Exchange brings in new blood to refocus Manchester branch

North West set Exchange Chambers has continued its growth with the hire of five tenants. The hires are designed to refocus its Manchester operation as a common law set.

The set has hired three civil members from rival Manchester set 8 King Street, as well as two criminal barristers, bringing the total number of tenants to 91.

Chambers director Tom Handley said: "We're very keen to expand our Manchester chambers to turn it into a common law set. We really want to develop Manchester from all the different practice areas, and these practitioners have started the process of building the Manchester chambers up to be a similar sort of operation as we have in Liverpool."

Personal injury specialists Kevin Naylor and Nigel Edwards joined Exchange, along with employment expert James Boyd, in December. They were followed this month by criminal tenants Sara Dodd, formerly at Kingsgate Chambers, and Graham Knowles from Peel Court Chambers.

Exchange's Manchester branch currently has a commercial focus, while barristers in Liverpool specialise more in common law.

The hires follow a year of expansion during which Exchange has added a number of new members, including Littleton Chambers mediation specialist Philip Bartle QC as a door tenant.