NEW FACES STRENGTHEN TEAM AT BRIDGE MCFARLAND
Leading Lincolnshire and Humber region law firm Bridge McFarland has further enhanced its private client and commercial services teams with the appointment of senior solicitors Debbie Schofield and Paul Hardy.

Debbie is one of the region’s leading solicitors dealing with cases arising from industrial diseases. In particular, she provides a specialist compensation claims service for sufferers of asbestos-related illnesses.

When required, she offers home and hospital visits for sufferers and their families throughout Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

Debbie has won compensation for people from a wide variety of trades and industries including dockworkers, shipyard workers, merchant navy seamen, power station workers, construction and demolition workers, rail workers, electricians, plumbers, joiners, chemists and office workers. Her extensive knowledge of local industries, past and present, has often made the difference between winning and losing a claim

Debbie, who is married with a young son, joins Bridge McFarland’s Hull office from Thompson’s Solicitors. She will be based primarily in Hull but her expertise will be available to clients throughout the region.

Bridge McFarland’s commercial law department has also been strengthened through the recruitment of employment law specialist Paul Hardy, who has joined from Adie O’Reilly Solicitors.

Paul, who will be based mainly in Bridge McFarland’s Lincoln office, advises both employers and senior employees on the full range of human resource and employment law matters, both contentious and non-contentious. These can include recruitment, disciplinary procedures, capability and grievance issues, unfair and wrongful dismissals, breach of contract claims, compromise agreements, drafting of tailor-made contracts, service agreements, policies and handbooks.

Paul also arranges bespoke training courses, seminars and workshops as well as providing regular updates on important changes affecting workplace regulation. He is on call 24 hours a day for urgent advice.

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Press release issued by Forest Communications for Bridge McFarland.
For further information, please call:
Jonathan Saxelby of Forest News on 0115 962 2787 or 07733 386688

LAW FIRM OPENS SERIOUS INJURY AND MEDICAL LAW CENTRE
Fast expanding solicitors Bridge McFarland have made a major investment in Grimsby with the creation of a new specialist centre for dealing with serious injury and medical negligence claims.

The opening of the firm’s Serious Injury and Medical Law Centre in Wellowgate creates a centre of excellence that will allow Bridge McFarland to enhance still further its service to local, national and international clients.

Partners Ian Sprakes and Kathryn Hudson will be working from the new offices together with around 20 other specialist lawyers and support staff.

As well as private clients, Bridge McFarland’s lawyers already advise members of some of the largest trade unions in the country and the firm has an international reputation for its maritime work and for helping the victims of accidents at sea. The medical negligence team has acted for clients in many high-profile cases and recently helped secure an award of £3.6 million for a client left disabled in a medical accident.

To create the new centre, the firm has transformed an old shoe factory discount store in Wellowgate into a state-of-the-art office suite for its clinical negligence and personal injury specialists. A £50,000 refurbishment has created a boardroom for meeting clients and four open-plan offices. The premises have initially been taken on an eight-year lease.

Bridge McFarland’s Grimsby office manager Yvonne Sandford has overseen the new development.

“The new centre will provide modern accommodation that reflects the quality of our clinical negligence and serious injury teams,” she said. “It also demonstrates our confidence in Grimsby as a business centre and our commitment to the region.”

Partner Kathryn Hudson said the new offices would enable the firm to enhance the service offered to injured clients.

“We are delighted with the new premises, which are an excellent acquisition for our practice. The new offices will allow us to bring together the expertise of our personal injury and clinical negligence departments to form one centre of excellence. In addition, we now have space for further growth both at the new centre and at the firm’s existing South St Mary’s Gate office, which will continue to offer the full range of commercial and private client services.”

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Press release issued by Forest Communications for Bridge McFarland.
For further information, please call:
Yvonne Sandford on 01472 311711
Jonathan Ilott of Forest Communications on 0115 962 2787 or 07733 386688

LAW FIRM APPOINTS CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Managing partner, Paddy McFarland (left), welcomes new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Darryn Hedges to the firm.

Bridge McFarland Solicitors have for the first time appointed a chief executive officer (CEO) to lead the management of the firm alongside the senior partner.

Darryn Hedges joined the fast-growing Lincolnshire and Humber region firm on Monday (MAY 14) and will be based primarily in its Lincoln office.

The appointment of a CEO is a departure from the traditional management approach for law firms and reflects a change to a more corporate style of management in keeping with Bridge McFarland’s forward-looking approach to the provision of client services.

Mr Hedges has more than 20 years’ experience of providing client services as an accountant with Ernst & Young and in the management of professional services organisations.

Until recently, he was a member of the senior management team of top 20 UK law firm Addleshaw Goddard.

Mr Hedges, who was brought up in Kent and went to Manchester University, said: “I’m delighted to be joining such a forward-thinking firm and partnership. Law firms are increasingly facing a very tough, competitive market place and, together with the partners, staff and clients of the firm, I believe we will continue the successful development of Bridge McFarland.”

Bridge McFarland senior partner Paddy McFarland said: “It is increasingly the case that the traditional methods of management of law firms by its partners are too cumbersome to meet today’s challenges.

“With this in mind, I am delighted that Bridge McFarland has secured the services of Darryn who has considerable experience of management in the legal profession.

“Darryn’s skills not only include management expertise but embrace business development and strategic planning. I am confident that these qualities will accelerate the next phase of Bridge McFarland’s development.”

Away from work, Mr Hedges is a keen yacht sailor and has an active role in the arts as chairman of Bradford’s nationally recognised Impression photographic gallery. He also enjoys cookery and wine-tasting.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Bridge McFarland has 21 Partners and 200 staff with offices in Grimsby, Hull, Lincoln, Louth, Mablethorpe, Market Rasenand Skegness. The firm provides effective legal solutions to thousands of clients regionally, nationally and internationally.

For further information, please contact:
Bridge McFarland’s business development manager Simon Oates on 01522 518888
Jonathan Ilott of Forest News on 0115 962 2787 or 07733 386688

LAW FIRM BOOSTS MEDICAL TEAM
Fast-growing Lincolnshire and Humber region law firm Bridge McFarland has chosen solicitor Julie Everitt to head its medical and clinical negligence practice in Lincoln.

Julie Everitt

Bridge McFarland has a nationwide reputation for the quality of its medical negligence work and Julie’s appointment is intended to enhance the firm’s service to clients in the Lincoln area.

Julie, who is moving from the firm’s Louth office, is a specialist in personal injury and clinical litigation.

She qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and joined Bridge McFarland in 1995. In 1998, she became an accredited member of the Law Society’s Personal Injury Panel.

Away from work, enjoys music and concerts and has served on the committee for Louth and District Help for Homeless since 1997.

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Press release issued by Forest Communications for Bridge McFarland.
For further information, please call:
Julie Everitt on 01522 518888
Jonathan Ilott of Forest Communications on 0115 962 2787 or 07733 386688