We celebrated our 15-year anniversary of the opening of its Manchester operation with a special event at The Lowry.
Since launching in 2010 when Gateley acquired Halliwells, the office has grown to now employ more than 220 professionals, making it the second largest office in the Group.
Located on King Street, the base is also home to a series of complementary consultancy businesses which have joined Gateley as part of the Group’s growth strategy following its listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2015, allowing clients to receive the comprehensive support they need across many sectors under one roof.
The company marked the anniversary by hosting an event for clients, friends and colleagues at The Lowry in the room where LS Lowry’s famous Going To The Match artwork is currently being displayed in the form of an immersive experience. Last year, Gateley agreed a partnership with the iconic arts and cultural venue as it celebrates a milestone of its own, marking 25 years since it first opened its doors.
In 2024, Gateley appointed construction partner Hayley Sullivan and its national training principal and pensions partner Stuart Evans as co-heads of the Manchester office, taking on the role from private equity partner Paul Jefferson. The trio were all part of the team that joined Gateley on day one, alongside a number of other senior members of the team who remain with the company until this day, including chief executive officer Rod Waldie, and a number of partners.
Speaking at the event, Sullivan and Evans reflected on the journey of the past 15 years, saying: “Since opening in Manchester our business has gone from strength-to-strength, which is principally thanks to our fantastic clients and the brilliant team which works so hard to continually exceed expectations.
“The Gateley of today is a different proposition to the one we walked into back in 2010, with the business evolving through a series of key acquisitions which means that we are now no longer just a law firm, but a fully-fledged professional services group with an array of complementary services.
“However, the thing we are most proud of is the culture that our team has fostered over the years. None of the exceptional results we see regularly delivered for our clients can be achieved without the efforts of our talented and dedicated people. To see so many of them coming to work with a smile on their face each day because they love the work they are doing and the people they are doing it with gives us both so much pleasure to see and stands us in great stead for the next 15 years.”