgess, publishing director of the Legal 500, said: “The Legal 500 is delighted to support the Leeds initiative to demonstrate that the city is a centre of legal excellence outside London.