Professional services group Gateley is the latest company to become a Prolific North Partner for 2025.
Prolific North is once again working with a select group of leading industry partners to support our mission to celebrate, connect, and inform the North’s creative, tech, and digital sectors.
Gateley, founded in 1808, has had an incredible growth journey as the first commercial UK law firm to be publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange back in 2015.
As an “entrepreneurial disruptor”, Gateley provides both commercial legal and business advisory services to individuals and businesses, and is spread across 26 UK locations, as well as having a presence in Dubai.
In 2010, the company opened its Manchester office, which is now home to a team of 220 people based at Ship Canal House.
Speaking to Prolific North at their offices in the city, partners Andrew Rankin and Sam Meiklejohn introduced us to Gateley and explained why it is getting involved as a partner this year.
Meiklejohn, who has a background in tech spanning a decade, explained how Gateley goes beyond the legal services business with its consultancy offering and tech practice.
“We were the first commercial law firm to IPO in the UK,” he says. “One of the benefits of that IPO is it has allowed us to do things differently to other firms, which is to acquire both legal and complementary professional services businesses that enhance our established four-Platform client offering.”
This included the addition of patent attorneys Adamson Jones, which supports clients with patent and trade mark applications and advice, as well as Symbiosis IP, a specialist in intellectual property services for the life sciences industry.
Gateley’s tech practice continues to grow, with its team of experts working with clients on a comprehensive range of matters, including patent applications, raising development capital, and mergers and acquisitions.
Software security vendor AppCheck, global health technology company Magentus Group, and leading retail systems provider NISYST are just a few of the tech clients Gateley’s Manchester team has acted for over the past six months.
“Our tech clients can ask us anything, and we can help them with most, if not all, of their needs, whether it’s pure legal services, raising capital, commercial contracts, or strategic objectives, to name a few,” Meiklejohn says.
“I think what really sets us apart is that we are well-equipped to address those queries, no matter what they are.”
In the North, Gateley is already embedded in the tech ecosystem, and was heavily involved in advising and setting up the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).
“Being involved in projects like that positions Gateley very well to have its finger on the pulse in terms of the ecosystem and where the money is going to be channelled. A lot of our clients will also continue to benefit from funds like NPIF for many years,” Meiklejohn adds.
With a £172.5m turnover during its last financial year, Gateley has experienced strong growth over the years, becoming one of the most active corporate legal advisers in the country, advising both private and public companies, owner-managed businesses, and entrepreneurs, as well as many of the leading private equity houses.
“We are one of the most active advisers in terms of the number of deals that we act on, which I think is one of the many strengths that sets us apart in places like Birmingham, Leeds, London, and Manchester,” explains Meiklejohn.
Beyond the tech practice, Gateley has a full-service offering thanks to a team of banking lawyers, international arbitration specialists, dispute resolution lawyers, employment and pensions teams, and a substantial corporate practice. It has also been investing in AI capabilities.
“Gateley is exploring AI, including its own development resources to build AI capability, because we think ultimately it will become very important to the legal services market,” explains Rankin.
The technology could potentially help with various aspects of legal work, from assisting with bulk document analysis to comparing witness evidence in litigation.
“There are a whole host of applications which Gateley is actively looking at, both in terms of its own capabilities and those offered by third-party providers,” Rankin says.
As for becoming a Prolific North partner for 2025, Gateley is keen to share its expertise and continue its work with tech businesses across the North.
“In this region, there’s so much potential,” says Meiklejohn. “Some of the best tech businesses in the country sit in Manchester and the wider region. For us, it’s about being part of the tech community and being able to offer our expertise and guidance where it’s required.”
