Ex-ICI lawyer boosts Pinsents big business

PINSENT CURTIS has hired former ICI lawyer Richard Thomas as a consultant to improve its business with large companies.

Thomas was senior solicitor with ICI when he retired earlier this year at the age of 62.

He had worked for the chemical giant for 30 years, handling mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, disposals, demergers and business restructuring.

Now the Birmingham-based firm hopes to draw on Thomas' experience working for ICI to boost its client base both nationally and internationally.

Thomas says that Pinsent Curtis is wise to look to a former in-house lawyer in order to boost its work with large to medium sized companies.

He says he will not only be able to help the firm win more complex "big ticket" work but will also "help Pinsent Curtis demonstrate other ways in which it could assist the company and its in-house team".

Julian Tonks, senior partner at Pinsent Curtis, says: "The insights he offers on what firms want from external lawyers and, importantly, what in-house lawyers want, will be used to develop our future plans."

Pinsent Curtis was formed as a result of a merger between Pinsent & Co and Simpson Curtis in May, creating a £35 million "super practice".