Vialex expands south of the border

Edinburgh-based legal services firm Vialex is opening a satellite office in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, as it pursues further growth in the north of England.

Rachel Stewart, a senior legal adviser who recently joined the practice after a decade in in-house counsel roles, will be based in the new premises in the Ramparts Business Park, which will have capacity for 10 staff at any time, most of whom it is anticipated will be drawn eventually from the Borders and Northumbria.

Vialex aims to use the office as a platform from which to grow its north of England client base further, as a first step to increasing its footprint across the whole of the UK.

Chief executive Keith Anderson said the business was ambitious to offer its legal counsel and transaction services, together with its HR and health and safety offering, to the widest audience possible.

"We have always been focused on the UK as a whole, and have clients the length and breadth of the country", he explained. "The office in Berwick, and others to follow, will increase further our visibility south of the border, and also allow us to access the talent pools that undoubtedly exist in all the regions of the UK.

"In the immediate term this will take us closer to our clients in the north of England and will enable us to raise our profile in the business community in the region."

Mr Anderson said Berwick had been chosen for its easy access by rail and road from Edinburgh and East Lothian for its current specialist staff.

He added: "I have said previously that our plans extend to the south east of England, and specifically London, which is on our immediate agenda."

Sarah Dick also recently joined the 32-strong team in Edinburgh as a legal adviser in the transaction services team, from Gillespie Macandrew.