Lancashire law firm Vincents Solicitors has become a Northern Powerhouse Partner. The firm is one of more than 130 businesses from across the North to be part of a network designed to promote growth and investment in the region.
Vincents Solicitors is Lancashire’s only law firm to have signed up to the initiative, joining Eversheds Sutherland, Mills and Reeve, Walker Morris, Womble Bond Dickinson and Kings Chambers, in representing the legal sector. Businesses across the North are assisting the Northern Powerhouse Partnership to develop a consensus on the issues and priorities needed to drive change, which will in turn inform government policy.
Articulating the priorities of Lancashire businesses will be key according to Vincents’ commercial director Ross Wellman: “The ambitions of the Northern Powerhouse echo those of most people living and working in the region; a flourishing economy, a well-connected region, a skilled workforce and a healthy, happy community.
“Great strides have been made with major infrastructure and regeneration projects, but much of this has been centred on the big cities of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle. For the Northern Powerhouse ambition to be truly realised, growth and success must also be achieved in the smaller towns and cities of Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Yorkshire and the North East.
“As a law firm with clients across the county, we have a broad view of the unique advantages of doing business in Lancashire, and the myriad barriers-to-success faced by small and medium sized businesses. We will be working with our clients and other SMEs across the county to articulate these issues and communicate them to government.
“We are incredibly lucky to have, as the Northern Powerhouse Minister, Lancashire MP Jake Berry, who has already stated his desire to see the counties play a larger part in the initiative and benefit more from it. By opening up the conversation with local SMEs we can support that dialogue.”
Vincents Solicitors will be discussing Powerhouse opportunities with existing clients, while senior staff will be attending a range of business events to find out how those owners and managers on the ground want to see the Northern Powerhouse initiative driven forward.
Phillip Gilmore, Vincents Solicitors’ managing partner, said: “We are keen to meet with local businesses to discuss their hopes and concerns regarding the powerhouse initiative. In feeding back to government we hope to give Lancashire SMEs a strong ‘voice’ in communicating the support they need in order to achieve success.
“We also hope to work with other partner organisations both in Lancashire and across the North to promote our clients and the wider growth initiative, and will be encouraging broad participation in the process from our local business community.”
Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry, who is also MP for Rossendale & Darwen, added: “It’s great to welcome Vincents Solicitors into the partnership and I look forward to the team’s input. There is just as much ambition and entrepreneurial spirit here as anywhere else in the Powerhouse region and our aim is to identify and support it. I am pleased to see Vincents taking up the mantle on behalf of Lancashire SMEs and I am confident they will be excellent advocates for the county.”
