Why James Smith decided to launch his own law firm in Denby Dale

Denby Dale is probably not the first name that crops up in the mind of a law firm when it’s looking to establish itself.

However, that’s exactly where three young residential property and finance experts opened the doors to their own law firm.

James Smith joined his friend and colleague David Bancroft in climbing off the career ladder at an established firm to set up Holden Smith in February 2019. They were joined by financial adviser, Jamie Megson.

Mr Smith said: “I met David through Ison Harrison. He was the one who recruited me there.

“Essentially, we just got on really well and became very good friends.”

The duo helped grow the residential property team there from five to 40 staff and built up their black book of contacts.

It was here that Mr Smith also met Mr Megson who had started to refer a lot of work to him.

The traditional route would have seen Mr Smith progress through a firm and into a directorship at some point in the future.

But he and Mr Bancroft had other ideas after realising that they could use their youthful energy to disrupt the market. All three of them are in their 30s with Mr Smith only 32.

The Huddersfield-born lawyer realised that established law firms found it trickier to adopt new technologies and setting up their own business was the way forward.

“We ended up thinking for one reason or another – I know this sounds a bit brash – that we could probably do a better job in terms of service delivery to the customer through technology,” Mr Smith says.

He added: “What has amazed us is the technology we can get these days by paying as you go. Whereas the old firms can’t because they are on some old historic systems whereby it’s nigh on impossible to change across.

“We can be really fluid and change and be dynamic in the technology we use.”

The duo were also confident in bringing over their network of contacts and have the added bonus of not having to pay out large sums to become partners.

Mr Smith said: “It’s either you pay out for partners to effectively retire or you go ahead and have a go yourself.

“We just chose to have a go ourselves. Fortunately, touch wood, it has come off to date.”

Coupled with the use of technology is a more informal, human-focused approach. For Mr Smith, the suits and jargon are out. It’s a key differentiator for Holden Smith.

“We’re all younger lads,” Mr Smith says. “We try and really break down the stuffiness of a law firm. Everyone has got an idea of what a lawyer looks like.

“If you meet me or David, we’re not anything like that stereotype. We’re quite young. We’re approachable. We talk in a language that people can understand. None of us wear a suit.

“We’re just trying to put the customer at the forefront of everything that we do.”

It marks a change in the client solicitor relationship in recent years.

The job is expected to be done regardless and customer service is what the majority of people are looking for.

Mr Smith added: “It’s all about communication with the client. We embrace every bit of tech that comes to the market to try and give that customer service delivery that our generation expects. They expect responses quickly.”

It still begs the question why choose a quiet village in West Yorkshire as the opening of your first office?

The duo had noticed during their time at Ison Harrison that clients preferred coming to offices in their communities rather than going into the city centre.

Accessibility is also a factor. Whereas driving into a city or town centre comes with parking and congestion issues, their office in the shadow of Denby Dale Viaduct doesn’t suffer from the same problem.

The postcode also happens to be pretty affluent.

“Clients definitely like the fact that we’re easily accessible and that they can drive to us,” Mr Smith says.

This is not to say that the business doesn’t harbour bigger ambitions.

Despite only launching at the beginning of last year they have already added two more offices – one in Cross Gates, Leeds and another in Halifax.

The business already has 29 staff and Mr Smith, while admitting that the coronavirus pandemic has injected a great deal of uncertainty, is still looking for opportunities to grow Holden Smith.

In fact, the temporary Stamp Duty holiday has seen it busier than ever.

That’s not to say that the pandemic didn’t throw a giant spanner in the works. However, the furlough scheme and a subsequent pick-up in instructions have ensured the business stayed healthy.

While Mr Smith occupies the commercial law space, his first exposure to the legal system was with a charity that helped the families of prisoners.

“When I went to university, I got involved with this charity called Pops (Partners of Prisoners),” Mr Smith said. “They were basically just a charity that were in the visitor centres of the prisons.

“It was really at the coalface of the legal system. There was a big impact on the families of prisoners.”

Being in commercial property law, the most rewarding aspect for Mr Smith is seeing schemes go from vision to actual physical spaces.

He said: “A lot of my clients now are friends and you work with them on big deals. You see it from a bare piece of land to the final build. It’s nice to see the full picture, just how it all works from start to finish.”

The 32-year-old is more interested in the business aspect of Holden Smith and that’s where he is focusing his energy. “I prefer the business aspect of what I do rather than the legal aspect,” Mr Smith says.

“Throughout my career I’ve enjoyed building and growing my network.”

While Denby Dale may not be seen as a natural home for an energetic, buttoned-down law firm, that’s just what the village has in Holden Smith.

And with Mr Smith harbouring growth ambitions across West Yorkshire and maybe even further, it might be a name we see even more of in the years to come.

Curriculum vitae

Title: Director

Date of birth: 23/04/88

Lives: Huddersfield

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand

Last book read: E Myth Revisited

Favourite film: Pulp Fiction

Favourite song: Slide Away – Oasis

Car driven: E Golf

Most proud of: My son

Education: Law LLB (Hons) & LPC