News
TBI - The North East's Fastest Growing Law Firm

TBI's Business Law Office in the Tees Valley has announced 100% growth in two years, increasing the number of specialist lawyers to 16, and becoming one of the North East's fastest growing law firms.

As a result of its expansion and investment in the recruitment of specialist lawyers, TBI has seen the fees earned by its Business Law Office more than double in less than three years.

Within the Business Law Office, the Corporate/ Commercial team has trebled in size in 18 months, now employing six specialist lawyers.  During 2006, the team advised on more than 50 deals, ranging in value up to £12 million.

Highlights for the Corporate/ Commercial team in the last year have included advising on:

• the multi-million euro sale of Thorn Airfield Lighting, a division of UK-based client Thorn Lighting Limited, which is itself a subsidiary of Austrian Zumtobel Lighting GmbH;
• the acquisition by Zumtobel Lighting GmbH of the remaining 30% shareholding in its former Far Eastern joint venture company Thorn Lighting Asian Holdings BV; and
• the multi-million pound sale of the international civil engineering and design consultancy Ferguson McIlveen to Scott Wilson Limited, the trading arm of Scott Wilson plc.

TBI's Business Law Office boasts the Tees Valley's only dedicated team of specialist lawyers in the niche area of Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law.  In addition, it has specialist lawyers with expertise in Commercial Dispute Resolution, Insolvency, Commercial Property, Employment and Equine Law.

An example of TBI's growth is highlighted by the recruitment of Tim Saunders.  Tim joined TBI from Keoghs in Bolton, and has launched the new Information Technology team into which former trainee Craig Malarkey qualified in September 2006.  Additionally, Debra Riley qualified into the Commercial Disputes Team in September 2006, having completed her training with TBI.

John Walters, head of the Business Law team at TBI, said: "We have carefully assembled a team of lawyers with expertise in a variety of business law disciplines.  Many have spent time building up substantial skills at national law firms and have worked in business as well as in legal practice.

"With the team's excellent professional connections, and our North East heritage, TBI guarantees first class service at competitive prices, and as a result we represent large multi-national businesses as well as SMEs across the region.  We have also noticed a marked increase over the last year in instructions from companies located in other areas of the UK."

TBI, which has been in existence for more than 165 years, has 15 partners and a further 60 fee-earning legal experts making it the largest law firm based in the Tees Valley.  It addition to its Business Law Office in the Tees Valley, it has offices in Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool and Barnard Castle.

Picture Information: The growing team at TBI Solicitors' Business Law Office with Alison Tate, partner – Commercial Disputes Team (centre front left), Martin Levinson, partner – Commercial Property (centre), Amanda Mitten from the Intellectual Property Team (centre front right).