Newcastle has been hailed as an “innovative” city on a regeneration drive by the location head of an international law firm, which is gearing up to relocate its 180-strong team to the prominent Bank House development.
Last year, DAC Beachcroft was confirmed as the first occupier of the 14-storey building, which is located on the site of the former Bank of England premises, and forms part of the major Pilgrim Place redevelopment.
The firm, which has agreed a 15-year lease for the entire first floor and half of the second floor, is set to move in on Thursday.
Nicola Fairbairn, who was elected as the new location head for its Newcastle office earlier this year, was instrumental in making the deal happen.
She told Insider: “I’m absolutely convinced Bank House is the right place for us to be because, with everything else that’s coming in around the area, it’s a new central business hub.
“It’s very fitting of who we are and what we represent and has fantastic sustainability credentials.
“We represent the best of both worlds – we have a genuine regional commitment but are an international firm.”
The company has had a presence in Newcastle for about 15 years, originally employing a team of about ten.
Since then, the city has seen a lot of change, said Fairbairn, who hailed the “perfect storm” Newcastle is experiencing, including “regeneration and happy football fans”.
She added: “It’s the start of a really positive time for Newcastle and I hope that this will have an impact on other parts of the North East as well.
“I think that an international law firm taking the first space in a new building shows our commitment to the region, and also raises our profile a little bit.”
Fairbairn commenced her three-year term as location head in April, and is now working to “attract talent, grow our numbers and most importantly retain that talent”.
She said: “We are very very proud of the quality of service that we offer to clients.
“To really showcase who we are I think we need a happy group of people who are working with happy clients and delivering good quality legal service.”
