Addleshaw Goddard has nearly doubled the monthly turnover of its transaction services team (TST) in 12 months after exceeding headcount targets put in place last year for the paralegal service.

Addleshaws is looking to drive more business into the team, which currently undertakes roughly 6% of the firm's work, but is no longer working towards its previous target of delivering at least 10% by 2015.

There are now 110 paralegals working in the centre – up from the 100 figure that the firm intended to reach last year. The headcount can rise to 130 for larger assignments. Paralegals at the TST handle routine transactional and advisory work, including e-disclosure, due diligence, document management and review. 

The TST, which officially launched in 2011, was initially overseen by Andrew Chamberlain, the firm's former client delivery head, until he left for DWF earlier this year,

Despite the increase in size and turnover, Addleshaws is unlikely to split the TST off into its own Manchester office – a move the firm was considering last year.

Corporate partner Richard Fleetwood, who has taken over much of Chamberlain's service delivery responsibilities, said: "As the thinking on this has developed, there is now a strong view that we should keep TST as an integral part of the office set up given the benefits that brings in terms of interaction of team members in the TST with the parts of the business they support. Team feedback is that this is also an important morale and motivation consideration."

Last September, 10 school leavers also joined the TST and are currently carrying out an NVQ Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Legal Services.

Mike Potter, head of the TST, said: "The TST has been a differentiator which has helped the firm win new business…By ensuring that the right work is carried out at the right level, the firm is able to deliver legal services in a more efficient and cost effective way.

"We ensure that our paralegals work closely with lawyers across the firm, which enables us to deliver efficiencies through standardising our approach to certain work types whilst retaining the benefits of qualified expertise."

Former Berwin Leighton Paisner Lawyers on Demand business development director Andrew Loach, who took on the role of TST COO last year, recently stepped down from the position, but has stayed on as a consultant to Addleshaws.