Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is for the first time introducing qualified solicitors into its legal services centre in Manchester.

The magic circle firm – which had long intended to expand the Manchester outpost, launched in 2015, to include qualified lawyers – is now in the process of recruiting a number of associates into the hub.

The firm said it had not put an exact number on the total of associates it is aiming to bring in, and described the recruitment process as "incremental".

The new hires, who will work alongside fee-earners from across the firm's global offices – as well as the quality assurance, innovation and continuous improvement teams – will focus on enhancing the centre's transactional, contentious, investigatory and regulatory capabilities.

The legal services centre is led by former senior associate Olivia Balson, who until now had been the only qualified lawyer working out of the northwest base. She recently stepped up to the role of global centre director after former chief Anup Kollanethu left earlier this month to become DWF's new CEO of managed services.

The magic circle firm opened the Manchester hub in 2015 and it now houses about 700 staff who manage much of the firm's process-led tasks, including document reviews, due diligence and verification work. 

Earlier this year, Freshfields continued its drive to grow its business support capabilities with the launch of a new legal support and technology development hub at its Berlin base, a move expected to create about 100 new roles.