Midlands and South West law firm Lodders has added three litigation lawyers to its Dispute Resolution team in the wake of continued growth in the volume of new instructions.

Tom Ellis joins as Associate from the professional and financial disputes team at City firm Clyde & Co, whilst joining as solicitors are Lauren Smith from Malvern firm Russell & Co, and contentious trust and probate specialist Caroline Walford-Cowley from Wilsons Solicitors.

Cambridge graduate Tom Ellis trained and qualified at Mayer Brown International in London before moving in 2010 to what became Clyde & Co, where he became senior associate in 2015. An experienced litigator, he has principally been involved in professional negligence disputes valued at up to around £10 million.

Of his move to Lodders, Tom says:

“I have been looking for the right move to a top, established and ambitious regional law firm. Lodders presents the opportunity to work with high profile clients, and is ideally placed to service its expanding client portfolio across the Midlands and South West.”

Lauren Smith trained at Russell & Co, qualifying in to the litigation department where she worked as a solicitor in the litigation department of Russell & Co. Previously she worked at Plymouth firm Womble Bond Dickinson, where she built her litigation and dispute resolution skills including working in debt recovery as part of the legal team of a major utility company.

“Having already worked for both a large law firm and a high street law firm, I was seeking a middle-sized and established, thriving firm that provides excellent career and professional development for an ambitious solicitor, with clear opportunities for progression, and Lodders is the ideal firm.”

Caroline Walford-Cowley joins Lodders’ Dispute Resolution team after eight years at Salisbury-based firm Wilsons Solicitors, where she specialised in contentious trust and probate work after qualifying with the firm. A member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists, she has previously worked in London for an investment bank and at global law firm Linklaters in their Risk and Anti-Money Laundering teams, whilst studying for the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law.

“Contentious probate is a growing area of the law and this is a great opportunity to work at an established and recognised firm that has an excellent reputation for its excellent legal advice and client service,”

says Caroline, who will be based at Lodders Stratford upon Avon and Cheltenham offices.

“I join Lodders at a particularly busy and exciting time for the firm, with plenty of potential to develop and grow as demand for the very best advice in this niche field continues to rise.”

Partner and head of Lodders dispute resolution team, Jane Senior adds:

“Disputes occur in both business and personal matters and it is important to have the very best legal team on-side to ensure a speedy and favourable resolution.

“Demand for our range of dispute resolution services has grown significantly over the last 18 months in particular, and to support this and our ambitious plans for continued expansion, we have made these important additions to our team.”

The new appointments come in the wake of the appointment of Paul Wilson as Construction partner at the firm:

“Paul specialises in construction work, both contentious and non-contentious, and also has insolvency expertise,” Jane explains. “His appointment is an exciting and significant senior hire for Lodders, and an opportunity to further enhance and develop our portfolio of specialist, complementary legal expertise throughout the firm.”

For more information about Lodders: www.lodders.co.uk

Lodders is a premier law firm in Stratford upon Avon, Cheltenham, Birmingham and Henley in Arden. The firm has 25 partners and over 130 fee earners and support staff across its office network. With its portfolio of sector and market specific legal teams, the firm has recorded year-on-year growth in recent years.