People: Higgs; Anthony Collins; Freeths

The Corporate team at Higgs LLP has welcomed four new legal experts to the team.

Banking and finance specialist Neil Large joins the firm as consultant solicitor, Claire Stretton as principal associate, Matt Allen joins as senior associate and Sam Dell qualifies into the team as an associate.

Large qualified in 1996 whilst working in-house at Northern Rock plc before moving into private practice and has held partner roles in a number of national and regional law firms.

His practice covers the full spectrum of middle-market M&A transactions and all types of debt and equity funding.

Stretton joins from Gateley Legal, bringing with her a wealth of expertise and experience in corporate law.

Working in a professional support and knowledge management capacity, she will play a pivotal role in enhancing services and introducing new efficiencies, systems and processes for the benefit of the team and clients.

Allen joins Higgs from MFG Solicitors, where he gained valuable experience in the Midlands legal market.

He advises on all aspects of company law, with a particular interest in mergers and acquisitions of all sizes and in all sectors.

Having worked for a Midlands-based SME prior to beginning his legal career, he has firsthand experience of being in the shoes of the client.

Dell has qualified for the corporate team following the completion of his training contract at the firm.

His association with the firm began in May 2022 when he joined the corporate department as a legal assistant, having first been introduced to the firm through the Higgs Spring Vacation Scheme in April 2022.

Richard Griffiths head of corporate at Higgs LLP said: “We have grown significantly over the past few years and these new appointments will play a key role in driving the next phase of our growth. Neil’s extensive expertise in banking and finance matters will strengthen our offering in response to an increased demand for support and advice about funding matters. We see Claire’s appointment as a real progressive move with her role centred on driving efficiencies to ultimately enhance the client experience. Meanwhile, Matt and Sam will provide invaluable support to our busy transactional team, enabling us to continue to deliver a top-tier service to our clients.”

Digby Morgan and Kate Davies join social purpose law firm, Anthony Collins’ housing sector and property team.

Joining the firm’s housing team, Morgan has over 20 years of experience in real estate, advising on housing stock acquisitions and disposals, land-led transactions, and multi-million-pound regeneration schemes.

Digby Morgan

He has worked extensively with registered providers, local authorities, and public sector organisations on complex real estate matters.

Davies’s 15 years in the business have seen her specialise in joint ventures, partnerships and affordable housing developments, advising both registered providers and for-profit organisations.

She has a strong track record of delivering high-profile housing projects, including a 1,200-home development.

Kate Davies

Jonathan Cox, housing sector lead at Anthony Collins said: “Digby and Kate are going to be invaluable additions to the housing team. Their experience will be essential as we continue to support our clients in an ever-evolving sector, their appointments will continue to strengthen our property team and the wider housing sector team and our ability to deliver high-quality, socially impactful solutions.”

Digby Morgan, partner in the property team at Anthony Collins said: “Joining a firm renowned for its commitment to social purpose and its expertise in affordable housing is a great opportunity. The challenges facing the sector are significant, and I look forward to working with the team to deliver innovative solutions for our clients and help navigate the evolving landscape of affordable housing development.”

National law firm Freeths has continued to strengthen its national employment team with several new hires.

Led by Partner and National Head of Employment, Pensions and Immigration, Rena Magdani, the Team has announced eight new lawyers across seven of its 13 offices.

In the West Midlands Lisa Aitken has come on board as senior associate in Birmingham.

Magdani said: “I am delighted to welcome our eight new lawyers to the Team. This expansion is a direct response to our unprecedented growth and the increased demand for employment law advice, particularly driven by the Employment Rights Bill. This strategic growth ensures we continue to provide first-class, commercially astute, and pragmatic advice to our national client base.”