Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

The new appointments are part of an exciting strategic expansion programme already well underway in the firm, bringing in valuable expertise from well-known organisations such as ARM and the Office of Government Commerce. 

Following a recent merger of the firm’s technology and commerce teams to provide a broader and more streamlined service for business clients, four new solicitors have been recruited to further boost the team’s expertise. Senior solicitor Richard Plaistowe and solicitor Judith Kirkpatrick are both based in Cambridge, while senior solicitor Sean Earnshaw and solicitor Naomi Hawkins are based in Norwich.

Three further solicitors appointed within the corporate group are Emma Bettles, who has joined the Cambridge banking team from Maples Solicitors, Andrew Secker, who has joined the Cambridge employment team from DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, and newly-qualified Robert Tiffen, who trained with Prettys and has now joined the commercial disputes team in Norwich.

Hilary Widdall, who trained at Richard Buxton Environmental and Public Law, has joined the healthcare team in Cambridge as a newly-qualified solicitor.

The real estate group has made seven significant appointments, including Simon Crane who has joined the Cambridge projects team as a senior solicitor and Sally Challinor who has joined the Norwich real estate team, also as a senior solicitor.
Crane has joined from Eversheds, where he was involved in a wide range of private finance initiatives and public-private partnerships covering many sectors, including healthcare and education.

Challinor has arrived from Leathes Prior, where her work included providing corporate support for company and asset sales and purchases and handling liquidation and administration sales.

The other five additions have strengthened the real estate team at solicitor level. In Cambridge, this includes Kate Grimley Evans who has joined from Eversheds, David Marsh formerly of Taylor Vinters and Charlotte Crush from Foreman Laws Solicitors. In Norwich, Ian Mellor and Chris Cubitt have joined from Birketts and Howes Percival, respectively.

The private client group has made two appointments in its Norwich office to its expanding private tax, probate and trust team.

Solicitor James Daynes has joined from Norwich Union, where he worked in the pensions legal team, the general tax and trust team and also carried out general commercial work.

Newly-qualified solicitor Lauren Parker has joined from Birkett Long to add to the private client litigation department. Her appointment reflects Mills & Reeve’s continuing investment in its dedicated contentious trusts and probate team, which is the only such team in the Eastern region and one of very few outside of London.

Twenty-two new trainees also joined Mills & Reeve in September as part of the internal development programme. In addition, nineteen of the firm’s trainees qualified as solicitors.

Managing partner Guy Hinchley said:  “The firm is continuing to make a number of strategic investments in people, offices and systems and we intend to develop and implement further growth plans over the next few years. There is a lot of ambition and dedication within the firm and the new additions will strengthen the resources available to our clients even further.”