Beachcroft Wansbroughs’ respected managing partner Bob Heslett is stepping down, to be replaced by Birmingham litigator Paul Murray.
Murray will become managing partner elect on 1 May and will take over from Heslett after a 12-month handover period. He stood for the role in an uncontested election.
Murray is currently Beachcrofts’ head of litigation, based predominantly in Birmingham, where he specialises in professional negligence work. A new litigation head is yet to be chosen.
Heslett has held management roles at Beachcrofts and its predecessor Wansbroughs Willey Hargrave since 1990, and oversaw the firm’s merger first with Manchester insurance practice Vaudreys and subsequently the London-based Beachcroft Stanleys in 1998.
He was Wansbroughs Willey’s senior partner, but became managing partner on the completion of the merger, while Beachcroft Stanleys’ senior partner Lord Hunt of Wirral assumed the new firm’s senior partner role. Lord Hunt remains in his position.
Since the merger, Beachcrofts has repositioned itself by expanding on its traditional practice areas of insurance and healthcare, and has built up strong financial services, employment, construction and property teams.
Murray said: “A very solid platform has been built. The next step is very much involving the business in its development and growth.”
