Wright Hassall bolsters its team with nine senior appointments

Left to right: Wright Hassall’s new recruits Caroline Benfield, Tina Chander, Jo Deffley, Bhavika Mistry, Jugdeep Chagger, Sebastian Salt, Nichola Vine, Mohammed Abbas, Sarah Tranter

Midlands law firm Wright Hassall has bolstered its team with a further nine senior appointments, following another period of double digit growth.

The hires at the Leamington-firm include additions to its development, commercial property, construction, employment, corporate, housing and insolvency teams.

Jo Deffley has joined as a partner in the Development Team, having previously been at Eversheds, while construction partner Nichola Vine, who is also previously of Eversheds, joins from the West Midlands Combined Authority (previously Centro).

The construction, social housing and commercial property teams have also recruited three new solicitors with the appointment of Jugdeep Chagger, Sarah Tranter and Bhavika Mistry.

Joining the firm’s growing Tax Team, Associate Sebastian Salt has returned from Deloittes, having originally trained at Wright Hassall. Sebastian has employee incentives experience and joins the firm’s top ranked employee incentives practice. The employment team has also recruited associate Tina Chander from Sydney Mitchell Solicitors.

Senior associate Caroline Benfield has moved from Darbys Solicitors to lead the Insolvency and restructuring team while Mohammed Abbas – previously of Harrison Clark Rickerbys and Lodders – has been recruited as a corporate solicitor.

Wright Hassall now employs 286 staff, including 101 lawyers and 46 partners.

Managing Partner Sarah Perry said: “The firm achieved significant year-on-year growth in 2016 and we’re delighted this strong performance has led to us continuing our recruitment drive into 2017.

“This year we are targeting continued growth in a number of priority sectors, including advanced manufacturing and engineering (AME), agricultural, housing, health and social care, gaming and development and these high-calibre appointments will be key in supporting us to reach our goals.”