Reading: Gateley grows commercial team with new hire

Gateley plc, the legal business of law-led professional services group Gateley, has grown its commerce, technology and media team in Reading significantly over the past 18 months.

Following the appointment of partner Paul de Vince in March 2017, there have been eight further appointments to the team. 

Most recently, legal director Mary-Ann Orr joins from Blackstone Solicitors where she was head of commercial. Prior to this she was group compliance counsel at British American Tobacco plc. She now heads up the team’s specialist transaction support offering. This innovative sub-team has been set up to handle the commercial aspects of major transactions and projects both for the firm and for its clients with a service delivery model that offers a smarter solution than conventional 'body shopping' resource models.  

De Vince said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Mary-Ann to our team here in Reading. Her skills and experience will help us collaborate throughout the business to improve efficiency on transactions both in the commercial team, but across the business."

Orr added: “I've joined at an exciting time; there is a lot going on and there is an appetite to drive innovation with the implementation of the Transaction Support  offering. The team has a strong technical skillset and I'm looking forward to working with them to develop things further over the coming months."

Partner and head of the Reading office, Christopher Avery, said: "I am delighted to welcome Mary-Ann to our Reading office, we have been in Reading for nearly three years and all of our practice areas here have grown considerably. We have gone from a team of two to an office of 36, with further appointments expected early next year."

Earlier this year, Gateley's Reading office was awarded Law Firm of the Year at the annual Thames Valley Deals Awards.