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Halliwells shifts Manchester focus following private client shutdown

Author: ben.mitchell@legalweek.com

Published: 29/03/2007 03:17

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Halliwells has closed its private client department in Manchester but has boosted its corporate team in the region with the hire of a senior partner from local rival Cobbetts.

The firm shut down its 10-lawyer private client team in Manchester this month following the departure of local head Philip Laidlow. Laidlow’s next career move is currently unknown.

The 154-partner firm will now focus its remaining private client activity on its Liverpool office, where national trusts and estates chief Carol Mason will continue to oversee the practice.

Halliwells did not rule out redundancies as a result of the change. A spokesperson said: “The likelihood is that the firm will transfer the work and people who would like to relocate to Liverpool as it makes sense due to the client base.”

In recent years, a number of national firms have slimmed down their private client capability. Earlier this year Beachcroft transferred its entire private client team to Laytons, while in 2004 Birmingham giant Wragge & Co offloaded its 15-strong practice to Mills & Reeve.

The move comes after Halliwells bulked up its corporate practice in Manchester this month with the hire of Cobbetts partner Chris Dunn. Dunn was formerly a member of Cobbetts’ main management board.

Dunn was instrumental in Cobbetts’ conversion to limited liability partnership status, which went live in November 2005. He will now work as part of Halliwells’ 91-lawyer corporate group in the northwest.

Dunn said: “I have seen the giant strides Halliwells has made in recent years, both in terms of its corporate department and the firm as a whole.”

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