Movers & Shakers: Midlands
2023
April
Pinsent Masons has appointed partner Gayle Ditchburn as its new Birmingham office head. She joined the firm in 2007 and was promoted to partner in 2015.
rwin Mitchell has announced the promotion of nine colleagues to partner, with effect from 1 May 2022. Newly promoted in Birmingham are Jatinder Paul, Tom Fletcher (both complex PI) and Gurminder Kaur Nijjar (general counsel team).
Ashtons Legal has converted to a limited liability partnership (LLP) as of 1 April 2023.
Rebecca Quinn has joined Harrison Clark Rickerbys’ commercial team as a partner.
Harrison Clark Rickerbys has appointed insolvency specialist, Monica Kapur, as partner to its restructuring and insolvency team.
Flint Bishop has acquired a new headquarters on Derby’s Pride Park, based in the Pinnacle Building at 2 Prospect Place.
Brethertons has announced a number of new promotions. Joining the partnership as of 1 April 2023 are Sian Buxton (life chancing injury), Emma Morris (conveyancing) and Joanne Soar (family). Promoted to fixed share partners are Emma Crocker (conveyancing), Laura Stuart (wills, trusts & probate) and Dawn Millar (family).
Ashtons Legal has announced that Tom Beattie and Nathalie Fearnley have qualified as solicitors with the firm, following the completion of their training contracts.
Ashtons Franchise Consulting (AFC) has announced that Nick Williams is set to retire and is stepping back as managing consultant of the business. He will be succeeded by Phil Mowat.
Browne Jacobson has grown its banking offering in the West Midlands with the appointments of associate, Tyler Isaac and solicitor apprentice, Hollie Ingram into its Birmingham office.
Brethertons has announced a number of promotions. Annabel Burchett (wills, trusts and probate), Verity Frangiamore (property management), Emma Bush (property litigation) and Lottie Dunkley (conveyancing) have been promoted to senior associate and Jemma Bryans (family), Leo Deane (conveyancing) and Priti Vadgama (family) have been made associate.
Lanyon Bowdler has appointed Preet Poonia to lead its debt recovery team.
Flint Bishop has announced that Erica Wakeman has joined its family & matrimonial team as a solicitor.
Following completion of their training contracts at Knights plc, 20 newly-qualified solicitors have accepted positions across the firm’s offices. They are: Abbie Fotheringham (insolvency and restructuring), Alana Pearson (corporate), Amelia Priest (CL Medilaw), Callum Fotheringham (corporate), Ellis Goodwin (property litigation), Grace Castle (real estate), Hannah Martin (CL Medilaw), Jack English (private client), Julia Malecka (real estate), Katie Robson (real estate), Lloyd Davut (real estate), Lucy Wibberley (employment), Mary Langen (employment), Megan Baldwin-Brown (real estate), Megan Pugh (landed estates), Mona Gholami (CL Medilaw), Sameer Bhawsar (real estate), Saskia Robinson (corporate), Will Dennis (commercial) and Will Morgan- Wynne (corporate).
Flint Bishop has appointed Becky Barham as head of compliance.
March
mfg Solicitors has appointed partner Alex Phillips as head of the agriculture and rural affairs division.
Helen Mutucumarana has joined HCR Hewitsons’ real estate team in Cambridge.
Steven Hayward has joined Wright Hassall as a partner in the construction and engineering division.
Machins Solicitors has appointed Kathryn Ainsworth as managing partner.
Timms Solicitors has announced the promotion of Adrian Rose to partner.
Spire Solicitors has announced the appointment of Protima Sikdar-Wood and Howard Bailey as members of Spire Solicitors LLP as of 1 January 2023.
Howes Percival has added specialist corporate law solicitor Josie Rogers to its corporate, commercial, and banking team in Cambridge.
Becky Woodcock is set to join HCR Hewitsons’ real estate team in Cambridge.
Prettys Solicitors has made a number of promotions. Heidi Vanlangenaeker has become a senior associate. Zoe Zhang has qualified as a solicitor into the corporate team. Siân Llewelyn, a member of the firm’s employment team who qualified as a solicitor in 2018, has been made an associate.
The Smith Partnership has opened a new office in Ashby which will be headed up by conveyancer Jordan Williams.
Ringrose Law has announced the recent appointment of Carrie Clewes, specialist equality & disability rights lawyer and also head of the firm’s new equality & discrimination department.
Geldards has appointed Fiona Tweedie as an associate in the family team.
