Access for all is North East goal

Your North East feature last week missed an important section of the market - the growing number of small firms diversifying to ensure legal services remain available in local communities in the region.

Smaller firms, such as mine in County Durham, are entering a brave new world. Our initiatives include the introduction of the successful Edinburgh Property Service and - like many small firms - the fight to keep legal aid by investing in a legal aid franchise.

The North East lawyer's real challenge is to build solid practices which maintain the best principles of equal access to the law. Large corporate firms have much to contribute but without the hard work of local lawyers the public would find access almost impossible to obtain.



Gordon Brown, Senior Partner,

Gordon Brown Associates