Two new partners amongst latest promotions at Cheltenham law firm Willans

Published by

Peter Davison

From left-to-right, top-to-bottom: Tom O’Riordan, Rachel Sugden, James Melvin-Bath, Hayley Ainsworth, Helen Howes & Kristie Silsby

Cheltenham law firm Willans has announced six lawyer promotions across the firm, including two new partners in their wills, trusts & probate team.

Rated by independent national legal guide The Legal 500, Willans’ expert wills, trusts & probate team is one of the largest in the area, with the promotions of Tom O’Riordan and Rachel Sugden taking the partner count in the department to three and the firmwide count to 16.

Partner and head of department, Simon Cook, commented: “Tom and Rachel have each made a tremendous contribution to the department over the years; I am thrilled to see them both promoted. Both are technically excellent lawyers and fantastic mentors to other members of our team.

"This recognition is wholly deserved.”

Elsewhere in the firm’s Chambers UK and Legal 500-rated teams, four lawyers moved up a level.

Litigation & dispute resolution solicitor-advocate, James Melvin-Bath, has been promoted to senior associate.

Senior partner and head of department, Paul Gordon, said: “James is an exceptionally talented lawyer who has demonstrated absolute commitment to his clients and to the firm.”

Solicitors Helen Howes (corporate & commercial), Hayley Ainsworth (employment law & business immigration) and Kristie Silsby (family law) are all promoted to associate.

Managing partner, Bridget Redmond, said: “It’s a pleasure to congratulate our brilliant lawyers on their well-deserved promotions.

Each displays the qualities that are at the core of our firm – outstanding legal brains and real client focus. We look forward to watching them all progress further in their careers at Willans.”

With over 100 people now employed at their Cheltenham offices – and having recently achieved a 15th consecutive year of Lexcel accreditation, awarded only to top-tier firms – Willans are a trusted provider of practical and personal legal support, having assisted businesses, people, charities and not-for-profit organisations based locally, nationally and overseas for more than 75 years.

Peter Davison

Peter Davison is deputy editor of The Business Magazine. He has spent his life in journalism – doing work experience in newsrooms in and around Bristol while still at school, and landing his first job on a local newspaper aged 19. By 28 he was the youngest newspaper editor in the country. An early advocate of online news, he spent the first years of the 2000s telling his bosses that the internet posed both the biggest opportunity and greatest threat to the newspaper industry and the art of journalism. He was right on both counts. Since 2006 he has enjoyed a career as a freelance journalist. He lives in rural Wiltshire with one wife, two children, and three cats.