Lanyon Bowdler welcomes back former trainee as partner

LANYON Bowdler has strengthened its corporate team with the appointment of Gráinne Walters as a new partner. She joins the firm from Speechly Bircham.

Ms Walters trained with Lanyon Bowdler before qualifying as a solicitor in 2006, shortly after which she moved to live in the capital.  

She specialises in corporate finance advisory and transactional work for private companies, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity, corporate reorganisations, and with growth companies.

Managing partner David Battisby said: “I am delighted Gráinne has returned to Lanyon Bowdler as a new partner and she joins our expanding and highly rated business services team.  There is no doubt her experience and expertise will be a great asset, and will help to further enhance the services we provide to our business clients.”

Ms Walters is based at the firm’s offices at Hazledine House in Telford town centre.

New conveyancing manager for Bowcock & Pursaill

BOWCOCK & Pursaill has strengthened its 16-man team with the appointment of a new member of staff.

Graham Elliott, left, has joined the firm as a conveyancing manager. Prior to joining Bowcock & Pursaill he ran the Ashbourne office of Simpson Jones.

Bowcock & Pursaill has offices in Uttoxeter, Leek and Festival Park. Elliott will be based in the Uttoxeter office, where he will join the team dealing with all aspects of property law including commercial leases.

He said: “I will be helping with private client conveyancing, but I’ll also be looking to build up the commercial property side and managing that process for business clients.

“With the upturn in the property market Uttoxeter could attract small to medium size developers. In the past I have worked alongside a number of new development companies including Barratt Homes.”

Lodders secures former Wright Hassall partner

ONE of Warwickshire’s best known corporate lawyers has joined Lodders Solicitors in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Mark Lewis, formerly a long standing partner of Leamington Spa-based Wright Hassall, will work with Lodders’ head of commercial law Victor Matts to build the firm’s client base in the West Midlands, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.

Matts said: “Mark’s decision to join Lodders reflects on our growing reputation both within the industry and also in the marketplace we serve. He comes with a formidable array of references from the legal industry ‘bibles’ Legal 500 and Chambers, and we are very pleased to have his experience and contacts available both to our clients and our younger lawyers here.”

Lewis, pictured left with Lodders managing partner Rod Bird and head of commercial Victor Matts, has significant experience in advising charities and not-for-profit-organisations as well as a strong background in corporate and commercial law.  In particular he has extensive experience with mergers, acquisitions and takeovers, disposals, management buy-outs, joint ventures, LLPs and partnership law.

He is a consultant editor of the Law Society’s book on the Companies Act 2006, a contributing editor to Butterworths Corporate Law Guide and a former contributing editor of Butterworths Corporate Law Service.

Additionally he is chairman of the lawyers in the UK200 Group – a group of lawyers and accountants looking after the needs of the SME sector.

Locally, he is also a branch committee member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Charity Law Association and was previously the chair of the Leamington Spa Chamber of Trade.

Lewis spent 20 years with Wright Hassall and before 1994 was with Osborne Clarke in Bristol having qualified with DMH Stallard in the South East.

Lodders’ senior partner David Lodder said: “Having someone on board with Mark’s experience both as a corporate lawyer and as a former senior partner of a regional law firm can only help us with our growth plans internally and externally.”