Legal hires: Ex-Stockport County boss joins GT Law; and more
THE former chief executive of Stockport County Football club has joined Knowsley-based law firm GT Law to head its new sports law division.
Graham Shaw, who is a qualified lawyer, is also a former striker who made nearly 300 appearances over an 11-year career for clubs such as Preston North End, Stoke City, Rochdale and Plymouth Argyle.
GT Law specialises in personal injury but launched a sports division last year. Director Gordon Tucker said: “Graham’s appointment means we can extend our friendly, jargon-free approach to sports professionals.
”Graham was well respected as a player and as a football administrator. It is this experience and his legal qualifications which mean he is well placed to advise about possible pitfalls and ensure clients get the fairest deal.”
Mr Shaw said: “We already represent a number of sportspeople who recognise the importance of having a lawyer who is a former professional footballer looking after them.”
GT Law is principal sponsor of Stockport County FC.
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CHESTER-based law firm Aaron & Partners has recruited Mark Briegal as a partner in its commercial team.
Mr Briegal is a specialist in partnership law and advises law firms, accountants, architects, medical practitioners and other groups on all aspects of partnership law including setting up partnerships, retirements, expulsions, disputes and dissolutions.
The 50 year-old from Stockton Heath, near Warrington, joins from Manchester-based Ralli Solicitors. He also currently chairs the North West branch of the Association of Partnership Practitioners.
He said: “I’m tremendously excited to be joining Aaron & Partners, which is a growing commercial law firm with an excellent reputation throughout the region.
Aaron & Partners chief executive, Andy Duxbury, said: “Mark is a leading light in the field of partnership law, and his arrival will further strengthen our offering to clients.
“He brings with him a wealth of expertise in a highly specialised field.”
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THE MANCHESTER office of national law firm, Irwin Mitchell, has appointed Emma Giles as a solicitor to its commercial litigation team.
Giles joins form Walker Smith Way in Chester. She specialises in dealing with professional negligence disputes on behalf of lenders and will help support the continued expansion of Irwin Mitchell’s existing property and financial litigation practice.
Tom Seabrook, an associate and property litigation expert at Irwin Mitchell in Manchester, said: “Emma is an important addition to the team and we look forward to working with her as we build on our current caseload of contentious litigation work within the financial services sector.”
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LANCASHIRE law firm Birchall Blackburn Solicitors has announced a series of new admissions, accreditations and promotions.
Tony Coates, who works in property at the firm’s Southport office, and Leyland-based wills & probate specialist Anna-Marie Knipe, have both been promoted to associate.
Stacey Ashe, Tammy Jones and Kristina Smith have been admitted as solicitors to the firm’s private client team after completing training contracts. Claire Hamilton, who works in the Leyland-based Wills & Probate office, has been offered a training contract.
Chorley-based Rosemary Johns has also been accepted as a member of Solicitors for the Elderly – an association of lawyers specialising in providing legal services to older people.
Catherine MacCracken, head of the firm’s private client department, said: “The partners would like to congratulate all of these talented individuals and we are delighted to acknowledge their hard work and achievements.”
