People: Law firm appoints new managing partner; New partner promotion at law firm; and more

Marie-Louise Hamilton has been appointed Managing Partner at Wrigleys Solicitors, a private client and charities law firm with offices in Leeds and Sheffield.

Hamilton is also the Joint Head of the Private Client team and a member of the Wrigleys’ Board. She succeeds Paul Nash, who has been managing partner since 2010.

Hamilton has been with Wrigleys for 21 years. She qualified in 1995 and joined the London private client department of law firm Alsop Wilkinson – now DLA Piper – before moving to Lawrence Graham.

She provides specialist tax and estate planning advice for individuals and their families, concentrating mainly on entrepreneurial clients and those with family businesses.

Hamilton is included in the 2019 Chambers High Net Worth Guide which features the world’s leading advisers in this market.

Paul Nash, who will remain as a partner at Wrigleys in the property team, said: “I am very pleased with Marie-Louise’s appointment as my successor and have great confidence in her leadership.

“We have been working together for the past year to ensure that the transition is a smooth one and that Wrigleys continues to provide top quality legal advice for which it has developed a national reputation.”

Hamilton added: “I am very proud to have been appointed to lead this progressive firm through the next phase of its expansion. Paul has ably led the firm’s continued growth over the last nine years and his work on the firm’s governance and succession has provided an excellent and exciting platform for the future.”

Wrigleys LLP was founded in 1996 and has more than 200 staff including 26 partners.

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Shulmans LLP, the Leeds-based law firm, has announced the promotion of one of its Commercial Property Associates to Partner as part of its career development scheme, ‘Forward with Shulmans’.

Kieran Wilkinson has been promoted to partner in the real estate division – taking the number of partners in that team to 12.

Wilkinson has risen through the ranks of the firm, having joined in 2003 as a paralegal in QCAS, Shulmans’ conveyancing division. He subsequently completed a training contract and qualified into commercial property, before becoming an associate seven years ago.

He deals with a wide range of matters for both single-asset and large portfolio clients, including investment sales and purchases; landlord and tenant work; and complex estate management.

Wilkinson works with some of the firm’s largest clients, such as such as the Evans Property Group, Town Centre Securities and Edwin Woodhouse & Co. Recent projects include the completion of a £20m deal on a multi-let building in Leeds, as well as ongoing portfolio management work for a regenerated mill development in Farsley.

Wilkinson also provides specialist advice to the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector and has an expertise in telecommunications work, acting for site owners on the grant and renewal of telecoms leases.

Tim Halstead, Managing Partner at Shulmans LLP, said: “We are delighted to welcome Kieran to the partnership and would like to congratulate him on his promotion. It is direct recognition of his talent and the hard work and dedication that he has put into serving our client base over the last 16 years. Kieran’s expertise is a great asset to the firm and his promotion will further strengthen our commercial property team.

“Kieran is the ninth associate to be promoted to partner through the ‘Forward with Shulmans’ scheme. We’re pleased that it is providing a clear framework for colleagues to rise through the firm and achieve their career goals. We hope that Kieran’s journey with Shulmans, from paralegal to partner, will inspire others to do the same.”

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Clarion’s family law practice is continuing to grow with Sarah Buxton joining as a Legal Director and Sarah Collins becoming a Paralegal in the family team.

With 14 years’ experience as a family lawyer, Buxton has practiced in all areas of family law, and has particular expertise in financial remedy, including advising on financial agreements. She also specialises in children matters, advising on child arrangement orders.

Having worked as a legal secretary at Clarion for the last three years, Collins has taken up the position of paralegal. She will assist with all aspects of family work including divorce, children and family finances.

Justine Osmotherley, Partner and Head of the Family team at Clarion, said: “Ensuring that we continue to offer clients the best possible service by adding to our expertise with experienced lawyers coming on board as well as nurturing new talent, is central to the Clarion culture. Both are welcome additions to our growing team and share our client-focussed approach.”

Buxton added: “As family lawyers, we are often helping people during particularly traumatic and distressing periods of their lives and it’s important to offer straight-forward advice while also showing empathy. The Clarion ethos chimes with my own and I am looking forward to working with such experienced and reputable colleagues.”

Collins also said: “Having worked in the legal sector for the last seven years, I have developed strong skills to help me in my new role. I am really excited to have this opportunity to grow my career with Clarion.”

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An Irwin Mitchell family law solicitor has been appointed to the prestigious Law Society’s LGBT+ national committee.

Scott Halliday, based in the national law firm’s Leeds office, formally joins the committee this week after beating out several contenders for one of five places on the board.

The committee governs the Law Society’s LGBT+ Lawyers Division which is committed to providing LGBT+ solicitors a community and a voice within the legal profession.

The division provides specialist events and training on LGBT+ matters, ad-hoc peer support and campaigns on behalf of LGBT+ solicitors. The national committee is currently headed by Katrina Robinson MBE, whom Halliday will work closely with during his four-year term.

Halliday’s presence in the LGBT+ legal community is already established in the north; he founded the Leeds LGBT Diversity group in July 2018, a professional networking group for LGBT+ professionals and allies across the Yorkshire region.

He is also a published author and has been featured in national press for his commentary on modern family issues such as the heterosexual civil partnerships case, Steinfeld & Keidan, which won in the Supreme Court in 2018. He has also more recently lectured and published on transgender family law issues.

Halliday said: “I am absolutely delighted and humbled to have been selected for the Law Society’s LGBT+ national committee. During my four-year tenure I hope to make a positive impact on the working lives of LGBT+ solicitors in England and Wales.

“I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and working with my fellow committee members on how best we can create a more inclusive environment for all LGBT+ solicitors over the next few years.”

Ros Bever, national head of family law at Irwin Mitchell, added: “We are all delighted Scott, a star of the future, has been selected to the Law Society’s LGBT+ national committee. Not only is this an honour for Scott and the firm, but he is also one of the youngest ever to be selected to the committee, a clear sign of his talent.

“Scott already has a growing profile for LGBT matters in the north and his appointment to this national committee will further cement both his position as a leading light for modern family issues in the law, plus our position as a firm in being at the forefront of change and innovation.

“I have no doubt Scott will do his very best to create real change for LGBT+ solicitors across England and Wales.”

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