A NEWLY-CREATED legal team at Dickinson Dees, which includes corporate partners from York and the Tees Valley, has overseen the sale of a £30m family business.

Although the Newcastle-based firm said that details of the deal could not be made public, the business, based in East Yorkshire, comprised 24 companies operating from 48 properties across the North.

Philip Ashworth, a partner of Dickinson Dees in York, said it was a significant step in the firm's expansion.

He said: "This deal was a major landmark for Dickinson Dees. Our corporate teams from the Tees Valley office, led by partner Nigel Williams, and from the York office, led by myself and my fellow partner, Mark Warburton, worked closely for the first time to conclude this complex deal successfully.

"This co-operation between two of the firm's offices is an important step forward for Dickinson Dees in the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire. Having been a predominantly North-East legal firm, we are now expanding further into areas such as Beverley and Hull, as well as towns east of the A1 in South Yorkshire, such as Doncaster."

Dickinson Dees has a growing presence around the country, having merged with York-based corporate law firm Philip Ashworth and company in February, and the opening of a London office.

Mr Ashworth said: "These are exciting times for Dickinson Dees in Yorkshire.

"We have already been involved in a number of high-profile and successful deals in the region."