Expanding JMW goes back to its roots

LAW firm JMW Solicitors, which has boosted its ranks with 24 appointments in the last three months, is taking extra office space in its former home as it continues to grow.

The Manchester firm, now employing 230 staff, has leased 9000 sq ft of space in the Old School House, which was its main office until 2006 when the firm built its current HQ at Byrom Place on the car park.

JMW has leased the entire building – which faces on to Byrom Street and is in front of its office, for five years.

Managing partner Bill Jones said: “We looked at several options when we realised that we would need more office space to meet with the demand for our growing number of staff and partners.

“I was delighted when it became clear that our best option was to lease the whole of the Old School House, which was our office until 2006. It is great news that we are all able to stay on one site.”

Among the recent arrivals are four corporate hires – three solicitors and one newly qualified solicitor.

They include Sara Bluston and Mona Niayesh who join from Brabners and Ralli Solicitors respectively. Kate Wagstaffe who qualified as a solicitor in September after completing training contract at JMW is another addition.

In intellectual property Rachel Dudley has been recruited from EMW Law of Milton Keynes.

The firm’s commercial property team has seen the arrival of two new solicitors and an associate as it continues to grow after the acquisition of Goodman Harvey in June. Julian Rogozinski joins as a solicitor from Linder Myers and Emma Townley from Southerns. Paul Burton moved from neighbouring firm DWF as an associate.

The commercial litigation team has taken on two newly qualified solicitors, Stephen Reynolds and Nathan O’Connor.

In clinical negligence, solicitor Ciaran Harper has been hired from Asons in Bolton and Francesca Powell joins the team as a paralegal.

Scott Ritchie joins the residential conveyancing team as a conveyancer from Lewis Hymanson Small.

The firm’s recently-established costs team has grown from one person to a team of five in as many months and JMW has also recruited six trainees across various departments.

Senior partner, Joy Kingsley said: “We are pleased to welcome all of our new starters who have joined us over the summer. All our departments seem to be flourishing at the moment and we are delighted with how the firm is continuing to grow and prosper.

“It has been a very busy time at JMW over the last few years and our continued growth has meant the need for us to occupy more office space as we now have over 230 staff based in Spinningfields compared with 150 three years ago.”