2010 Review: A year in the life of BHP Law
13th Dec 2010
Michelle Taylor, founder of Tallulah Love, which has been supported by experts from BHP Law.
FROM advising Premiership footballers, helping businesses protect their assets and representing plcs on the acquisition trail to making a will or buying a home, a year in the life of regional legal practice BHP Law is as varied as it is busy.
The firm, which has offices in Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, Teesside and Halifax, is perhaps the only one in the region to offer such a diverse range of services.
As well as providing traditional legal advice to businesses and private individuals, the firm has experts in a variety of non-legal fields, including town and country planning, financial services and wealth management.
It sells houses through BHP Home and represents professional sports people through BHP Sport.
But in spite of the range of expertise within the firm, it remains accessible to all by its focus on sensible pricing and personal service.
Managing partner John Pratt says: “An increasing number of clients now see the firm as a real alternative to larger, more expensive, commercial firms. BHP acts for many companies and individuals who are making significant contributions to the region.”
John adds: “We are large enough to specialise but not so big that people get passed from pillar to post. We try to make sure that every client has one point of contact at a practice local to them. We are the only firm in the area to have offices across the region which means clients don`t have to travel to regional centres to get quality legal advice.
“Our clients really value this accessibility. They are very loyal and we never take them for granted, that’s why we provide the very best personal service we can.”
That reputation gets around, and up to 80 per cent of the firm’s business comes from existing or previous clients, while its range of services has meant it has weathered well the recession storm.
The legal sector has gone through challenging and changing times in the last few years.
Pressure has come from all sides, with competition from the internet and the opening up of the legal services market coupled with increased regulation all putting further demands on the traditional high street law firm.
Another impact of the recession is the demand for greater clarity in pricing.
John explains: “On the commercial side in particular there is definitely a move towards giving the client a fixed price. Clients want to know exactly what the job is going to cost from the outset and know that we are going to complete it as efficiently as possible.
“In the past, the longer a lawyer took to do a job, the more money they made. Now it’s the opposite. And so it should be.”
As well as being the law firm of choice for many families throughout the region, BHP has attracted some major names in the corporate world.
In the last 12 months, the firm was instructed by eaga plc on several successful acquisitions and on many large scale commercial contracts with government departments and utility companies.
BHP advised the company on a number of community energy saving programmes and carbon emission reduction target schemes, while its commercial property department advised eaga on its 25-year lease of the 120,000 sq ft former Northern Rock building.
Among the many smaller businesses it supports, BHP Law has provided intellectual property and trademarking advice to luxury lingerie company Tallulah Love.
The firm’s dedicated sports management and representation agency, BHP Sport, was successful in securing the recent free transfer of star Premiership footballer Dan Gosling to Newcastle United.
Three well-known names in North East football – former England player and Middlesbrough and Bolton manager Colin Todd, ex-Boro player and Gateshead manager Gary Gill and former Sunderland player Gary Bennett – recently signed with BHP Sport as consultants to scout for talent and support professional players represented by the firm.
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