This Is Tees Valley This Is Tees Valley - Issue 1 2020 | Page 66

A transatlantic law
firm that’s close to
home on Teesside
Womble Bond Dickinson partner and head
of manufacturing, Peter Snaith, discusses the
importance of Teesside to the North-East
economy and how supporting local businesses
to expand on a global stage can help the
region to thrive.
I
lead Womble Bond Dickinson's
manufacturing sector group from our
North-East base, the largest of our 27
offices across the UK and US. I previously
worked as an in-house lawyer with ICI
and INEOS on Teesside. Since returning
to private practice, I have enjoyed building
the multi-disciplinary team of lawyers we
established to provide every aspect of legal
and regulatory support that businesses in the
manufacturing sector need.
Like me, many of my colleagues were
born in the Tees Valley, live in or have family
ties to the region. We are passionate about
Teesside and its history and we recognise its
value and potential.
We have been involved with many of the
significant developments that have taken
place in relation to the area's infrastructure
and economy over the past three decades.
We have advised on the fragmentation of
the industry and the virtual jigsaw that
was created by the transfer of ownership
of the various parcels of land. This means
our knowledge of the legal aspects of the
industrial landscape is second to none.
It's well known that Teesside has taken
economic and political knocks but things are
changing - and 2020 looks set to mark the
beginning of an exciting time for Teesside.
It was at the start of the first industrial
revolution that William Gladstone described
Middlesbrough as "an infant Hercules".
As the economic tide starts to turn, that
description could prove to be as relevant to
Teesside now as it was then.
Tees Valley Combined Authority and the
mayor of Tees Valley have been pursuing an
ambitious investment programme, including
the South Tees Development Corporation's
(STDC) plans to regenerate the steelworks.
Our development and regeneration experts
acted for STDC on the acquisition of the site
66
Chemical champion - the Wilton
International site, near Redcar.
and we continue to provide legal support as
the plans for the site move ahead at pace.
It's great to be at the forefront of such a
significant project that will create jobs, boost
the local and national economy and establish
one of the most modern, forward-thinking
industrial zones in the UK. With one of
the UK’s biggest clean energy teams and,
combined with our oil and gas expertise, we
are excited by the numerous investments
planned for the site and across Teesside.
We have a unique offering for the
chemicals and advanced manufacturing
sector. But to assume that chemicals and
the former steelworks represent the be-all
and end-all for Teesside would be to take a
narrow view. We support multi-nationals
and SMEs alike across many sectors, with
the experience we have in complementary
and often overlapping sectors in energy and
renewables, technology, life sciences, retail
and real estate.
Teesside is not just a manufacturing,
industry and energy hub. It offers so much
more as a region; it has a world-class
university and fantastic higher and further
education providers. We've acted for Teesside
University and Middlesbrough College for
many years and have seen both undergo
massive changes to become the brilliant
institutions that they are today, providing a
pool of talented, skilled labour available for
hire on the doorstep.
The region also has exciting plans for
the development of its local transport
infrastructure which our specialist transport
and logistics team with expertise in road, rail
port and airport infrastructure projects are
proud to support.
Teesside is at the forefront of its own
modern-day industrial revolution. And
from our network of offices, combined with
our new base at the Wilton Centre, we are
committed to helping our local businesses,
inward investors and the region as a whole to
achieve their full potential.
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