Morrisons awards advisory work to Gordons' rivals

Paul Ayre, managing partner of Gordons. Picture Bruce Rollinson

Neither party would comment but it is understood that the grocer has awarded corporate, property and commercial work to rivals, including Eversheds.

The firm, which has advised Bradford-based Morrisons for over 50 years, will retain its personal injury work.

Over the years, Gordons, which has offices in Bradford and Leeds, has helped Britain’s fourth biggest supermarket buy over 300 stores and advised on hundreds of contracts.

Last September Eversheds took a lead role in Morrisons’ £25m sale of 140 smaller stores to retail entrepreneur Mike Greene and investment firm Greybull Capital.

In its latest accounts for the year to March 2015, Gordons said turnover slipped 1.8 per cent to £22.5m, while net profits increased by 5.5 per cent to £10.6m.

Gordons employs 235 people, including 27 partners.

In 2015 a team of private client lawyers left Gordons to set up a new niche firm, while Simon Pilling, who acted for Morrisons on the sale of Kiddicare to Endless in 2014, also left the business.