Kathryn Hobbs
Darlington firm Latimer Hinks has run short of male lawyers. The firm hit local headlines when it was revealed that it has been employing only female fee-earners.
For the past 18 months male lawyers have been hard to come by. Out of a fee-earning contingent of 10, the trusts and probate department has only a single male.
Partner Anne Elliott said: "I think it has reflected the trend that more women are applying to our practice than men. When I joined the firm 25 years ago, I was the only female fee-earner and one of only three [female] solicitors in Darlington as a whole."
Numbers among fee-earners may place women in the majority, but within the partnership just two of the seven partners are female. It is likely to take a while for the gender spread seen at the lower level to filter up to the partnership.