Member Article

Talbots makes strategic hire to meet 33% rise in dispute resolution cases

One of the West Midlands leading independent law firms has appointed Philippa Rowley to cope with a significant growth in demand for dispute resolution advice.

Talbots Law, which employs over 240 people across six offices in Codsall, Dudley, Halesowen, Kidderminster, Stourbridge and Wolverhampton, has seen a 33% rise in the number of cases it has supported during the last twelve months.

This has been driven in part by the area of contested probate, with Covid-19 unfortunately causing a lot of people to die unexpectedly without having time to make a will.

Philippa will use her significant experience in this area of law to boost the firm’s provision and is part of a dedicated four-strong team that are helping people across the region to find resolutions in these areas.

She has specific expertise in the Inheritance Act 1975, will validity disputes, proprietary estoppel/constructive trust claims, actions to remove and/or substitute executors and trustees.

“Talbots is a local firm with a great reputation for its approach to client care, something that I feel very strongly about,” explained Philippa, who joins from George Green LLP.

“I am very passionate about this area of law and understand that for many families losing a loved one is hard and the emotional distress is compounded significantly when a dispute arises in relation to their estate.

“It is our role to listen to them, understand the issues and carefully guide them through the legal process in a way that leads to the correct outcome.”

Jagdip Bains, Director at Talbots Law, concluded: “Philippa is our third new appointment this year and is a fantastic addition to the company, giving us knowledge and experience in contested probate.

“The lockdown has presented a number of challenges and an increase in demand and our team has adapted quickly to the new norm. We have hosted virtual seminars on dispute resolution, engaged in online mediations, achieved a successful injunction to preserve estate funds and a positive outcome on a 3-day virtual trial arising from funds that were removed from an estate.”

Talbots Law was named as the best legal firm to work for in the Black Country earlier this year after moving up 13 places in the Sunday Times and Best Companies national list.

The independent law firm was in 52nd place on the prestigious rankings and was also awarded a 2-star rating for the way it engages with its staff.

Its index score improved by 4% from 2019 and was driven by high marks in personal growth, wellbeing and in being able to give something back, with over £50,000 raised for Birmingham Children’s Hospital in the last twelve months.

For further information, please visit www.talbotslaw.co.uk or follow @talbotslaw on twitter

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .