I was encouraged to read in The Mersey Partnership's latest economic review that Liverpool's student population continues to grow (for a news story, click here).

As a top ten employer in the city, and the only national and international law firm with Liverpool headquarters, Hill Dickinson recognises the importance of attracting more young people to the region to ensure economic and social sustainability.

A burgeoning student population benefits the city in terms of contributing to economic growth and global connectivity.

Liverpool First's recently launched 15-year strategic vision for the city was underpinned by a piece of research, commissioned by Liverpool Vision.

This research pronounced Liverpool as the city 'most on the up' in the UK. This is a far cry from the many negative images and perceptions that have been projected onto the city over the years.

But it doesn't come as news to those of us who live and work in the city.

YOU MAY have heard that Hill Dickinson announced last week that we are expanding our horizons still further by opening a new office in Singapore to service our growing number of clients in Asia.

This is an excellent opportunity for the firm and for Liverpool too because it supports the City's drive to create inward investment by developing a presence in overseas markets.

It further strengthens the firm's international links and we now have teams operating throughout the UK, the Far East, Greece and Russia. Singapore is a great location from which we can service clients right throughout the Asia Pacific region.

That's generally quite accurate in our view. Yet in the current marketplace, there are still plenty of opportunities for young lawyers to develop their careers.

The report also showed that despite the fact there are more women entering the profession than men, there is still a perceived "ceiling" for females which stops them achieving partnership.

Last year's was a huge success, and we're hoping this year's will be even better.

The awards evening will be at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall on November 18, an event which can only boost the Manchester office, where we are enjoying steady growth.