Rising workload results in law firm expanding its London operation

A Manchester family law firm is expanding its London base, just six months after it was opened.

Hall Brown Family Law said a rapidly increasing caseload has led to an expansion of its London workforce, adding that its office at Lincoln’s Inn Fields has “exceeded expectations” in the short time since opening.

Izzy Walsh, head of the firm’s operations in the capital, has described how it has been called on to handle a “diverse and complex” range of cases involving professionals, entrepreneurs, wealthy families and a growing proportion of London’s international community.

She added that the demand had prompted the recruitment of solicitor Rachael Brownlee, who qualified at one of Hall Brown’s larger London rivals.

Associate solicitor Alice Rogers has also transferred from Hall Brown’s Manchester headquarters to the firm’s office in the capital after three years specialising in a variety of high-value family law disputes.

Ms Walsh explained that the cases dealt with by the London team were “quite distinct” from the work of colleagues in the North West.

“Despite being relatively young as a firm, we are recognised as having some of the country’s leading family law practitioners,” she said.

“Throughout the mix of cases which we have seen over the course of the last six months there has been a considerable number of high value, complex issues – including divorce and children’s matters – stretching across a number of different jurisdictions.

“That diversity reinforces why London is regarded, by many, as the world’s divorce capital.

“To find ourselves dealing with a growing proportion of such matters and to have very capable individuals wanting to join us from far bigger family law firms relatively soon after opening our doors is something of a tribute to the calibre of lawyers and support staff who we already have working for us, and the way that we approach our work on behalf of clients.”

Ms Walsh joined Hall Brown in February, having qualified as a solicitor with a leading City law firm in 2011 and qualified further as a Solicitor Advocate two years later.

A member of the British Russian and British Ukrainian law associations and the International Bar Association and ranked as an “Associate to Watch” by the prestigious legal directory Chambers and Partners, she has developed a reputation for handling divorces involving a variety of complex themes, including a range of European jurisdictions, offshore corporate and trust structures and elite level equestrian sport.

Ms Brownlee has been appointed after three years with one of central London’s high profile family law firms, where she handled divorces, pre-nups and disputes involving children for high net worth clients.

She joins paralegal Nicola Noort and Mrs Rogers who, in addition to handling high-value divorce settlements, has amassed experience in dealing with private children law proceedings at Hall Brown’s Manchester office.

Since it was established in April 2016, Hall Brown has grown to 39 staff – 28 of whom are fee-earners.

During the last full financial year Hall Brown’s turnover topped £3.54m – an increase of £1m on the previous 12 months.

As well as its offices at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the firm occupies an entire floor in one of Manchester city centre’s most prestigious business addresses, the Grade II-listed Ship Canal House.

Having been named by The Times as one of the 200 Best Law Firms in England and Wales, it was praised for its instrumental role in saving a court system helping prevent the children of parents addicted to drugs or alcohol from being taken into care.

In May the Government promised £15m to extend the work of the Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDACs) and another programme known as Family Group Conferencing across up to 40 areas.

The decision came almost a year after Hall Brown Family Law launched a campaign to save the FDAC National Unit following a previous decision by ministers to withdraw funding.