DWF aims to conquer Newcastle as it hires Dickinson Dees' Flynn
DWF is set to launch a full-service practice in Newcastle, following the hire of partner John Flynn from Dickinson Dees.
DWF is set to launch a full-service practice in Newcastle, following the hire of partner John Flynn from Dickinson Dees.
Corporate specialist Flynn announced that he would leave Dickinson Dees’ Newcastle office on 4 May. His departure date has not been decided, but the firm has said that it does not intend to hold Flynn to his contractual notice period.
Flynn will join DWF as executive partner, in charge of building a full-service office in Newcastle. Details about the DWF launch have not yet been disclosed, but a senior source at the firm confirmed that Flynn’s hire was part of plans for a more substantial offering in Newcastle.
DWF has had pensions lawyers in Newcastle since 2009, with department head Martin Jenkins leading the team there. But managing partner Andrew Leaitherland has previously disclosed his desire for a bigger footprint in the city.
“I’ve got an eye on where to look at over the next two or three years,” Leaitherland told The Lawyer in 2009 (12 October). “I’ve had discussions with firms in Newcastle, Bristol and Birmingham. [But] every time we look at a new office we have to staff it, and we’ve got the fit-out costs.”
Flynn twice unsuccessfully ran for senior partner at Dickinson Dees, in 2004 and 2010.
“I would like to thank John for his contribution to the firm in the past years and wish him well for the future,” said Dickenson Dees senior partner John Marshall.
“I’ve been at Dickinson Dees for 30 years,” said Flynn. “It’s a North-Eastern institution and a great firm, and I leave with a lot of regret, but I’m looking forward to new challenges. The plan is to build a full-service office in Newcastle, but it’s not going to happen overnight.”
DWF also has offices Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Preston. No one at the firm was available to comment at this time.
Readers' comments (18)
Anonymous | 6-May-2011 4:48 pm
What is more interesting is whether on reflection DD should have looked at the 30 years experience more closely or was it perceived a case of more suited for basic fee earning as opposed to strategy. If it was the former only time will tell whether DWF have made the right move,
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Joey Barton | 6-May-2011 4:55 pm
Newcastle, eh? They must have heard there was a Bigg Market there....
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Simon Jenkins | 6-May-2011 5:06 pm
Great news for the area :)
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Anonymous | 9-May-2011 12:51 pm
Great news for the Newcastle market.
John Flynn is a lovely chap. He brings in much of the work for the corporate team, so this will be a body blow for them.
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Anonymous | 9-May-2011 1:30 pm
This is an enormous event in Newcastle legal circles.
If DWF start to genuinely compete for work in Newcastle, then I think it will be at Dickinson Dees's detriment.
I've instructed both firms. DWF are cheaper and quicker. How will Dickinson Dees react?
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Anonymous | 9-May-2011 5:52 pm
The DWF chief said in Oct 2010 “I’ve had discussions with firms in Newcastle, Bristol and Birmingham."
I assume this means DWF met with Dickinson Dees to suggest a merger and then decided that wasn't a good idea.
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Anonymous | 9-May-2011 8:30 pm
Interesting times.
Is DWF's latest move to bulk up in a shrinking market wise? The other firms are looking to expand out of the region, not into it.
John Flynn's credentials will clearly draw in a number of other interested partners, but will it actually generate profitable business or merely headlines for a number of lawyers looking for a new home.
One thing is certain, the departure of such a big name from the mainstay of the Newcastle legal market will generate a degree of interest in an otherwise conservative region.
This may provoke the Dees into actually taking steps to stop the recent decline in their market position. Expanding into Teesside and York haven't exactly transformed the PEP......
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Roffing Merckx | 10-May-2011 10:33 pm
As a staff member of Dickinson Dees could I ask the firm to ditch this baffling "Dixon Dees is beloved by the Geordie Nation" chat. It doesn't endear us & everyone thinks we're like NUFC. Big fallout about Flynn. Wonder who will follow?
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Ali | 18-May-2011 9:11 am
I work in-house in Newcastle and I'm delighted by this news.
Dickinson Dees have a stranglehold over most of the work in the region (for example a recent FOI showed 97% of Middlesbrough Council's legal spend in 2010 went to Dickinson Dees). Some new challengers are welcome!
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Anonymous | 18-May-2011 4:02 pm
On the surface this departure appears cordial.
Behind the scenes, it's far from friendly.
Expect some spicey stories to emerge soon!
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Anonymous | 19-May-2011 7:13 am
The pressure is now firmly on the corporate-commercial partners to bring in decent fees in 2011. The last three years have been woeful but other departments have been willing to subsidise. Not now they're making up new partners.
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Anonymous | 19-May-2011 7:26 am
What a calamity!
Johnny Flynn certainly wasn't perfect. However the partners should have overlooked his weaknesses. Now he's defecting to start a rival firm and he's likely to take a significant number of clients with him.
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Anonymous | 20-May-2011 8:53 pm
The partners have no right to make an issue now. If they didn't take the high ground when it began three years ago how can they now?
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N.S. Sherlock | 2-Jun-2011 9:58 am
@Anonymous 19-May-2011 7:26 am. Of course he will take a significant number of clients with him! The question is how many of his former colleagues will follow?
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Anonymous | 15-Jul-2011 10:36 am
N.S. Sherlock - I'm not sure he'll want that many lawyers from his previous firm.
I think there are better lawyers in the market to choose from...
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Anonymous | 25-Nov-2011 11:00 pm
This won't go down well. He didn't promise anyone a job...but...
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Anonymous | 25-Nov-2011 11:01 pm
Hair colour? Important? Surely not?
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Anonymous | 6-Jun-2012 8:54 am
I would have expected John Flynn to have landed many more big name clients by now.
However I guess he's still working under various restrictions. These are likely to have ended in May 2012, so let's see what he achieves now.
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