Wayne Ellison has joined Harrison Drury as a rural business development consultant.
Leonnie Watson, a newly-qualified solicitor, who has trained with Timms Solicitors, has been offered a permanent position in the firm’s family law team.
February
Irwin Mitchell has recruited five senior tax lawyers, including two partners and three senior associates. Kate Featherstone will lead the tax team at Irwin Mitchell and will be based in the firm’s Birmingham office. Featherstone is joined by her three senior associates from Knights - Jade Edgar, James Arnold and Eve Williams. Also based in Birmingham, Jennie Newton joins Irwin.
Charles Staveley has been elected as the new Mills & Reeve senior partner and will work alongside Claire Clarke who continues as managing partner for a third term.
Wright Hassall has promoted Freya Summers (corporate) and Perveen Dhami (property litigation) to partner, with Dhami also becoming head of property litigation.
Bhatia Best has announced that Lynsey Wadkinson has, as of 1 January 2023, been promoted to the position of partner at the firm.
DFA Law has announced the appointment of Kirsty Simmonds as a partner and head of the corporate and commercial department.
George Green has appointed Michael Lillywhite as a partner in the private client team.
Following on from his recent promotion to partner, Paul Hinchliffe, has relocated from Nelsons’ Nottingham office to head up the firm’s commercial property team in Derby.
In February 2023, the Louth and Horncastle teams at Wilkin Chapman will be moving into a new office at the Fairfield Industrial Estate in Louth.
Sills & Betteridge has welcomed partner Lisa Kellett to the role of head of matrimonial finances.
Shakespeare Martineau has added to its Birmingham-based banking team with a trio of hires - Associate Mariam Mansoor, Noreen Khan-Ghalib and Khan-Ghalib. Joining the team as a paralegal is Tina Sehmar.
Wright Hassall has announced a number of promotions. Rachael Flanagan (medical negligence and serious injury) and Rees Herrod (corporate) have been promoted to senior associate; Kash Dosanjh (employment) has been promoted to associate; Wendy Eaves (private client) to senior probate executive; Claire Davies (conveyancing) to senior paralegal; and Shannon Lea-Belgrave (business immigration) to senior paralegal.
Birketts has welcomed experienced solicitor Alex Hunt to its cross-office international private client advisory team.
mfg Solicitors has appointed Rhiannon Phelps, a newly qualified solicitor, as a member of the property litigation department.
Sills & Betteridge has appointed Rachael O’Sullivan as a solicitor in the commercial litigation & dispute resolution team based in Lincoln.
Actons has announced the promotion of its second non-lawyer manager to a director of the firm. Accounts manager Marc Pegg has become a director and taken on the role of finance director.
Bhatia Best has announced that solicitor & Higher Courts advocate, Ben Brown has been appointed as an associate in the Nottingham crime department.
Alex Burch, a senior associate in the contentious probate team at Buckles Solicitors LLP, has become a full member of the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS).
Ann Nguyen has qualified as a solicitor into the commercial property department at DFA Law.
Ellisons Solicitors has launched a new medical negligence team and its Ipswich office has welcomed Mark Stafford-White to the firm as a medical negligence lawyer.
Enoch Evans has appointed Mike Follis to head the family law team in the Walsall office.
Zöe Hodge, senior associate in the private client team at Greene & Greene, has gained full accredited membership of Solicitors for the Elderly.
Greene & Greene has made four new appointments. Kirsty Pymer been promoted to conveyancing executive in the firm’s commercial property team. James Southward has joined the property team. Laura Beckstead joins the residential property team. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Clazie has joined the corporate and commercial team.
Chloe Williams has joined Lanyon Bowdler as a newly-qualified solicitor in the commercial & agricultural property team.
Hatchers Solicitors has announced a number of new appointments in the Shrewsbury office. Shazad Banaras joins the firm as solicitor within the commercial property team. Amelia Calton joins as an executive within the dispute resolution team. Meanwhile, Sara Wells joins the firm as legal support for the dispute resolution and personal injury teams.
Leathes Prior has made three additions to its property team. Rebecca Millard has joined the firm’s commercial property team as an associate. Meanwhile, Helen Jones and Madison King join the residential property team.
Nelsons has launched a dedicated residential conveyancing team in Leicester. Heading the team is Russell Hurst. Joining Hurst are associate and solicitor, Amy Tivey, and conveyancer, Nishi Chavda. Akeeta Lakhani, has moved to join the Leicester team.
