Knights’ Sheffield office marks successful year

Knights, the UK’s largest regional and professional services business, is celebrating a successful first year in St Paul’s Place in Sheffield with more than £363m in corporate deals and multiple award nominations and wins. Since moving into its new home last year, the corporate team has advised on notable transactions, including the £120m sale of façade specialist Clear Line Holdings to Fasadgruppen Group AG and the sale of Heavy Duty Parts. 

Meanwhile, the Sheffield team has been recognised at the South Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards. Earlier this year, corporate team members Russell Bainbridge and Michael Hall scooped Private Equity/Venture Capital Deal of the Year, whilst the team has also been shortlisted in several categories for this year’s upcoming Insider Yorkshire Dealmaker Awards.

Alongside its deal-making success, Knights has continued to invest in Sheffield, with eight new hires in the past 12 months. The arrival of Demelza Wrigley as Partner has established a new Family team in the city, broadening the office’s service offering to individuals and families. Several team members were promoted in the office, including Charlotte Middleton, who was promoted to Partner. Reflecting on her contribution to the office’s growth, Charlotte said “I am delighted to have been promoted to Partner at Knights. Being born and bred in Sheffield and having trained at the firm, I am thrilled to continue my career here, looking after our existing clients and new ones too. The future is very exciting for our team.”

The office has also been active in the Sheffield community, from hosting a launch event with the city’s business community to colleague-led charitable initiatives. Most recently, six colleagues helped to update fundraising materials for the Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity ahead of their Snowflake Campaign and are continuing to support the hospital every month. Commenting on the team’s growth since moving into St Paul’s Place, Jessica Neyt, Client Services Director at Knights in Sheffield, said “Our first year at St Paul’s Place has been about establishing a strong foundation; to connect with the community and deliver strong, quality work for each of our clients. Having been in Sheffield for just a few short years, we’re really proud of how the move has allowed us to grow, and we’re excited to keep building on this momentum.”

Nationally, the regional legal and professional services business has also had a strong year, announcing a revenue increase of 8% to £162m, while underlying profit before tax rose 11% to £28m, reflecting an improved margin. Across the UK, Knights has 32 offices and a team of 1,350 professionals and is the UK’s fastest-growing law firm over the last decade, providing a full service offering to corporate clients and private individuals.