Regional law firm Michelmores has built on its expertise in corporate deals tax and share incentive schemes with the appointment of Cathy Bryant as a partner in its Bristol office’s corporate team.
Cathy, pictured, who takes on the role of head of corporate tax, joins from national firm Blake Morgan, where she spent 11 years, first as a legal director and then as a partner. 
Michelmores, which also has offices in London, Exeter and Cheltenham, said she brought extensive experience in the tax aspects of complex corporate transactions to the firm.
Cathy, who is dual qualified to practice in England and Wales and South Africa having trained and worked in Johannesburg, joins senior associate Anthony Reeves in the corporate tax team.
Her appointment continues Michelmores’ corporate team’s growth in Bristol and follows the arrival of senior associate Chris Smedley, associate Sean Russell, solicitor Meriam Ahmed and paralegal Darcy Wilson in the past 12 months.
The firm’s cross-office corporate team now has more than 25 lawyers, making it one of the largest specialist corporate teams in the South West, attracting work from across the UK and internationally.
It has supported a number of notable recent deals, including advising Succession Wealth on its sale to Aviva for £385m.
Michelmores senior partner and head of corporate Richard Cobb, pictured, said: “As our five new hires in Bristol show, we continue to strengthen our first-rate corporate offering to the city’s market and its corporate finance advisers, based on our integrated approach that has worked so well for us in London and Exeter.
“Her arrival bolsters our in-house corporate tax capability which is essential to support our growing deal team.”
He said the firm, which employs more than 450 people, expected to achieve continued growth in all its offices in line with its new Destination 2030 strategy, launched last month to reflect its sustainable ambitions.
Cathy Bryant added: “I’m so excited to be joining Michelmores at a time of such strong growth and look forward to working with an experienced team which is able to attract some of the largest and most complex deals emanating from the region and nationally.
“Michelmores has an ambitious strategy and I’m pleased to be part of a firm which is empowering its people to deliver a level of client service that sets it apart from its competitors through positive values and vision and an integrated private wealth capability.”
The firm’s Destination 2030 rebrand aims to develop “a more diverse, equitable and engaged business, with a vision that delivers both profit and purpose”.
