Gordons reveals eleventh successive year of growth and its rebranding
Tuesday 1st May 2012
Yorkshire law firm Gordons has announced its eleventh successive year of growth and launched its new brand.
Turnover for the year ended April 2012 increased by more than eight per cent to £25.3m. The firm’s new brand is a result of an intensive process involving Leeds-based brand design consultancy Elmwood aimed at defining what is different about Gordons.
Gordons managing partner, Paul Ayre, commented: “We are fortunate to have excellent and committed people who believe in the firm’s distinct approach and the support of a loyal and expanding client base. This is a powerful combination which has enabled our business to grow continually since arriving in Leeds in 2000.
“We know that in order to maintain our momentum we must be able to communicate the Gordons message with greater clarity, consistency and volume. Working with Elmwood has allowed us to distil what sets us apart and clearly define what is special about Gordons.
“We remain totally focused on serving our clients and building the lasting relationships that underpin our success. As ever, the way we operate and the Gordons brand are based on the fundamentals of effective advice from being lawyers who listen to our clients and deliver what our clients want. Success comes where we are trusted as people and valued as lawyers.
“The outward manifestation of this approach is a confident and distinctive new brand identity for the firm. We do things differently at Gordons in our focus on giving straightforward advice relevant in the real world in a way that is welcomed by clients.”
The past financial year has been a significant one for Gordons with continued growth, exciting recruitment, the introduction of its groundbreaking Gordons Apprenticeship Programme, new client wins including major Chinese retailer Bosideng, German manufacturer Weidenhammer and Saudi Arabian Airlines, as well as the implementation of a firm-wide process review.
Excellent growth in turnover has again been achieved despite difficult economic conditions. The firm is confident that this can be maintained and that investments recently made will make significant contributions in the year ahead.
Growth in turnover has been matched by an increase in new job creation. Over the past 12 months, the firm has recruited 50 fee earners and there are plans in place to further this expansion. Recent recruits include the first wave of five new apprentices who joined in September 2011 under the Gordons Apprenticeship Programme, which was among the first in the UK to be put in place by a law firm. Each year the Programme will provide bright youngsters who might otherwise find it difficult to enter the legal profession with the opportunity to become apprentice lawyers.
Paul continued: “We’re fully committed to improving our service to clients by recruiting lawyers who can bring different skills and experience to the firm. In particular, we seek out those who recognise the strengths of our culture and the cohesion and joint sense of purpose this brings.
“We’re also thrilled by the energy and enthusiasm shown by our young apprentices and we are sure that they will also play a key role in years ahead. Finally, we’re proud that our progress over the last year has resulted in the creation of a significant number of new jobs across the board.”
Gordons continues to emphasise effective management so that the firm is run as efficiently as possible whether in relation to how work is undertaken or managing costs. Over the past 12 months, Gordons’ initiatives have included implementing a wide-ranging process review to improve efficiency in the way the firm delivers services for the benefit of clients.
Paul added: “Recent surveys indicate that removing complexity and cost is a key challenge for law firms. Robust management and our regional presence have ensured that we keep on top of our costs and avoid borrowings. This allows us to focus on investment for the future to continually improve the service we provide whilst stripping out complexity and unnecessary costs for our clients.
“The outlook remains tough but it is not in our nature to rest on our laurels. To maintain our momentum we must remain true to ourselves and our culture and our new brand will undoubtedly help us do this. We will not forget that our success is built on being trusted and valued by our clients and that this must be the central focus in all that we do. We believe that there are good prospects for well run and ambitious law firms and we view the future with optimism.”