Star former Pannone personal injury pair exit S&G
TWO big hitting personal injury partners at Pannone, part of Australian consumer law firm Slater & Gordon, have resigned and are set to join rival Irwin Mitchell.
Long-serving duo Catherine Leech and Deirdre Healy are understood to have been placed on garden leave.
Both now risk not receiving their partnership capital back, having agreed, along with the firm’s other equity partners, to a three year lock-in at the time of Slater & Gordon’s acquisition of Pannone.
Cathy Leech is a specialist in spinal injuries. Last October she was named Solicitor of the Year in Private Practice at The National Law Society Excellence Awards.
Deirdre Healy’s experience in maximum injury and fatal accident cases
includes acting for the victims’ families of the Lockerbie Air Crash disaster. Both women are highly ranked by both The Legal 500 and the Chambers legal directory.
Earlier this month TheBusinessDesk.com reported the departure of travel claims partner Clare Campbell to Leigh Day and Co, while construction partner Sean McCay returned to Squire Sanders (now Squire Patton Boggs) shortly after the completion of the Slater & Gordon acquisition of Pannone in March.
The most recent departures hint that there are some teething troubles within the enlarged firm – Slater & Gordon is yet to bring all of its Manchester team under one roof – it has signed a deal to a take the former Cobbetts headquarters building on Mosley Street.
As well as Pannone, S&G acquired Fentons, Goodmans and John Pickering and Partners last year.
Neil Kinsella, head of Slater & Gordon UK, said: “We are unable to comment on the details of any individual departures.
“However, we are delighted with how the Pannone acquisition has progressed with key individuals now playing an important role in the leadership of Slater & Gordon on a national basis.”
An Irwin Mitchell spokesperson confirmed: “Senior brain and spinal injury lawyers Cathy Leech and Deirdre Healy are to join our nationally renowned serious injury team as consultants.”
