Vincents Solicitors has opened a new branch in Poulton-le-Fylde Lancashire. It is the firm’s seventh office in the county and will service clients across Blackpool, Wyre and north Fylde.
The nine-strong legal team has moved into new premises at Beckett House at Wyrefields on Poulton Industrial Estate. The office is located half way between existing branches in Lytham and Garstang and fills a geographic gap in service provision.
Experienced commercial property solicitor Sophie Mercer becomes head of the Poulton branch and has been promoted to Director of Commercial Property. Sophie, who lives in Poulton, will also now sit on the Vincents Solicitors management board.
Her team will comprise six commercial and residential property specialists, three of whom are relocating with her from the Jubilee House office in Lytham, and a three-strong private client team offering wills and probate services, moving to Poulton from the Garstang office.
Vincents Poulton will focus on providing commercial and residential property support to local businesses and individuals – including both landlords and tenants across the area’s industrial estates, business parks and retail premises – alongside the traditional branch services of residential conveyancing and private client work.
Family law, divorce, childcare, personal injury, clinical negligence and corporate services can also be provided via lawyers based at the firm’s HQ in Preston’s Winckley Square.
Sophie said: “Blackpool and Wyre are home to a wealth of industry and entrepreneurial talent and, with future inward investment and regeneration initiatives coming forward, further commercial growth is inevitable. Many of these businesses will want to get the most from their commercial property leases and will benefit from our knowledge and expertise.
“We have developed a strong client base in this area and there will be a number of clients for whom our new Poulton branch will be more convenient. I hope that by having my team here on the ground in Poulton we can continue to grow this base and support more local businesses with their commercial property requirements.”
The new Poulton team is also looking to build new relationships with existing professional service providers in the area who will be invited to a networking event at the new office in the coming months.
Phillip Gilmore, Vincents Solicitors managing director, said the development of her team and launch of the new office was testament to the impact Sophie has had since joining Vincents in early 2021 to head up the Fylde coast commercial property offering.
He said: “As a senior figure within the commercial property department, Sophie Mercer has developed her own team and expanded the firm’s footprint throughout Lancashire, in particular across Blackpool and Wyre. Her energy and commitment have earned Sophie a well-deserved promotion, while the influx of new staff and clients made a compelling case for a new Poulton office to provide ‘on-the-ground’ support for businesses in the area.
“The new location also allows us to offer conveyancing, wills and probate directly to the local community, and provides access to Vincents’ full-range of legal services for those who aren’t able to visit our neighbouring branches in Lytham and Garstang.”
Continued recruitment to the commercial and residential property team in Lytham and the private client team in Garstang has seen both teams more than double in the last two years, and both branches will also remain specialist hubs for those areas of expertise despite the relocation of the new Poulton team. Craig Aikman continues to lead the property team at Lytham, with Suzanne Nixon heading up the team in Preston. Lisa Lodge oversees the Private Client department at Garstang, Lytham and Penwortham.
Clients can access any of Vincents legal services from any of the seven offices in Preston’s Winckley Square, Penwortham, Chorley, Garstang, Lytham Park Street, Lytham Jubilee House and Poulton.
The new Poulton team will be:
Director, branch head and commercial property solicitor Sophie Mercer
Commercial property apprentice solicitor Yasmine Dragan
Commercial property trainee solicitor Tia Grimshaw
Commercial property assistant Sophie Wane
Residential conveyancing solicitor Sammi Keeley
Residential conveyancing paralegal Kieran McGahey
Probate specialist Amy Whiteside
Private client assistant Virginia Webster
Private client trainee Leah Harrison
