Challinors strengthens with six new hires

CHALLINORS has strengthened its service offering with the appointment of six new hires to its specialist Childcare, Wills Trusts and Probate, Clinical Negligence, and Crime teams.

Cheryl McSheen-Bailey joins as solicitor in the Wills, Trust and Probate team in Birmingham. A qualified Notary Public, she was previously Head of Quality Solicitors Forum Law’s Wills Trusts and Probate department in Solihull and has practiced at leading Legal 500 firms Brethertons, Lyons Davidson and Alsters Kelley Solicitors.

Her appointment means Challinors now has three Notary Public qualified solicitors; the others being Bernard O’Sullivan and partner, Peter Lowe.

Felicity Rackstraw, who is fluent in French, has also joined the Wills Trusts & Probate team as Paralegal, from city rival Blakemores. She previously worked in the Private Client Department at Grindleys in Stoke, for five years.

Clinical Negligence solicitor Sarah Bevan joins Challinors’ seven-strong Clinical Negligence Team, after six years with Coventry practice Brindley Twist Tafft & James where she undertook specialist clinical negligence work. A member of the Law Society’s Specialist Clinical Negligence Referral Panel, she has worked at several leading Legal 500 firms across the West Midlands including Alsters Kelley, Varley Hibbs & Co, and Blythe Liggins.

Specialist Higher Rights and criminal solicitor Baldip Singh joins Challinors 30-plus specialist Crime team and will be based at the firms Leicester office, while Paralegal Kieron Shaw joins Challinors Childcare team in Birmingham from the Harrow office of Duncan Lewis. Previously he was Legal Assistant for four years at Blakemores in Birmingham.

Anne Gillespie joins as Legal Executive at the firm’s Halesowen office, Challinors White & Billingham. Prior to this she worked at some of the region’s top law firms including Sydney Mitchell, Coventry’s Newsome Vaughan, Shakespeare Putsmans and Anthony Collins.

Challinors Management Board’s Fiona Debney, Partner and Head of the Wills Trust & Probate team, said: “The firm is experiencing excellent levels of instructions across all areas and in each of our locations. Each of these six new starters demonstrates that Challinors is continuing to expand, attracting excellent and highly experienced legal professionals to the team and has a growing reputation for legal excellence and specialism across the Midlands.”

Challinors has eight strategically-located offices across the Midlands in Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, Halesowen, Nottingham, Leicester, Loughborough and Long Eaton. It has a team of over 200, including 17 partners and more than 100 fee earners.

MFG Solicitors expands to sustain growth

TELFORD-based MFG Solicitors has boosted its farming and rural credentials with the appointment of a specialist partner.

Agricultural and landed estate expert Susan Morrissy has joined from Worcestershire practice Thursfields.

Over a 22-year career, Ms Morrissy has built a nationally-admired reputation specialising in all aspects of agricultural law, farm tenancy advice and country estate and property transactions.

Commenting on her appointment, she said: “Joining the team at MFG Solicitors was an easy decision to make. The firm has a leading reputation within the rural and farming communities for quality and professional advice.”

Sarah Denney-Richards, partner and head of the firm’s agriculture and rural division, pictured left with Ms Morrisy, said: “Susan brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team and she is already proving to be a valuable asset. She has a magnificent reputation across not only Shropshire, but the UK as well.

“We are currently seeing a period of strong growth with more and more new rural clients trusting us to handle their affairs. That upturn is down to the knowledge and professionalism here at MFG and I have no doubt Susan will contribute even more to our success in the months and years ahead.”

Ms Morrissy is a member of the Country & Land Business Association (CLA) and the Agricultural Land Association (ALA).

Three move up at Anthony Collins

ANTHONY Collins Solicitors has made three promotions as part of its ongoing drive to develop staff.
 
Donna Holmes, of Private Legal Services, and employment specialist Douglas Mullen have been promoted to senior associate, while James Monk, an employment and education solicitor, has been made an associate.
 
Romaine Thompson, Anthony Collins Solicitors’ senior partner, said: “I am pleased that Donna, Douglas and James have been rewarded for their hard work on behalf of their clients.
 
“We are proud of the development opportunities we offer our people, which contribute to our high staff retention rate. I look forward to seeing their continued progress at the firm.”