Square One Law’s continued growth sees opening of new office at Darlington’s Pioneer Court business park

Entrepreneurial law firm, Square One Law, is celebrating its tenth year in business with the opening a new office in Darlington - demonstrating the firm’s ambitions to be at the centre of new economic activity within the Tees Valley.

The new office, situated in Pioneer Court, Morton Palms, reflects the firm’s growing client base in the Tees Valley and puts it at the heart of the area’s continued renaissance.

Gill Hunter, managing partner at Square One Law, said: “Having successfully established a Leeds office last year, we see the new Darlington office being perfectly placed for good communication links between our Newcastle and Leeds operations.

“The growth in our Tees Valley client base and government jobs announcements, put Darlington and the Teesside firmly at the centre of the levelling up agenda, in addition to Teesport having been granted freeport status and the development of an international airport with regular flights to London.”

Stuart Keegan, senior surveyor at Hagen Developments, which owns Pioneer Court, said: “We are really pleased to welcome such a prestigious and entrepreneurial law firm like Square One Law to Pioneer Court. I’m certain that this prime location fits in with the firm’s strategy to grow its business in the Tees Valley.”

Square One Law used local businesses to fit out the premises: Richardson Construction; Frank’s Flooring; Aspire Technology Solutions and project managed by Ian Jackson Consultants. It is leasing the building from Care Matters (Homecare) Ltd, which also occupies a neighbouring office at Pioneer Court.

The firm was founded in Newcastle in 2011 by senior partner Ian Gilthorpe with a team of experienced senior lawyers and has established a strong brand in the North East, through its strategy of building long-term, personal relationships and offering an agile, bespoke service to clients.

As the firm grew it established an office in Stockton at Fusion Hive in 2018, and then in 2020, at the start of the pandemic it saw an opportunity to expand into Yorkshire with the opening of its Leeds office.

Ian Gilthorpe, senior partner at Square One Law, said: “Our growth is down to our clients and the interesting projects we are involved in. On Teesside we have recently advised Billingham-based Able UK on the Group’s creation of an £450m offshore wind hub on the Humber, the SEH Wind subsidy control report for a £350m monopile manufacturing facility, which is also on the Humber, and also acted for management on the sale of Stockton-based px Group.

Gill Hunter continued: “Fusion Hive at Stockton has provided an excellent base for us for the past three years and we want businesses to see that opening this larger office in Darlington, demonstrates our commitment to the thriving Tees Valley region. We believe this move will create more opportunities to grow our business following the news of Treasury and Department for International Trade jobs moving here from London, as well as strengthening our relationships with existing clients.”