Midlands law firm Wright Hassall is on course to complete bank lending deals in excess of £175 million this year.
The firm’s Banking & Finance and Commercial Property teams have acted for banks and borrowers alike on deals totalling more than £140 million in the last nine months, and are forecasting reaching £175 million before the end of 2015.
Across more than 50 deals, the Leamington Spa-based solicitors has represented clients including Lloyds Bank, Santander, Handelsbanken and HSBC as well as Stewart Plastics which is a manufacturer and distributor of gardening products, catering supplies and homewares and property developers Beechfield Estates and manufacturer Shire Foods.
Christopher Jones, who leads Wright Hassall’s Banking & Finance team, said deal activity has continued to gather pace throughout the year.
“We’ve been buoyed by the increased confidence in the market as the year has progressed,” he said.
“The firm has acted on a wide range of deals to support the expansion of companies across the country, which shows that the recovery from the economic downturn of recent years is continuing to gather pace.
“We also have strong bank relationships, and these banks are demonstrating a real commitment to providing finance to businesses looking to grow. This is driving the encouraging levels of deal activity we’ve been involved in this year.”
Lucie Byron, senior associate in Wright Hassall’s Commercial Property team, added: “We’ve seen growing demand for finance from businesses looking to extend, upgrade or move premises, and also to build new premises.
“Our Commercial Property team is ideally placed to assist on all aspects of these deals, drawing where needed on the experience of our Construction team.
“The resurgence in the market has seen us act on many sizeable transactions and we remain on course to complete deals in excess of £175 million by December, which is extremely positive.”
The increase in deals activity has led to 260-strong firm Wright Hassall strengthening its Banking & Finance and Commercial Property teams in recent months.