Southampton: Paris Smith strengthens its corporate teams

Regional law firm Paris Smith LLP has appointed four solicitors: Greig Richards, Arezou Rezai, Shelley White and Jackie Powell, strengthening its corporate teams. 

Richards is a commercial property and planning solicitor dealing with a variety of commercial-property work within the portfolio team including commercial leases, option agreements and other property-related matters. He also has experience dealing with planning issues including drafting and negotiating planning and infrastructure agreements.  He trained with a local authority, gaining extensive property and planning experience in the public sector before moving to Paris Smith.

Rezai has joined the company commercial team from another South Coast-based law firm, Warner Goodman LLP, where she undertook her training. She assists the team on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters, but her main area of focus is commercial contracts, intellectual property and franchising. She has experience of advising a diverse range of clients on matters such as terms of business, agency and distribution agreements, and intellectual property contracts. She also undertakes work for the firm's property-development clients in relation to property-management companies for large residential developments.

White specialises in commercial litigation and contentious insolvency work. Prior to joining Paris Smith, she was at Verisona Law for two years, undertaking similar work. Before that she did her training contract at Moore Blatch.

Powell is a construction and property solicitor who has joined the commercial-property team following two years of training at city law firm Charles Russell Speechlys LLP. She also has experience working in-house at a multi-national design, engineering and project management consultancy. Her main areas of practice include reviewing and advising on building contracts, professional appointments, warranties and other construction documentation. She also assists the team with development matters, land acquisitions, title reports and commercial leases.

Peter Taylor, managing partner, commented: "We are committed to attracting and developing talent across the firm."