Stronger together
18th March, 2026
When Ward Hadaway merged with Teesside law firm The Endeavour Partnership, it created one of the largest independent law firms in the North East.
And the mutual benefits were immediately clear. More than six months on, Simon Rushworth from N Magazine visited Stockton to catch up with the heads of the firm’s Newcastle and Teesside offices. Read the original N Magazine article here.
From Teesside. In Teesside. For Teesside.
Lee Bramley still takes great pride in the catch-all tagline that he and colleagues coined ahead of last year’s Teesside Charity Ball.
No wonder.
Spend time in the company of the executive partner of Ward Hadaway’s new Teesside office and it’s difficult to picture a more passionate advocate for a region on the rise. A lifelong supporter of Middlesbrough Football Club and a proactive pillar of the local business community, Lee’s commitment to the place he calls home is unwavering. Nevertheless, his is not an insular outlook. Far from it.
As far as Lee’s concerned, a longstanding love for Teesside and an appreciation of the wider North East’s influence and potential are, by no means, mutually exclusive. It’s why the decision to merge The Endeavour Partnership with Ward Hadaway was the obvious move.
“We formed a ‘best friend’ relationship long before we made the partnership official,” says Lee, reflecting on the ground-breaking deal between the two legal firms that was confirmed last July.
He adds: “Endeavour and Ward Hadaway got to know each other for a couple of years before the merger was agreed, and it was the perfect dry run. There were positive meetings between partners and we worked on successful projects together. It quickly became clear there was a close cultural fit. We shared the same values, the same vision and the same ambition.
“Suddenly Endeavour, as was, could offer a broader range of practice areas and access extended networks and opportunities.”
Ward Hadaway, meanwhile, was able to lay down tangible, visible roots in a region that always felt like the next natural fit for a firm with bases in Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham.
“We really liked the business of Endeavour, their people and the way in which they did things,” says Nick Gholkar, executive partner of Ward Hadaway’s Newcastle office.
He says: “We’d admired them from afar, and admired them when we worked together.
“As part of our growth plans – and to tap into the investment and the deals that are happening on Teesside right now – we were looking for the right opportunity in this part of the world. We wanted to find a firm with an established track record that was trusted by the people of Teesside.
“Trust and reputation aren’t earned overnight – you can’t just stick a badge on the door and expect people to walk right in. By joining together with Lee and his team, we gained instant impact and credibility, and we were able to start key conversations more quickly. It was important to Ward Hadaway that we partnered with a well-established Teesside firm that shared the same ethos, the same drive and the same ambition.”
Nick and Lee clearly get along.
Sat alongside each other at Ward Hadaway’s Teesdale Business Park base, a stone’s throw from Stockton town centre, two kindred spirits are more like friends than colleagues – finishing one another’s sentences and pre-empting key points and shared opinions.
Talk frequently turns to family time (both men are busy fathers); downtime (Nick likes to run and Lee’s new passion is padel); and portrait time (neither is looking forward to their N magazine photoshoot).
“I’ve met more than 100 people at Ward Hadaway now, and I can honestly say I like them all,” says Lee.
“Ask me how I feel about the merger now, and I’d do it all again. That’s got to be a good sign.”
Both Nick and Lee agree a forward-thinking partnership between two of the North East’s leading law firms mirrors a brave new era of collaboration within a region historically reluctant to pool its considerable resources.
Nick, who also sits as deputy chair of the property and development member organisation Developing Consensus, says: “If you look at the North East Combined Authority and the Tees Valley Combined Authority, and the collaborative approach they take, that has to be the way forward.
“As a region, we’re much stronger when we do things collectively and when we work for the wider benefit of the North East. There are so many opportunities for investment in our places and in our people if we can find ways of working together.”
Lee points to two compelling examples of how Endeavour’s decision to strengthen ties with Ward Hadaway has paid off.
He says: “We’re in a position to grow, adapt and offer new and existing clients a greater range of core services and a greater level of expertise. I could give you plenty of examples of how the merger has worked in our favour.
“For example, we had a trainee lawyer who wanted to be a banking lawyer. Endeavour didn’t do banking because we just didn’t have enough work, but Ward Hadaway has a banking team. That lawyer now works on Teesside as a banking lawyer for Ward Hadaway. Without the merger, he’d have left. That would have been a job lost, a career lost and a talented individual lost to Teesside.
“We’ve also just announced the appointment of the first construction lawyer to work out of this office. That’s possible because Ward Hadaway already boasts a strong construction team that’s in a position to integrate a Teesside-based member. So we are saving – and creating – jobs for Teesside.”
Nick adds: “A few years ago, we did some work to drill down on Ward Hadaway’s values and we came up with three key words: straightforward, respectful and ambitious. I see the work Lee and the team at our Teesside office are doing, and our values are visible day in, day out. When we were looking at a merger, we wanted a partner who shared our values and Endeavour ticked every box.
“Our Teesside office is a fantastic example of Ward Hadaway reinforcing its reputation regionwide. As a result of this union, between our Newcastle and Teesside offices we now have more than 400 people based in the North East. This scale and breadth enables our people to build fulfilling careers, while remaining in this great region.
“Meanwhile, whatever their professional and personal needs, our clients can be assured of an exceptional legal service on their doorstep.”
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
This page may contain links that direct you to third party websites. We have no control over and are not responsible for the content, use by you or availability of those third party websites, for any products or services you buy through those sites or for the treatment of any personal information you provide to the third party.
