Dynamic duo behind unique law firm, HY Solicitors

Posted by on 12 Mar 2024

Rochdale born and bred friends Dean Hulse and David Yazdi established commercial law firm HY Solicitors (HYS) in the town in 2015, but their journey to its creation is one that could be considered unconventional.                                                                   

In the late noughties they both played in punk rock band Bye Bye Johnny, and were set for an incredible music career with highlights including playing at V-Festival and winning Puma’s ‘Most promising music alternative music act 2009’. Playing alongside bands like The Courteeners, The Magic Numbers and the Ting Tings, they were very much part of the Manchester music scene at that time.  Global domination in the music industry wasn’t meant to be, but the working class duo, who were both students at Oulder Hill had a plan B.

Dean and David have been friends since they were young, way before they were old enough (or sensible enough!) to be thinking about careers at all, and it was their passion for music that was the foundation of their friendship, Dean is a guitarist and David plays the drums and piano.

Alongside their pursuit of a music career, they both continued their studies at university.  When music took a back seat, they both went on to acquire extensive professional experience at a young age. Dean originally trained and worked as a solicitor before becoming a barrister, and gained experience in public law, working for local and central government organisations, including being part of the Independent Office of Public Conduct’s legal team advising on the criminal investigation and inquest into the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster.  While David, after becoming a chartered member of the CIPD, worked in the private sector for UK Plc and other international businesses before going on to also become a solicitor.  The experience that they had collectively meant that they became authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to open the doors to HYS in their early 30’s, an achievement that is rare at such young ages. 

Like so many great businesses in Rochdale, HYS started in Dean’s spare bedroom, before relocating to offices on Hunters Lane in the town centre and more recently to Sandbrook House, where they now co-locate with Zen Internet; another fantastic example of the entrepreneurship that Rochdale has to offer. 

HYS is a full service commercial law firm, working with businesses in areas that include commercial property; data protection; litigation; commercial and corporate; and employment law. Whilst the firm works with clients nationally, supporting local Rochdale businesses is something the team are proud of, including working on a £6m lease for a unit on Kingsway Business Park and helping Rochdale Football Club navigate their High Court defence against a hostile takeover bid.

Dean went on to say “We are proud to say we are from the town. It is an exciting place to be and the right place to be as a law firm for business. Rochdale is a pioneering town, enhanced by everything that is happening from the redevelopment of the town centre to Atom Valley. We want businesses in Rochdale to know they have the support of a specialist legal provider on their doorstep.” 

What makes HYS different to other law firms is that neither Dean nor David worked in private practice before starting HYS.  Whilst some may consider this a challenge or even a risk, the pair believe this is an important element to the foundation and ethos of the firm.  With their creative edge they wanted to build a law firm that drew inspiration from the wider commercial world rather a typical law firm model.

Dean said “I guess that part of our life helped to shape us. We have both had that Rochdale working class upbringing and those values instilled within us. It’s that type of hard working spirit and personable charm that local people can identify with that underpins how we provide our services”.

David went on to say “The commercial world is dynamic, fast paced and ever changing but the legal sector can often be rooted in tradition which, putting aside the top city firms, can make it slow to embrace change. That’s one thing that sets us apart, because our background has led to us to breaking the traditional law firm mould without really knowing it. By this I mean that we developed and ran the business on what you would consider to be a non-law firm footing; we align more to our clients which means that we grow and develop in the same way as our commercial partners do.”

This model affords stronger personal connections and engages clients by speaking their language and having an in depth understanding of commercial challenges, rather than someone who has only ever known being a lawyer or working in the legal world.

The growing team currently consists of 11 employees, five of whom are from Rochdale, with only one team member that lives beyond Greater Manchester. Passionate about recruiting locally, HYS has forged excellent relationships with local education providers and takes great pride in making opportunities for local talent and creating jobs for the future.