Law firm looking to expand in new market

The Leeds-based group, which has a turnover of almost 7m, said it is ideally placed to

take over other practices and merge with new disciplines, including those that fall victim to the difficult economic climate.

Partner Andrew Greenwood said: "We have a very strong financial platform and a relatively young partnership with lots of energy and drive.

"We would be quite happy to look at other disciplines and other strong partnerships that would dovetail with the work and ethos we have.

"It could be a struggling business or a smaller niche practice specialising in different disciplines of law. Anything that gives us added value and service."

Emsleys believes that law firms need to run more like commercial businesses to compete in the market place in the future.

The Legal Services Bill, which is being introduced, allows supermarkets and other commercial organisations to provide legal services to the public.

The so-called "Tesco law", which has split the legal profession, aims to increase competition for consumers.

Emsleys is in favour of the controversial legislation, saying it presents exciting opportunities for the profession. But opponents have warned it could actually reduce the availability of services like conveyancing, leave smaller and rural law firms struggling to compete and threaten the independence of lawyers.

Aspects of the law have already been introduced, while others, such as the introduction of external equity, are being phased in.

Mr Greenwood said: "The legal profession has changed hugely over the last two decades and in the next 20 years that is inevitably bound to happen again."

Partner Alistair McKinlay added: "The shake-up in the way law firms are owned and managed presents exciting options for legal practices and tie-ups with professions such as architects, accountants are realistic options in the next two or three years."

Mr Greenwood said: "We have tried to do the reverse to most legal firms, looking at the company as a business model and trying to do things a bit differently."

Recent ventures by the firm include the creation of a new loyalty card for customers, which offers discounts on its services.

Emsleys, which has 115 staff across Leeds, was established in 1987 as a law firm. It launched its estate agency and letting service five years ago but this division bore the brunt of the recession.

Prior to the credit crunch, property formed about a third of the business but that has fallen by half to 15 per cent. However, Mr McKinlay said the outlook was improving. "We are seeing positive signs of recovery," he said.

The company recently invested 80,000 in four new VW Bluemotions cars for sales staff, appointed five new employees and has seen month on month growth this year.

Turnover for the whole company is up from just over 6m in 2008-9, which is in part due to its recession-proof work on the legal side, including family law and personal injury claims.

Mr Greenwood said: "These have been completely unaffected and we have seen increases in the volumes of work in these areas because of the recession."

The company now has eight branches across east Leeds but plans to open new offices, expanding its reach in the north of the city.

"We'll see how the market progresses over the next few months and then move this plan forward in the next 12 months," Mr Greenwood added.

Taking the green route

Emsleys has two divisions – law and property. The firm, formed 23 years ago, employs 115 people.

Its offices across East Leeds include Garforth, Colton, Kippax, Rothwell, Cross Gates, Castleford and Sherburn in Elmet.

The company recently launched a green team,

which aims to monitor and reduce the impact that the firm has on the environment. So far it has invested 80,000 in a fleet of new Golf Bluemotions, one of the lowest carbon emission vehicles available.

The team also introduced a recycling service across all offices and employees are reminded to turn off all equipment that is not being used to reduce overall energy consumption and use of resources.