The Reading office of Gateley Plc, the legal business of law-led professional services group Gateley, is celebrating its third year of business by welcoming some new faces.
The original team of two has grown to a total of 41 staff. Following the acquisition of Guildford law firm, GCL, last summer, Gateley Reading’s Residential Development Unit now comprises a team of seven, led by partner, Andy Wilson. Recent appointments include legal directors Andrew Annette in the Residential Development team, Vanessa Gardiner in the Family team and Mary-Ann Orr in Commerce, Technology and Media, along with four new solicitors, a new senior associate, three paralegals, a new trainee and three legal secretaries.
Head of Office, Christopher Avery, helped establish the firm’s Reading presence shortly after Gateley became the first UK commercial law firm to float on the London Stock Exchange in June 2015.
Christopher said: “I read about Gateley’s IPO journey in the national press and knew them to be a forward thinking and successful business.
“Although known as a national company with a strong regional network of offices, Gateley did not have a base within the Thames Valley. Setting up a full service office for them in Reading was a challenge that appealed to me.
“Since then we have taken occupation of the top floor of the iconic Blade building, won Corporate Law Firm of the Year and Mark Metcalf was awarded Young Deal Maker of the Year in the Thames Valley Business Magazine’s Deal Awards 2018. Both of these accolades were achieved as a result of our disruptive work in the corporate arena and the level of big client wins and corporate deals.
“Having achieved a critical mass in our office, I would hope that our growth will be even more rapid over the coming years.”
Gateley Group recently announced its half year results to the market which have shown revenue growth of more than 20% and staff numbers increasing by more than 17% since April 2018 to over 900 people across 10 offices. The continued expansion of the Reading office will increase the offering to clients across the Thames Valley.