Taylor Wessing is to launch a new office in Liverpool carrying out both legal support and business support work.

The office, due to open in September, will initially be staffed with 10 paralegals and 15 business support staff carrying out a range of support work.

All of these roles are new positions and are not expected to involve staff being asked to relocate from London. The firm will review the office in early 2019 with a view to appointing fully qualified lawyers, including an office head to lead the outpost.

In addition to the new positions, Taylor Wessing is also mulling a proposal to move three roles from its City business acceptance team to Liverpool. It is currently in consultation with the affected staff, who deal with risk and compliance.

According to managing partner Tim Eyles, the firm worked closely with Invest Liverpool on the launch, but was not given any financial incentives from the organisation, which encourages investment into the northwest city.

Eyles said: "Liverpool has a great talent pool, transport links within the northwest and is a fast-growing technology hub. One of the attractions is the link with the business communities and universities there. Liverpool also provides opportunities in terms of profit advantages, because the rent there is better compared with London.

"In general, we need to continue to invest in the businesses and we want to be innovative. We also operate in a heavily increased regulatory environment and we need to appropriately resource our risk and businesses resource function, which the office launch will allow us to do."

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson added: "Taylor Wessing engaged warmly with us during the process of choosing their new operation location, so we have got to know them well and we are looking forward to this union going from strength to strength."

Taylor Wessing's move comes after Clifford Chance acquired Newcastle low-cost legal services centre Carillion Advice Service (CAS) in February following the construction giant's high-profile collapse. Meanwhile, Norton Rose Fulbright opened a Newcastle legal process hub in September last year, working with Invest Newcastle on the launch, which is expected to see 100 new legal and business support roles created over three years.

Taylor Wessing posted record UK revenue of £144.6m for the 2017-18 financial year, with global revenues increasing by 12% from £269.8m to £301.5m. Average UK profit per equity partner rose by 20% to £579,000 from £481,000.