People: Two solicitors re-join law firm; Treasurer of Birmingham Medico-Legal Society announced, and more

Two senior solicitors have re-joined law firm Wright Hassall, where they both started their law careers before moving away from the firm.

Lorna Payne joins as an associate solicitor specialising in private wealth, while Rita Clare returns as a senior associate in the corporate department.

Payne left the firm in 2003 and has had stints at other Midlands firms, as well as a firm in Lymington on the South Coast, before returning to Leamington and Wright Hassall.

Clare had previously worked her way up to the role of corporate team associate after working across transaction services and investments for SMEs and large corporates.

She left Wright Hassall at the end of 2014 after more than eight years.

Paul Rice, senior partner, said: “We are always delighted to welcome back previous members of staff; it speaks volumes for us as an employer and as a successful business.

“We are particularly pleased that Lorna and Rita, have chosen to return and who we know will make a great contribution to the firm.

“Their experience in their respective fields is invaluable, both for the teams they are working with and for our clients who will benefit from their expertise.”

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A solicitor with West Midlands law firm Higgs & Sons has been appointed treasurer of the Birmingham Medico-Legal Society.

Kate Campbell-Gunn has practised personal injury and clinical negligence litigation since 2003 and is experienced in dealing with a range of claims from cosmetic negligence to brain injury.
The Birmingham Medico-Legal Society was founded in May 1987 with the aim of promoting medico-legal knowledge and developing contacts and co-operation between the professions of medicine and law.

Membership of the society is open to qualified barristers, solicitors, accountants, registered medical and dental practitioners and anyone in the West Midlands interested in medico-legal work.

A regular programme of lectures and social events is organised for legal and healthcare professionals as well as students.

Campbell-Gunn said: “I am delighted to be appointed treasurer of the Birmingham Medico-Legal Society, where I hope to play an active and constructive part in the further development of the society.

“I am passionate about fighting for the rights of victims of medical negligence and firmly support the medical and legal professions working together.”

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A University of Birmingham spinout providing portable device antenna solutions, has appointed James Li as general manager for the company’s operations in China.

Li will be based at Smart Antenna Technologies’ new office and testing facility at the National Innovation Park in Suzhou. The company intends to have up to 50 people at the facility within 2 years.

The facility was acquired by Smart Antenna in April this year as part of a planned expansion into the Far East.  It has been fitted with testing and production equipment, and will be the focal point for the company’s global ambitions for its antenna system which can reduce antenna system sizes by 35% or more. The office will oversee volume production, provide local customer support and further extend Smart Antenna’s R&D capability.

The company already has a presence in the mobile devices market, and intends to address the Internet of Things (IoT) via a whole new product range by incorporating Smart Antenna’s edge technology, which is being developed out of its Taiwan office.

Li said: “It’s great honour to join the Smart Antenna family, a very innovative business developing antenna systems for laptops, smart phones, electric vehicles and the Internet of Things.  With more than 80 patents in our portfolio, I believe we can create fantastic value for our customers”.

Smart Antenna originally span out from the University of Birmingham with a mission to commercialise technology developed by founder Dr Sampson Hu while he was studying for his PhD at the university.

Hu founded the company in 2013 and since then he has grown the skills and scope of the business from a small team to an organisation now operating on a global scale, with high-profile names in the tech industry being potential prospects for its technology.

The company has received financial backing from the University’s Spinout Investment fund, the Senetas Corporation, and Mercia Technologies.