Halliwells bulks up with series of raids on rivals

Northwest law firm Halliwells has launched a stunning six-partner raid on its local rivals in Manchester and Sheffield.

Cobbetts, Eversheds, Irwin Mitchell, Kent Jones and Done, Russell and Creswick and Wacks Caller have all lost out to Halliwells.

Halliwells managing partner Ian Austin said: "What we're saying to our recruitment agents is that we want to hear from top, bright young lawyers who are keen to get on in a strong, driven practice."

Austin said the firm had embarked on a recruitment drive to boost expertise in its core disciplines of corporate, dispute resolution, real estate and employment.

"We're always looking to recruit talented people and that's exactly what we've found in these new partners. We're moving forward with confidence across the firm," said Austin.

Among the new recruits is banking and finance litigation partner Andrew Field, who has joined the Manchester office after 10 years at Cobbetts. The commercial litigation team has been boosted by the addition of Harvey Stringfellow, who joins from the dispute resolution group at Wacks Caller.

Corporate partner Chris Moss has also joined the Manchester team after 10 years at Eversheds, and the firm's real estate team in Manchester has been boosted by the appointment of Sarah Whetnell, formerly a partner at Kent Jones in Stoke.

In Sheffield, the firm has poached property partner Alistair Read from Irwin Mitchell and employment specialist Diarmuid Deeney, previously with Russell and Creswick.

Austin was buoyant about Halliwells' prospects and said the firm would be announcing further appointments in the near future.

The appointments follow a series of raids on the Liverpool office of DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary.

Halliwells' partner count has increased dramatically over the past 12 months, with the number of partners rising from 80 to 116.