Partner quits Hammonds on good terms after 21 years to boost small firm

A former partner at Hammond Suddards has chosen to move to a much smaller Leeds firm, Nelson & Co.

Ian Shuttleworth, a partner at Hammond Suddards for 18 years, approached nine-partner Nelson & Co himself and joined as a partner last week. A specialist in commercial property and construction law, he plans to build up the firm's commercial department.

"I knew some of the partners at Nelsons," said Shuttleworth. "It is the opposite of what I was dealing with and I wanted a change.

"I spent 21 happy years at Hammond Suddards and my negotiations with the senior partner John Heller could not have been more constructive and amicable.

"But I no longer required and craved the advantages and disadvantages of such a large firm. There were 64 partners there, some of whom I had never met."

Shuttleworth has worked on numerous major projects, including the Manchester Olympic Arena and the Channel Tunnel. He said: "Now I am hoping to build up the commercial side of Nelsons, which has been quite small, and to bring some entrepreneurial skills to the firm."

Two members of staff were also promoted to the partnership last month. Julian Bond, a corporate, commercial and employment lawyer, and Helen Lawson, a specialist in personal injury litigation.

This is Nelsons 50th year of practice in Leeds. The firm says the appointments form part of its overall plans to establish itself as a wide-ranging practice with the emphasis on client care.