The past 12 months have witnessed a major upturn in the number of US corporates using Birmingham-based professionals to assist them in their European investment programmes. The West Midlands attracts more than half of all US investment in the UK, drawn initially to this country both because we speak English and because we enjoy less stringent business regulation than some of our European counterparts. However, this alone does not explain why Birmingham is now such a significant gateway for North American business.
It is noticeable that many companies in the US who instruct Birmingham law firms are themselves based outside of New York. There is perhaps a cultural bond between organisations based outside their country’s recognised business centre in terms of both their ethos and the value they place on luring regional as well as national and multinational clients. It is an ethos matched by their local client base: companies based in a major provincial city have a natural inclination is to use the best local firm within the region. It is conceivable, then, that when offering their services to Europe, they may opt not to use a London law firm but instead choose a strong firm with an office in a provincial city. Birmingham, having successfully promoted itself on the international stage, has the economic, political and geographical credentials to be perceived as the second city in the UK and to attract this inward investment.
