A senior lawyer whose firm recently opened an office in Bradford city centre believes more professionals will beat a path to the city in the next few years.

Duncan Gardiner, the Bradford-born partner in charge of the new office of Morrish Solicitors on Broadway, said the specialist Leeds-based legal practice saw plenty of opportunities to develop new business in the district .

He said: “We’re very proud to be open in Bradford.

“For too many years law firms have been closing their Bradford offices to move to Leeds, so it’s good to be reversing that trend.

“We cannot understand why so many law firms have moved out of Bradford and into Leeds. It’s great to be here.

“We have opened in Bradford, not only to serve our existing clients in the area but also because we see plenty of potential to develop new business here.

“I think that we could be setting a trend and that over the next few years Bradford will be a popular place to do business for other professionals as the local economy bounces back.

“I believe more companies will see the advantages of its lower cost base and the benefits the planned regeneration of the city will bring.

“By coming here now we’ll have a head start to take advantage of that.”

Morrish has seven staff, including four lawyers, based in Bradford but has both the space and intention to grow here.

The firm specialises in trade union and employment law, including working for the actors’ union Equity nationally, as well as medical and professional negligence work – an area Mr Gardiner believes is new to Bradford.

Former Hanson School pupil Beldeep Thiara is the firm’s local employment lawyer who has worked for Morrish since 2003.

One of its major clients in Yorkshire is Britain’s biggest trade union, Unite, which was formed through a merger of the Transport & General Workers and Amicus unions.

Morrish also acts for the Association of teachers and Lecturers and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Assoc-iation.

Mr Thiara is also looking to expand the work for small and medium-sized companies in the face of ever-increasing employment legislation.

Morrish already worked for trade union clients in the area, but it wanted to develop the potential of providing legal services to smaller firms which formed the backbone of the Bradford economy. The firm’s medical negligence work in Bradford is led by associate partner Jane McBennett who joined Morrish from Cadmans solicitors, who previously occupied the office, and now operates from Cleckheaton.

Morrish’s new Bradford office was opened by Gerry Sutcliffe, Sports Minister and MP for Bradford South, who hailed the firm for coming to Bradford.

Morrish was established in 1882 and has offices in Leeds, Yeadon and Pudsey.

The Bradford office opening makes it the largest law firm to reverse the trend of closing local branches.