Member Article

Shoosmiths swoops for sixth DWF recruit

THE asset finance team at the fast-growing Manchester office of national law firm Shoosmiths has taken on a further new recruit meaning that it has more than doubled in size in less than a year.

New joiner Ben Woof, who specialises in regulated and unregulated asset finance and financial services, is the sixth lawyer to join Shoosmiths from rival firm DWF this year.

Shoosmiths says it intends to maintain this level of growth in the coming 12 to 18 months as a direct response to growing demand from local and national clients.

Woof joins former DWF colleagues Janet Dalton, Suzanne Taylor and Aleea Bhatoo in the firm’s Manchester team.

Dalton, who heads up Shoosmiths’ financial services team in Manchester, joined the firm from DWF along with associates Suzanne and Aleea in early 2015.

Their appointments coincided with the recruitment of partner Roger Potgieter and solicitor Charlotte Healey, both formerly at DWF, into Shoosmiths’ Birmingham asset finance team.

Woof will work closely with team lead Janet Dalton and assist on broader commercial contract, compliance and regulatory work. He will be part of the overarching Technology, Media and Commercial (TMC) practice – the largest practice of its kind in Manchester.

Shoosmiths’ asset finance partner Stephen Dawson said: “Ben’s appointment comes as a direct response to ever-increasing client demand for top quality advice in the asset finance and regulatory sectors.

“Our team has carved out a reputation for leading the market in the region and the fact that we continue to attract legal talent from other law firms in the city is testament to this.

“We now have an exceptional team in place that will enable us to pursue further growth ambitions and are confident that we will grow significantly over the next 12 to 18 months as we build our client base and attract new talent.”

The firm was named as Motor Finance Legal Provider of the Year 2015 earlier this year and Asset Finance Legal Provider of the Year at the prestigious international Leasing Life Awards in late 2014.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Henry Roberts .