Ridley & Hall secures Berwins Solicitors’ family and property cases and recruits ‘exceptional solicitors’ to open new Harrogate office
Ridley & Hall has marked its 100th year in business by further expanding its specialist legal services into North Yorkshire with the opening of a new office in Harrogate.
It follows a deal being agreed to take more than 400 family and property cases from Berwins Solicitors, which had severed notice of calling in an administrator.
Six experienced members of staff have also been recruited and will be based in a new office, in the WorkWell Offices at Copthall Bridge.
Emma Pearmaine, managing director of Ridley & Hall, says the move reflect the firm’s current strength and ambition to continue growing and further cement its position as one of Yorkshire’s leading legal firms.
“The fact that we were able to react so quickly and approach Berwins to take on these cases, and offer immediate employment to a number of people, is a reflection of the strength and agility of our business,” said Ms Pearmaine.
“We’ve recruited some exceptional legal talent and we are delighted to welcome them to the Ridley & Hall team. We know they will bring a great deal of expertise to our business and ensure our Harrogate office is established on a solid footing.
“Equally, whilst it is obviously sad to see any legal firm, especially one of Berwins’ history and standing, be in a position where it has to appoint administrators, our swift action has also brought reassurance to hundreds of clients who were potentially facing significant disruption.
“We have been in contact with all to inform them that their cases will now pass over to our business, and to reassure them that we have been working around the clock behind the scenes to successfully transfer their files.
“Our focus has been on getting everything in place in terms of the technology systems to ensure minimal disruption, and to ensure we have been able to hit the ground running at our new offices.”
Six new team members head up Harrogate office
Ridley & Hall’s new team members include property specialists Michelle Crowhurst, Rachael Fell, Alice Hoyle and Jenny Spence, and family law experts Danielle Day and Rachael Lyon.
Solicitor Michelle Crowhurst will lead the Residential Property team, bringing in-depth knowledge of the Harrogate property market, having established a reputation for her personable approach and dedication to client care.
Solicitor Danielle Day is to lead the Family Law team, having experience of supporting clients based both nationally and internationally in multi-million-pound divorce and separation cases.
She is ranked a Band 1 lawyer in the latest published Chambers and Partners legal guide, and referenced as being ‘rightly regarded as one of the best family law solicitors locally’ in the highly-respected Legal 500 publication.
Recent investments made with expansion in mind
Ms Pearmaine says it is an exciting new venture for Ridley & Hall, which is now in its 100th year and employs a team of more than 120 staff across five offices.
“Harrogate has long been on our radar as a potential office base and so recent events have just accelerated that plan,” she said.
“We’ve invested significantly in recent times into new IT infrastructure, a case management system and management software to put us in a position for growth, with the aim of achieving a £7m turnover for our century year. This is another significant step forward for our business.”
Ridley & Hall secured two accolades at the 2026 Yorkshire Legal Awards, when it was named Small Law Firm of the Year and winner of the Best ESG Campaign and Pro Bono Initiative.
Judges said it stood out for its ‘national reputation, high client satisfaction and strong financial performance, alongside its commitment to legal aid’, and for its ‘clear investment in developing and retaining its team.’
