Howes Percival has expanded its highly rated employment law team in response to an increase in instructions over the last year.
The team, which acts for a wide range of SMEs, as well as nationally recognised household names, has seen its turnover grow by 23% in the last year, which is due to the growth in instructions, both prior to and since, the outbreak of the COVID pandemic.
As a result, Howes Percival has appointed three new solicitors: Alex Sims and Kate Melton, who both join the team following their completion of their training contracts with the firm and Demi Fawzi-Perrin who joins the firm as an Associate Solicitor from Hopkins Solicitors LLP.
The three new additions follow the recruitment of Jonathan Mumby and Sobia Ahmad as Associate Solicitors last year.
In addition to the team’s growth, existing employment lawyers, Nick Benton and Hannah Ball have both been promoted to Director level from Senior Associate.
Paula Bailey, partner and head of the employment law team at Howes Percival said:
“Over the last year, we have seen a marked increase in new instructions – a trend which began before the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout and since lockdown, we have continued to see an increase in instructions, particularly in relation to the furlough scheme, and helping businesses to avoid and plan for redundancies.
“As the team continues to grow, I am delighted to welcome new joiners but also to see the development and promotion of existing team members. This reflects the increased capability of our team at all levels. Our focus has always been to work with clients in a commercial way to find practical solutions to some often very tricky issues. Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to do this effectively, providing much needed support to our clients. This approach has been key in sustaining and growing our client base and it’s one of the reasons why the team is ranked as top-tier in the recent Legal 500 guide.”
Howes Percival’s employment team is ranked as Tier 1 in the 2021 edition of The Legal 500 – the authoritative guide to the UK’s leading law firms. The Legal 500 recommends firms and lawyers based on independent research, interviews and client feedback.
Paula Bailey commented,
“This year has been incredibly challenging for a lot of clients and our aim is always to be there alongside them, helping resolve often complex and urgent problems and explaining all the options clearly. So, it is good for the team to receive client feedback describing Howes Percival as “deeply knowledgeable and approachable” and able to give “responsive, high quality and yet accessibly explained advice”. These are the things we pride ourselves on and they are core to our client offering.”
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Full details of Howes Percival’s rankings can be found on the Legal 500 website.