Tech City: seedling ground for private client lawyers

Could the tech community east off the Old Street roundabout be the next market for private client lawyers? David Semmens thinks so

Having been a partner at a leading Mayfair firm for several years, I have recently joined a niche firm in Tech City, DKLM, as head of their new private client department. The buoyant and increasingly affluent business community in this part of London - combined with my new firm's international outlook - made the prospect of moving eastwards a tantalising opportunity. The firm's close links with China, and its celebrity and high-net-worth client base were like a magnet drawing me from the lofty heights of Mayfair all the way to Old Street roundabout.

Since qualifying in 1979 I have seen many areas of London change beyond all recognition. 30 or 40 years or so, one would walk through the streets of Shoreditch with trepidation. Now it is a beacon for the UK's successful tech industry. I am delighted to be here as one of the very first private client lawyers in Tech City. The opportunities for an experienced private client lawyer in the area are plain for all to see.

Ironically, while exclusive and traditional Mayfair is without doubt one of the best colours on the monopoly board, many of my clients there were entrepreneurs, hedge-fund managers, non-doms and the like. The vibrant environment of Tech City may feel a little different from my previous office opposite Claridges, but people are people whatever their occupation - and that is the great joy of being a private client lawyer.

Much of my work is international and my new firm has forged ever stronger links with China, through its strategic association with Zhonglun W&D Law Firm, which has offices across mainland China. I look forward to working with the great many investors and entrepreneurs from China. I have a significant client base in Switzerland, and I will now have the opportunity to work closely with DKLM's associated offices in Lyon, Paris, Berlin and Hamburg.

Creativity is the beating heart of the firm. Not just the lawyers who use creative solutions to solve legal issues, and have many clients in the creative industries, but also their creativity outside of the office. One of my colleagues at DKLM has put on stage an adapted play, another colleague has won various screenwriting awards at international film festivals and I am planning on putting the finishing touches to my debut novel in my spare time.

David Semmens is a partner and head of private client at DKLM

www.dklm.co.uk

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