GA Solicitors Completes £1m Investment Project
Established Plymouth law firm, GA Solicitors, has completed a substantial £1m investment project as part of ambitious plans to grow and develop its offering in the South West.
The 11 month, million pound refurbishment of its city centre office signals the firm’s commitment to the city, its clients and its staff. The project included the creation of an impressive new suite of client meeting rooms (inclusive of a conference room kitted with the latest modern technology), three floors of open plan office space, a staff canteen and social area and a contemporary and inviting reception.
The revised open plan layout maximises available space and significantly increases seating capacity, allowing for the firm’s on-going and planned expansion. New staff social areas strive to improve the working lives of all employees and boost inter-departmental working.
The million pound project was funded in partnership with the landlord, utilised savings made by the firm over several years, and took advantage of government incentives designed to encourage projects that stimulate the economy. It was carefully planned to ensure as little client disruption as possible, with the ground floor reception area being the last section to be updated.
Whilst investing in its physical environment, the firm has also invested in its technological facilities. It has rolled out a VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) programme which means desktop computers are centrally hosted allowing for more efficient working and secure access by staff members from anywhere, at any time and on any device.
Stephen Ramsden, managing partner of GA Solicitors commented: “This was a considerable project and one which the partners have spent many years planning. We worked closely with our accountants, Francis Clark and NatWest Bank to ensure we could take advantage of government incentives as well as the firm’s savings and we also worked closely with our landlord to mutual benefit.
“The new open plan layout makes the building more fit for purpose and we have increased our capacity greatly whilst also making a much better working environment for staff. The firm has taken on 10 new team members within the last 12 months and we are still recruiting further as we look to offer additional niche services and capitalise on our existing experience and skillsets.
“Having a dedicated and fully accessible client area means we can offer a much better service to visitors and one that is much more in keeping with the professional service levels of the firm. Providing additional staff areas was also a key driver for the project as we look to further improve the working lives of our valued staff.”
Keen to work with and support local companies wherever possible, GA Solicitors selected Plymouth’s commercial interior specialist, Karris Ltd, to undertake the refurbishment, and utilised the expertise of Millfields based Bailey Partnership to manage the project. Francis Clark and NatWest Bank advised the firm on the financial aspects of the refurbishment.
Perri De Wan, managing director of Karris Ltd, commented: “We were delighted when GA invited us to present concepts and ideas for the refurbishment of its office in Plymouth. We proposed modern and innovative ideas which were embraced and developed to achieve the finished result in situ today. GA now has what is possibly the freshest office and customer experience in the city. We would like to thank everyone on the team for the opportunity to be part of this journey and to wish GA good luck and continued success. We are very proud of what has been achieved.”
Mark James, Relationship Director for NatWest, added: “GA has a long-established reputation as one of the region’s foremost law firms and these highly impressive offices will provide them with the perfect foundation for further growth. We were delighted to be able to help and support them with this project.”
With more than 200 years of heritage, GA Solicitors is a leading Plymouth law firm with 75 members of staff offering guidance across seven specialist departments: business; family; employment; dispute resolution; wills, trusts & probate; conveyancing and personal injury.
ENDS
25/05/2016
Note to Editors
GA Solicitors can trace its roots back more than 200 years and has been steadfastly helping the people and business in Plymouth and the South West for its duration. Originally based in Devonport, the firm gets its initials from Thomas Husband Gill who joined the practice in 1875 and later went into partnership with Albert E. Akaster.
Now one of the region’s leading law firms, the 70-strong team at the Lexcel-accredited LLP, conveniently accessible at their Plymouth city centre office, is structured around seven practice areas, each comprising its own specialist department:
Business
Family
Employment
Dispute Resolution
Wills, Trusts & Probate
Residential Conveyancing
Personal Injury
For more information visit: www.GAsolicitors.com
The refurbishment team (L-R) – Stephen Ramsden, managing partner of GA Solicitors, Perri DeWan of Karris Ltd, Steve DeMuth of Bailey Partnership and Mark James of NatWest Bank.
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