A full service international law firm with a proud history of supporting clients in the North East of England dating back more than 230 years, we are passionate about promoting the North East as a prime location for businesses to locate, grow and prosper and supporting those businesses both before and after they land.
Our mission is to make doing business in the region as simple as possible.
As the largest law firm in the North East having over 400 employees in the region, Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) sits amongst the Top 20 UK law firms. In the UK, WBD has offices London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle, Plymouth, Southampton and has recently expanded its office in Teesside meaning it has two bases within the North East. In the US WBD boasts 24 offices. The firm’s reach also extends internationally with in Germany and France, and access to more than 120 law firms worldwide through the Lex Mundi network.
Our team has expertise in advising clients across eleven key sectors and we support a wide range of local, national and international clients of all sizes whether they be private sector, public sector or third sector or SMEs to multinationals. What sets us apart is the combination of our unrivalled local knowledge and national and international expertise. We see our role as more than just legal advisors and look to leverage our connections and contacts to help business succeed whether that be by making introductions to customs experts or energy specialists or arranging round table discussions so our contacts can share best practice and discuss challenges.
We offer a package of services tailored to the needs of inward investors’, focussing on the sectors in our regions where businesses are thriving; including advanced manufacturing, energy and renewables, technology and life sciences and our North East Offices are homes to specialists in all of these sectors. As a ‘full service law firm’ we are set up to do everything our clients need.
As part of our services, we offer a bespoke soft landing offer to help firms looking to invest in the UK:
- Free initial consultations on doing business in the UK in advance of support with respect to the full range of services for inward investors (including incorporation, immigration and employment law, localising contracts, intellectual property and regulatory advice).
- Free initial scoping meeting to identify the potential impact of import and export tariffs and opportunities for mitigation.
- Access to meeting rooms and presentation space with full international video-conferencing capability (subject to availability).
- Private reception for your project teams plus an introduction to the local area.
- Access to our network of trusted advisers and intermediaries (including HR consultants, energy consultants, planning and regulatory specialists and search agents) selected for their knowledge and experience of your sector together with the local commercial / industrial landscape and industry norms.
- Introductions to local and national trade associations and industry support groups.
- Introductions to clients and contacts operating in related areas to share best practice and experience.