Irwin Mitchell has appointed Ian Bond as a partner in the private client team based in the Birmingham office.
Bevan Brittan has announced plans to move to a new location in Birmingham. The move from One Temple Row to 45 Church Street coincides with the appointment of property partner, Rebecca Pendlebury as the new head of office for the firm in the Midlands.
Mills & Reeve has appointed William Downing and Dominic Jones as partners in the Oxford office.
Howes Percival has recruited James Stephen as a partner and head of its corporate law team in Cambridge.
Catherine Scott has joined Mills & Reeve as a partner to lead the Norwich agricultural property team.
Squire Patton Boggs has welcomed Tom Durrant as the new managing partner of its Birmingham office.
The Smith Partnership has appointed Chet Desai as a partner in the family team in the Leicester office.
Nelsons has promoted Paul Hinchliffe, a commercial property specialist, to partner in the Derby office.
Clare Hardy, a public sector law specialist at Geldards has been promoted to partner at the firm.
Nicholsons Solicitors has appointed Julia Parsley as a partner and head of the private client department.
Freeths’ Leicester office has relocated to No 2 Colton Square, Leicester LE1 1QH.
mfg Solicitors has appointed David Lydon as a senior associate in the civil litigation team.
Nelsons has welcomed commerce and technology specialist, Sarah Eley, to its Nottingham office.
Nelsons has made three senior promotions in the Derby office. Oliver Maxwell, a dispute resolution specialist, has been promoted to legal director. Sarah Burns, a member of the commercial property team specialising in acquisitions and disposals, has been promoted to senior associate. Meanwhile, Fiona Cox has been promoted to associate.
Nicola Davies has joined Lanyon Bowdler in Telford.
The Smith Partnership has appointed Manpreet Chehil as a member of the family team in the Leicester office.
Lodders has announced a number of appointments across the firm, including the promotion of Vicki Gulliver to head of probate in the private client team. Claire Houghton has joined the private client team as an associate. Contentious probate specialist, Anjali Narshi has joined the firm’s dispute resolution team as an associate, and Katie Mann joins the property dispute resolution team as a solicitor. Amita Chauhan joins the employment team as an associate, Kate Allen has qualified as a solicitor in the firm’s corporate and commercial department. The firm has also recently welcomed six trainees – Julie Hodge, Emily Packer, Lizzy Curnock, Olivia Beeton, Lucia Gallato, and Alysha Palmer.
January
DWF has announced a number of senior promotions. In Birmingham, Miles Hepworth (counter fraud) has been promoted to partner.
Howes Percival has appointed Stephen Patch as partner and head of its private client team in Cambridge.
Green has announced the appointment of Adam Johnson as a partner in the dispute resolution team.
Nelsons has promoted Lisa-Marie Leanders to partner as of 1 December 2022.
Sean Spinetto has joined Knights plc’s agriculture and landed estates teams as a partner.
Hogan Lovells has announced that 77 of its lawyers have been promoted to counsel effective 1 January 2023. They include Charles Jemmett (corporate & finance) in Birmingham.
Shakespeare Martineau has announced a number of promotions across a variety of teams. Aller Dawlat has been promoted to legal director. Promoted to associate are: Elaine Hart (private client); Fatema Miah (real estate). Oscar Ciaurro (employment); Kieran Pearson (managed legal services); Victoria Kirkpatrick (commercial litigation); and Anton Letten (dispute resolution).
Browne Jacobson has announced the appointment of former KPMG senior partner, Andy Cox as its first non-executive director of its energy & infrastructure sector group.
Howes Percival has expanded its employment law team in the Milton Keynes/Northampton region. James Pitts joins the team as a newly qualified associate, while Lydia Mills has been recruited as an associate.
Wilkin Chapman has announced the appointment of nine newly qualified solicitors following the completion of their training contracts. They are: Adam Burton (commercial property); Brittany Codling (family); Emily Hand (employment); Holly Marris (corporate and commercial); Jaye Addison (medical negligence); Keighan Lovett (wills, estates, tax and trusts); Laura Campbell (dispute resolution); Lily-Rose Darwood ( employment); and Martha Baker (medical negligence).
Leeds Day Solicitors has made a number of appointments and promotions across its private client and personal injury services. Meanwhile, Leeds Day has announced the promotion of Kelly Baxter.
Senior commercial property lawyer Kerry Elliott has joined the property team at Actons as an associate.
Sara Taylor, formerly of Knowles Benning, will be joining Heald Solicitors in January 2023.
