Shoosmiths makes latest hire for Leeds office

Shoosmiths, the most recent addition to the Leeds legal sector, has continued to expand by hiring Matthew Howarth from a rival firm.

Howarth will join as a partner to head up the commercial litigation practice in Leeds and, along with the Manchester office, spearhead the firm’s offering in that field across the North.

He joins from Gordons where he spent more than 14 years and led the firm’s 27-strong commercial litigation department for eight years. There, he was also a member of Gordons’ management board.

Howarth has experience in acting for banks on large-scale professional negligence recovery claims involving multiple claims against solicitors and valuers

He also has substantial experience in judicial review claims acting for PLCs and also private individuals.

Howarth said: “Joining Shoosmiths at this exciting stage in its growth in Yorkshire represents a truly compelling challenge and I am looking forward to further developing my career with this innovative and ambitious national firm.”

Paul Stokey, head of Shoosmiths in Leeds, said, ‘I am delighted to welcome Matthew, who has an excellent reputation as a first class litigator both in the Yorkshire market and nationally. I look forward to working with him as we continue to expand by attracting the most talented and ambitious lawyers to the firm and building a Northern centre of excellence for legal advice here.”

This latest expansion of the Shoosmiths Leeds team follows the recent appointment of three corporate lawyers from Irwin Mitchell and a number of specialist commercial lawyers focused on Technology Media and Telecoms, Privacy & Data and Infrastructure & Capital Projects. The firm is set to move into the Bruntwood development Platform, above Leeds station.

Pictured: Paul Stokey, head of Shoosmiths in Leeds, with commercial litigation partner Matthew Howarth.