BUSINESS growth at a West Yorkshire law firm is running at 30 per cent above target following a change of ownership earlier this year.

Jeremy Garside, Robert Brackup and Tim Welton assumed control of Cleckheaton-based Williams & Co Solicitors in February and following recent growth are looking to increase turnover to £2 million within the next 12 months.

Following their takeover, the trio of partners have focused on expanding its work in residential property, commercial and corporate, specialist litigation and probate.

Rising demand from new and existing clients has led to several staff appointments since the new owners took control, taking the workforce to 26.

Three more staff have just been hired and the owners plan more recruitment in the next three to six months which would take the firm to twice its original size.

Jeremy Garside said: “It was our ambition to strengthen and build the team at Williams & Co quickly but even we are impressed by the speed at which we have managed to grow the firm. This is down to the talented individuals who aim to deliver high quality services in language that clients understand to produce the results they are looking for. It has been an exciting year so far and we are now looking forward to an even more exciting 2017.”

Jonathan Perry, Cassie Land and Danielle Burrow are the latest recruits at Williams & Co Solicitors, which also has a Wakefield office and specialises in commercial and civil litigation, regulatory defence, commercial property and conveyancing.

Jonathan Perry has joined as an associate solicitor in charge of expanding the commercial property side of the business in Wakefield and to mentor other fee earners including, associate legal executive,Cassie.

He has worked in leading commercial law firms in London and Leeds as well as in-house at both Shepherd Building Group and for Barnsley Council.

Cassie has joined from Leeds-based DWF LLP to work in the residential team.

Newly-qualified solicitor Danielle Burrow will work in the dispute resolution team having worked in the legal profession for five years.

Meanwhile, Bradford-based law firm Schofield Sweeney has hired 13 new staff since July.

The latest four recruits are legal executive Kate Fox who has joined the corporate team; solicitor Paul Cantwell in the dispute resolution team and associates Jennifer Clarke, in the education and projects team and Zoe Oates in the restructuring and insolvency team.

The firm, which merged with Huddersfield based Armitage Sykes earlier this year, now employs more than 150 staff across three sites.