Squire Patton Boggs boosts litigation practice with key appointment

Squire Patton Boggs has made a strategic move to strengthen its UK litigation practice by appointing Victoria Callicott as a partner in its Birmingham office.

Callicott joins the firm from Eversheds Sutherland, bringing a wealth of experience in handling complex, high-value domestic and cross-border corporate, commercial, and contractual disputes. This includes expertise in areas such as fraud, warranty claims, and business protection disputes. Her arrival marks a significant step in the firm’s ongoing efforts to expand its presence in the Birmingham legal market.

Callicott’s addition to the team follows the recent hiring of Ellie Pinnells, who joined the firm in May to lead the Birmingham litigation practice. Together, they will form the core of an all-female litigation team.

Callicott has been noted as a ‘Rising Star’ by Legal 500 for her expertise in litigation, particularly in the industrial, automotive, aerospace, and utilities sectors.

Commenting on her decision to join Squire Patton Boggs, Callicott said: “The firm has always had a very strong presence in Birmingham, and it’s got a very strong, globally recognised disputes practice.

“It’s currently undergoing a period of growth and transition, and I think the opportunity to come in and actually help drive that forward from a litigation perspective was a particularly unique opportunity and one that I just couldn’t turn down.

“The firm’s vision and values very much align with my own. Its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is fantastic, as evidenced by the makeup of the team here. Also, its dedication to client excellence is something I value. This is a really exciting opportunity, and one that’s rare to come across.”

Callicott’s expertise in supply chain disputes, defendant work, and fraud claims is set to complement Pinnells, who focuses on group litigation and Competition Act disputes.

On her arrival at SPB, German-speaking Pinnells outlined her plans to strengthen links between Birmingham and offices in Berlin, Frankfurt, and near Stuttgart.

Her client base is in the manufacturing, engineering and construction sectors, and is heavily focused on German-speaking countries.

Tom Durrant, managing partner in Birmingham said: “We are building a formidable litigation team in Birmingham under the leadership of new partner Ellie Pinnells, and we are excited to welcome Victoria to the firm. Victoria brings fresh connections and relationships, along with an appetite for developing new business.

Durrant also highlighted the broader vision for the firm’s Birmingham office, saying: “We’re looking for ambitious lawyers who like what they see in the platform we built, our approach to targeting regional, national and international markets all on the same strategy, and this really makes us a great home for talented, ambitious lawyers to drive forward delivery of services, with interesting clients.

“We’re planning to expand all of the offerings we’ve got here in Birmingham, but are particularly focused on disputes and transactional work. The litigation growth that we’ve seen, and hope to continue to see, is a really key part of that.

“Hiring Victoria and Ellie is the start – they will drive the team forward here locally in Birmingham. We’re looking to build out the team around them so that we can offer a full-service, comprehensive disputes solution to all the corporates we act for, as well as new clients based in the region that we’re targeting”.

UK head of Litigation, Stephen Sampson said: “We have sought to broaden and diversify our practice as client demand for our services across a wide range of disputes has increased. Victoria has a reputation for her technical ability and strategic nous and she will be a real asset working with Ellie Pinnells, our head of Litigation in Birmingham, as we continue to grow and develop our practice across the UK.”