The North East has, for too long, been focused on its past. Now, it's time to look to the future, says Jo Grey of Grey-Smith Legal, who explains why she's chosen to expand her legal firm across the region.
I’m North East born and bred; I studied law at both Teesside University and Northumbria University and I’ve always worked in the region.
So it can be frustrating that, to many people, the North is still judged by what it is not (the South, mainly), rather than what it is.
The image is of a region stuck in its ways, focused on the past, reluctant to try new things. However, since we opened Grey-Smith Legal less than two years ago, our clients have been only too keen to try something new – so much so that we’ve recently opened a second branch to keep up with demand.
Our first office is in the quaint town of Skelton-inCleveland, a stone’s throw from Saltburn-by-theSea, which could give any South Coast destination a run for its money. However, demand for our conveyancing, wills and lasting powers of attorney services has meant we’ve already had to branch out into a second space.
In February, we opened our Spennymoor office at Enterprise House and we’re now welcoming clients to this base. It’s another excellent location for us and has fantastic connections to the A1, which not only allows easy access for our clients, but will also allow us to attract top talent from around the area too.
We are eager to continue building the Grey-Smith Legal team and we know that our office locations will have a big part to play in this; they need to be fresh, modern, and easily accessible.
However, this new office is just one part of our ambitious plans for further expansion across the North, and we have exciting plans for a new, larger office in the early part of 2023, which will give us space for rapid growth in 2023 and beyond.
Thanks to our growth and the fantastic reputation we’ve built already, we’re also looking to work with local estate agents. The North has some amazing properties, with prices a fraction of what they are in the South, so it’s a really rewarding industry to be part of.
Of course, no discussion of the North East would be complete without mentioning its people. While I usually hate to generalise, it’s always been my experience that the people of the region are loyal, hard-working and passionate – not to mention a friendly bunch! Our whole team hails from this part of the world, and, as director, it’s incredibly rewarding that not only are we creating really good jobs for people in the region, but, by extension, helping to keep talent here, where it belongs.
To really have pride in your area, you need to help it to flourish, and through the work we’re doing, we’re helping to do that, which is a really fulfilling feeling – and it’s not just us. In recent years, the North East has flourished, and there are some really exciting businesses setting up and drawing attention to all we as a region have to offer.
Grey-Smith Legal is part of just one of those: it’s a member of The SDDE Smith Group, a portfolio of North East-based businesses, all with a focus on real estate-related services, including interior design, construction, property management and conveyancing.
Together, we’re putting the North East firmly on the map – where it belongs.
