Reading: New office head for Gateley Legal

Gateley Legal has appointed Andrew Peddie to lead its Reading office. The office based in the heart of the Thames Valley region employs more than 40 legal professionals.

Peddie takes over from Christopher Avery who founded the Reading office in 2015, shortly after Gateley became the first UK commercial law firm to float on the London Stock Exchange. Avery will stay on as a partner in the business.

Peddie, a corporate partner, helped establish Gateley Legal’s Reading operation and heads up the region’s corporate team. He will remain in his role as a transactional corporate lawyer, continuing to manage his clients and the day-to-day functioning of the corporate team in Reading. He will also work alongside other senior members of the office to cover business development, recruitment and reporting line functions.

As a corporate lawyer with over 30 years’ experience, Peddie has been based in the Thames Valley since 1996, focusing the majority of his practice on private company mergers and acquisitions, alongside acting for several AIM-listed companies, often in the technology sector. More recently, he has become increasingly involved in private equity-backed transactions, while continuing to act for corporate acquirers and owner-managers on exits.

Peddie commented: “Over the last five years, Christopher has expanded the Reading base exponentially, from just two employees to now more than 40. We have enjoyed strong year-on-year revenue growth across different teams, and this doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

“It’s an honour to be chosen to lead the office, and I am eager to continue to build on the success which Christopher has so capably delivered since the very beginning. The strong demand for our services indicates that the only limitation on this is the ability to recruit the right people.”

Avery added: “I’m very pleased to be handing the reigns of the Reading office over to Andrew, who I’m sure will do an excellent job in moving it forward. His strong ties to the Thames Valley community and clients in the region make him the ideal candidate for this position, and I’m positive that he will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion to the role.”

The Gateley Legal corporate team was recently ranked the third most active deal adviser in the South East in 2020, according to The Experian MarketIQ UK M&A Report, after completing 25 deals in the region.