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NATIONAL PROMOTIONS FOR SOUTH WEST LAWYERS

Clarke Willmott‘s South West specialists chosen for national roles

 Four partners at the South West office of fast-growing national law firm, Clarke Willmott, have been promoted to nation-wide roles.

 With 12 partners and more than 220 staff, Clarke Willmott‘s South West regional office in Taunton is one of the region‘s biggest legal centres, and a national centre of excellence for the firm‘s agriculture, private client, wealth management, property and planning, and debt recovery services.

South West based Robert Smeath has been appointed managing director of Clarke Willmott‘s national private client operations, spanning offices in Taunton, Bristol, Southampton, Birmingham, and London.  Mr Smeath is a regular lecturer on inheritance tax.

One of his fellow South West partners, Peter Nellist, has been confirmed as sector-head for Clarke Willmott‘s national private capital team.  Mr Nellist is the first lawyer to win the Financial Times Business Money Management Financial Planner of the Year award, which he won in 2003 and 2007.  He is also the winner of four other Money Management awards:  inheritance tax planning (2005), investment (1999 and 2002), and retirement planning (2000).

Underlining his reputation in the farming sector, Clarke Willmott‘s South West based Tim Russ has been made sector head of the firm‘s national agricultural practice.  A long-time champion of farmers and landowners, Mr Russ recently won a landmark High Court victory for farmers seeking compensation for bovine TB, and has confronted other regional issues, such as foot and mouth disease.

Mr Russ leads the South West‘s largest team of agricultural partners and lawyers, with specialisms ranging from employment to land-use law.

As part of a national reorganisation, Stuart Thorne has been appointed office head for Clarke Willmott in the South West, with a remit to steer the further growth of the firm‘s business in the region.  A regular lecturer and speaker at agricultural events, Mr Thorne is a nationally recognised expert on inheritance tax planning for land owners. 

South West based national chairman of Clarke Willmott, Tim Hayden, said:  “In the past few years, we have transformed our business from being Somerset‘s largest law firm to a truly national player, with major offices in Taunton, Bristol, Birmingham, Southampton, and London.

“Having doubled the size of our South West regional office, located alongside the M5 at Taunton, it is now the region‘s biggest law centre south of Bristol”, said Mr Hayden.   

END               5th September 2008

For further information please contact Louie Hadley, Sturgess Van Damme, on 01275 349 011 or email louie@sturgessvandamme.co.uk

 

FURTHER INFORMATION:

 

Catherine McFarland, PR Manager, Clarke Willmott:  Tel – 0845-209-1423

David Sturgess, Sturgess Van Damme:  Tel – 01275-349011 or 07768-078656