Law firm Womble Bond Dickson launches service for fast growing business

WBD Accelerate is a formal partnership with Yena, a virtual acceleration community that supports entrepreneurs and the growth of start-ups across the UK.

The service will be headed up by WBD technology partner Alastair Mitton.

He said: “We understand that there are a whole range of challenges to be met in growing and scaling up a successful business and that legal considerations are only part of that jigsaw.

“However, making sure that the legals are right from an early stage tends to pay dividends in saving time and reducing risk in the longer term.

“It’s inevitably also a key part of securing investment, so can help stop potential issues becoming unexpected barriers to growth – often at just the wrong moment.”

WBD Accelerate will provide a package of services, including access to a range of legal experts experienced in advising businesses at a similar stage with a nominated legal ‘mentor’ as a first point of contact.

It will also provide access to a growing number of commonly needed and focused legal documents that can be produced on a self-service basis through the firm’s platforms.

“At WBD we’re committed to supporting ambitious local, national and international businesses with smart legal advice and innovative thinking,” Mr Mitton said. “We came across Yena and the fantastic work it does for entrepreneurs when Ash – Yena’s founder – spoke at our International Innovation Week in 2018 and instantly knew this was a business we wanted to work with.”

Yena was founded in 2013. It started as a meetup event in Bristol, it’s now grown into a platform that connects start-ups with the resources they need to start and grow a business.

Ash Phillips, founder of Yena, said: “We are incredibly excited to have WBD on board to help support our journey to provide high quality business support to everyone, everywhere. It’s been really important for us to take the time to find the right partners and ensure they truly understand us, our mission and the needs of our community.”

WBD has an office in Leeds.