Specialist commercial law firm welcomes two new partners

Leading Lancaster commercial law firm Baines Wilson LLP has recruited Elizabeth Black to head up Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution and promoted Katherine Sibley to head up the specialist Construction and Engineering practice.

Elizabeth Black has moved from niche commercial firm Taylors and Kath Sibley, from Ulverston, has been promoted from within to reflect her expertise in Construction and Engineering.

The firm’s founder, John Wilson, believes the firm now has one of the best teams of specialist lawyers in the North West region.

John said: “Baines Wilson prides itself in providing purely commercial legal advice of the highest quality and employing only the best lawyers to work with us. We’re different to nearly every other law firm in the region who offer generic legal services because we only deal with business law matters. Our team of 35 staff deal with the full range commercial, corporate, construction, employment and property law as well as commercial litigation and dispute resolution.

“When we first opened up in Lancaster, many people wondered whether there was a need for specialist business lawyers in the area. Having invested heavily in the office I’m pleased to see we have grown into a full service office and we’ll continue to invest in the team to support further expansion. ”

Elizabeth Black said: “I’m really pleased to be heading up the Dispute Resolution and Litigation team. It is very unusual to have such a specialist team outside of Manchester or other large cities and it is a fantastic opportunity for me. Especially given the Lancaster office is 15 minutes from my home in Garstang!

I was drawn to the firm by its commercial focus and the extremely strong client base in Cumbria and Lancashire and also, unlike the national and regional law firms, by the firm’s commitment to offering expert advice on the doorstep of local businesses. It certainly helps to that our rates for litigation matters are lower than you would pay in major cities and that our clients enjoy easy access to come and meet us face to face.

John added: “The beauty of our firm is that we get to know our clients, with every client having a specific person to deal with. We thrive on developing long standing business relationships as the more we get to know your business, the more help we can provide.” Kath Sibley is the new Head of Construction and Engineering, she said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to head up our Construction and Engineering Team. Since I joined the firm a few years ago from DLA in Leeds I have been mainly working in this area of practice, dealing with a variety of contentious and non-contentious matters. The quality of work and clients is excellent and the opportunities in the region are huge.”