Manchester law firm to open new office in the capital

One of Manchester’s biggest independent law firms is moving into London.

JMW Solicitors has announced that they are to open an office in the capital next month.

The law firm is opening its office in the newly refurbished Kings House which is at King Street in the Bank area.

The grade A office space on the top floor of the building is presently being fitted out to accommodate 32 people.

JMW’s London office will be headed up by family law partner Catherine Thomas and business crime and regulatory partner Lee Adams who both join JMW on 2nd April 2019.

Catherine joins JMW’s London based Family Law team having previously been managing director of Vardags.

She focuses on high value and complex financial proceedings arising from relationship breakdown. Jurisdictional disputes form a large part of her practice.

Catherine also advises on children disputes including international relocation and also advises her clients on pre and post-nuptial agreements.

Lee Adams joins JMW from Hughmans where he was a partner and led the criminal department. He will head up JMW’s business crime and regulation team in London.

Lee undertakes serious and complex criminal litigation specialising in fraud, money laundering and confiscation cases.

He acts for directors accused of wrongdoing and is involved in cases involving investigations by regulatory bodies such as the FCA, DWP and the Insolvency Service.

The London office will have a headcount of 20 by the end of June 2019 with 13 offers of partnership having been accepted by London based lawyers across many disciplines including already across corporate, commercial and residential real estate, employment, business crime and regulation, banking, insolvency and family law.

In a joint statement on JMW’s new London office senior partner Joy Kingsley and managing partner Paul Walker said: “We are surprised and excited that we have been able to create our London office in such prestigious premises and with such a talented group of partners in a short time.

“Four months ago this was an idea and now it’s reality. We signed the lease on 19th March and the fit out started the next day with completion due to be just before Easter.

“Many people are interested in our reasons for coming to London at an uncertain time.

“We have been driven by our client and partner needs. Our 40 person family department is working more and more in London following our merger with the DWF Family team in May 2018.

“Meanwhile our new panel appointment to the CPOSA and the Police Superintendents Association, through partner Ian Lewis, has also given us a need for a London presence.

“Partners from many of our legal areas spend time with clients in London from commercial litigation to commercial real estate from private client to real estate finance.

“We could have set up a serviced office but we decided that it wouldn’t satisfy our requirements so we now have excellent people and office space and we hope to replicate in London the success we have had in Manchester.

Joint Heads of JMW’s London Office Catherine Thomas and Lee Adams said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to launch JMW’s London office.

“It is an exciting time for JMW to be expanding into London. We have long been admirers of JMW’s success in Manchester and we are both excited to be joining such a dynamic and entrepreneurial firm.

“An impressive team effort has meant the London office of JMW has quickly taken shape and we are looking forward to the launch on 1st May. We couldn’t have asked for any more support from our colleagues at JMW in Manchester.”