Clarke Willmott, the national law firm with a major base in Bristol, has strengthened its private client team with four key appointments to support steady growth in this area of the business. Two of the four – Dawn Shewell and Frances Lipman – will be based in Bristol.
Clarke Willmott said the move demonstrates its ongoing commitment to further the expertise in its private client department, with a particular focus on agricultural, trust law and Court of Protection law.
Dawn Shewell, previously at Wilsons, joins as a solicitor. She specialises in estate and trust administration, the preparation of wills, tax planning and general tax advice.
Frances Lipman also joins as a solicitor. She previously worked at the Disability Law Centre and before that at Leigh Day and Co solicitors where she trained in the human rights department and assisted in several high-profile community care cases.
Over the past nine years Frances has advised and represented a variety of clients in relation to a wide range of community care matters such as assessments and care planning, NHS responsibilities for continuing care and will also support the growing Court of Protection team.
The other appointments are David Maddock, a tax and planning estate specialist who becomes a partner in the private client team, and Russell Rollings, a new senior associate based in Taunton, who joins from Bristol law firm Burges Salmon.
Clarke Willmott partner and managing director of its private client division, Anthony Fairweather, said: “We are really committed to investing in our teams and these key appointments very much reflect our growth plans for our private client offering. Recruiting highly talented legal experts with the right skills and knowledge is critical to ensuring a seamless service, delivered with an in depth understanding of the issues faced by our clients.
“The arrival of the new members of the team further strengthens the sector expertise that we have within our key areas, such as agricultural and trust law, which continues to go from strength to strength.”
Clarke Willmott has more than 70 partners and 450-plus staff across its offices in Bristol, Birmingham, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.
Pictured: Clarke Willmott private client team’s new appointments, from left, Russell Rollings, Frances Lipman, and Dawn Shewell
