Reading: Shoosmiths appoints new partner

Shoosmiths has expanded its court of protection (COP) team with the recruitment of a new partner, Sue Bowler, who will be based in the firm’s Thames Valley office in Reading.

Bowler’s extensive experience and expertise in this area will further enhance the existing high net worth and disputed wills and trust teams currently working in the Thames Valley office.

Bowler joins a 14-strong team based in Birmingham and her recruitment also means that Shoosmiths now boasts another Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) appointed panel deputy alongside national head of wealth protection and legal director, Charlotte Dunn - two of only approximately 70 such OPG-appointed panel deputies nationwide.

Bowler joins Shoosmiths as the national head of the Court of Protection team. She is a skilled personal injury/clinical negligence solicitor, but it was her work in serious brain injury cases with Coffin Mew which led to her greater involvement with Court of Protection matters. Previously, Bowler created and headed up a specialist COP team at Coffin Mew to look after the interests of those clients who were unable to manage their own affairs and also dealing with complex Court of Protection litigation.

Bowler is the chair of trustees for the Headway charity in Portsmouth and South East Hampshire, which supports adults with acquired brain injuries and their families, and as a result of COVID-19 she was involved in supporting the charity to transition from group sessions to one-to-one telephone and face-to- face support (socially distanced) for all service users.

National head of wealth protection Charlotte Dunn said: “Sue brings considerable expertise and an impeccable reputation in Court of Protection work which will be invaluable in developing our national COP offering and supporting our Thames Valley personal injury and clinical negligence teams.”

Sue Bowler said: “I look forward to being a part of Shoosmiths highly regarded COP team. I have worked in the brain injury sector for my whole career, but the last few months have been challenging, rewarding and humbling for me. To see what clients and their families cope with on a daily basis, and to be part of the changes at Headway, has truly been a privilege and an inspiration. I hope I can continue to provide that support and leadership in my new role at Shoosmiths.”