Brabners, the national law firm with roots in the North West, has confirmed two further partner hires at its Leeds office, extending a recruitment drive that has seen the firm steadily build out its Yorkshire presence over the past two years. On the surface, this reads as a straightforward staffing story. Look closer, however, and it becomes a useful barometer for something far more significant to property professionals: the accelerating consolidation of Leeds as a genuine second city for professional services in the North of England, alongside Manchester.