International firm Reed Smith is to open a legal services hub in Leeds later this year. The firm said today it would be opening Reed Smith Global Solutions in early July.

Reed Smith Global Solutions, which will support the firm’s Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) network, will have lawyers, analysts and business services professionals working alongside each other to, according to the firm, ‘find new approaches to problem solving’.

The hub will consist of a legal offering, including the creation of a records and eDiscovery practice, as well as a business services function. A team of associates and paralegals in key practice and industry groups will be hired.

Reed Smith said the hub will draw on the success of the firm’s global customer centre, set-up in Pittsburgh in 2003 and which provides accounting, human resources, IT and central docketing services. Over time, the US and EMEA offerings will be integrated into a global solutions network, the firm said.

Tamara Box, managing partner for Europe and the Middle East, said: ‘With its strong talent pool, high quality real estate, growing technology offering and 2-hour connection with London; Leeds is the perfect location from which to launch our billion dollar start-up.’

Andrew Jenkinson, London office managing partner, said the firm conducted a detailed audit among its business services leaders to find out what they believed to be the key areas for improvement focus. ‘Reed Smith Global Solutions is our answer,’ he said. ‘It will be the centre of process design innovation enabling our people to focus on ideation, delivery and ultimately improving client service.’