Chief Secretary to the Treasury opens Square One Law’s new Tees Valley office

Square One Law welcomed Liz Truss MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, to the North East and officially open the firm’s new Tees Valley office.

The firm hosted a VIP breakfast meeting for Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen and an invited group of Tees Valley business owners and entrepreneurs who were able to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the regional and wider UK economy with Ms Truss.

The discussion raised some interesting questions the way the planning system can help businesses, the impact of disruptive and challenger enterprises and the opportunities that could come from breaking large government contracts into smaller ones for SMEs.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss said:  “The Tees Valley is one of the great success stories of the past few years, with trade on the rise and unemployment down.“There are fantastic opportunities out there for businesses looking to expand their exports and as a Government we want to do everything we can to make it as easy as possible for trade to prosper.  And the area is certainly benefiting from having a Metro Mayor and the devolved powers that come with that position.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, said: “I am delighted that Square One Law has chosen Stockton as the location for their first office outside Newcastle. As a region we’re renowned for our expertise in heavy industry, chemicals and engineering, but we have so much more to offer. To see professional services firms expand into the Tees Valley just shows how much potential there is in our region. This investment and expansion is a vote of confidence in the whole Tees Valley and our skilled workforce.”

Senior partner, Ian Gilthorpe said, “We’re delighted to host a VIP event in our first week of opening as the Tees Valley office forms a key part of the firm’s expansion plans.

“Being a life-long North Easterner I know how important it is to play an active part in the local community. We are here for the long term. We want to grow Square One Law and make a valuable contribution to developing stronger professional services and making Tees Valley a better place to live and grow a business.

“Until now we have looked after our clients across the whole of the North East and elsewhere, from our Newcastle base, however, the firm is already very active in the Teesside region and we spend considerable time working with companies such as px group, Able, JDR Cables and Fine Organics, and have recently been appointed by Tees Valley Combined Authority and the South Tees Development Corporation.”

The Tees Valley office is being led by Square One Law partners Neil Warwick and Helen Brain along with senior partner Ian Gilthorpe. New jobs will be created for the office in the coming months with support also provided from the firm’s Newcastle base.

EU and Competition partner, Neil Warwick, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to our new Tees Valley office and give her the opportunity to meet business people playing a key role in driving forward the local economy.  Ms Truss was really engaged with what they had to say and the event will have increased her understanding of the drive and determination that is very prevalent in the Tees Valley business community.”