Law firm Shakespeare Martineau welcomes two new partners to its Lincoln and East Midlands team as part of its growth strategy.
Employment law expert Helen Molloy joins on 1 June, with 17 years’ experience in employment law, HR and commercial matters, including military employment law (service complaints, medical discharges and disciplinary matters), high value cross-border commercial contracts and business turnaround advice.
Helen moves to Shakespeare Martineau after working in-house as group general counsel and HR director at a UK/US engineering group, where she was responsible for global HR and employment matters, commercial contracts and compliance across the group.
Amy Cowdell specialises in agricultural property law and joins the firm this summer, bringing with her more than 16 years’ experience in a variety of matters such as buying and selling farms and estates, agricultural tenancies and Agricultural Holdings Act tenancy matters, easements, bank security work, and advising on diversification projects such as commercial leases and selling land for development. Amy is also a leading figure in agricultural organisations across the East Midlands including Women in Agriculture and Nottinghamshire Rural Support.
Shakespeare Martineau announced its expansion into Lincoln earlier this year, following the appointment of Michael Squirrell and Jonathan Stork, partners in the corporate and litigation teams, respectively.
Helen said: “I was attracted to Shakespeare Martineau because of its reputation and the genuine investment made in its people, with the consequential investment in its clients and the high level of service provided to them.
“Lincoln is a vibrant city, with diverse businesses and sectors, which makes it an exciting place to work as a lawyer. Alongside the 880-strong team at Shakespeare Martineau we’re able to offer clients a holistic service, with great strength and depth of knowledge in business growth and personal legal matters.”
The full-service law firm supports businesses, professionals and their families as well as entrepreneurs such as the founders of Human Alchemy Dawn and Paul Barron, for whom the firm recently acted on the sale of Human Alchemy Limited to Lincoln College. Other deals for the newly formed Lincoln team include acting for Adam Price, the founder of Hatch Financial Planning, on the multi-million-pound sale to Octopus Group, as well as continuing work in a variety of commercial, agricultural and inheritance and estate disputes.
Duncan James, head of East Midlands region at Shakespeare Martineau said: “I am really pleased that Amy and Helen are joining us and helping to grow our team of experts in the area so quickly. This is just the start for us and we are on the lookout for further experts in the area to join our growing team.”
Shakespeare Martineau is proactively seeking mergers, acquisitions, team recruitment and lateral hires in Lincoln, the East Midlands and nationally.
Helen Molloy: Partner FAQ
Years of experience?
Qualified in 2004, I'll be 17 years qualified in September.
What are your specialisms?
Employment Law and Commercial Contracting. I was an Employment Lawyer for 14 years, working in Preston and Leeds before settling in Lincoln. I am able to go into a business and provide Employment and Commercial legal advice, having been involved in the management and strategy of the business as a statutory director in addition to having legal oversight.
What do you think is exciting about Lincolnshire business and the market in the county?
Lincoln is a vibrant city, with many diverse businesses of all sizes and in various markets. From food & farming, manufacturing & engineering to tourism. It makes it an interesting market for us as lawyers to operate in.
What attracted you to Shakespeare Martineau?
Its reputation. Particularly, the culture of being a truly diverse and family friendly law firm, with a genuine investment in its people, and the consequential investment in its clients and high level of service it provides to them. Many businesses say they invest in their people, Shakespeare Martineau actually do it and I can't wait to be a part of that.
What do you hope to achieve while working with us?
To be part of a team responsible for establishing and growing a Lincoln office with the ability to provide clients with a high quality one stop shop law firm locally. Personally, to use my broader skills as a legal business advisor and to create a niche in the market over and above the standard employment lawyer offerings.
Amy Cowdell : Partner FAQ
What attracted you to Shakespeare Martineau?
The broad range of expertise and specialisms on offer that can service farmers and land owners throughout the East Midlands. A truly progressive dynamic law firm that is looking to break the mould from the conventional law firm. SHMA is people focussed, which I believe is the right strategy to create an exciting, vibrant and fun place to work.
What do you hope to achieve while working with us?
I would like to build a leading agricultural team in the East Midlands area and create a one-stop shop with regard to legal services for farmers, landowners and the rural community.
What do you find interesting in your area of expertise and why can people across the firm refer work to you?
What I find most interesting is working with farmers. Once you've built up that trust with them it can be a really rewarding business relationship. In the majority of cases, their lives are devoted to the farm, which is inseparable from their family life.
