Former Thursfields partners join law group to launch boutique firm

A team of five from Thursfields has partnered with Excello Law to establish DBA Law, a boutique property and property litigation firm based in Birmingham.

Terry Dickson

Helena Bannister

The DBA Law team will be led by partners Helena Bannister, Terry Dickson, and Anna Albini, alongside associate Evita Svampane and paralegal Louise Evans, who previously worked together at Buckles, Wright Hassall, and most recently Thursfields.

Operating out of Excello Law’s Birmingham office at Two Snow Hill, DBA Law will provide services to a wide range of property clients, addressing both transactional and contentious real estate matters.

Anna Albini

The team will cover site acquisitions for development, landlord and tenant issues and asset management.

DBA Law marks the ninth firm launched in collaboration with Excello Law under its ‘House of Brands’ which also includes Lowry Legal, Roberts Law, Preston Law, Cargo Law, Ionic Legal and 458 Law.

The move comes as Knights’ takeover of Thursfields was completed on Monday (Sep 15), after it acquired the West Midlands law firm in a £12.5m deal.

Founded in 1878, Thursfields was an independent, full-service regional law firm with 101 fee earners across offices in Worcester, Kidderminster, Solihull and Birmingham.

DBA Law team Helena Bannister said: “This is the perfect time for us to launch our legal practice, and Excello Law has been the ideal partner in making it happen. They’ve provided the perfect balance between the autonomy to shape our business on our terms and the extensive backing we need to grow. From day one, their expertise in areas like marketing, compliance, and finance has been invaluable, allowing us to focus on what matters most—delivering the best for our clients.”

Jo Losty, Excello Law’s chief operating officer said: “DBA Law is the ninth law firm to join our growing House of Brands, and the fourth to launch this year. Excello’s House of Brands offering is going from strength to strength. As the only law firm providing a full solution with ongoing support, we empower high calibre lawyers like DBA Law to launch their firms with confidence, knowing they have access to exceptional resources at every step.”