Bevan Brittan recruits two new partners to Leeds office

Bevan Brittan has announced that two further partners are joining its new Leeds office, which opened at the beginning of September.

Local government specialists Judith Barnes and Frances Woodhead will start at Bevan Brittan in the coming weeks.

The new hires follow on from partners Michael Boyd and Julie Cowan-Clark who have already joined the firm.

The hires are part of a major expansion of Bevan Brittan’s legal services, across public, private and third sector specialisms, in the North.  A total of seven new partners will join the firm, with the remaining three partners to be announced in the coming weeks.

Judith Barnes has over 30 years’ experience working in and with the public sector.  She worked for several local authorities, rising to Head of Legal Services at the London Borough of Lewisham and Borough Secretary and Solicitor at Greenwich Council, before spending 13 years at Eversheds followed by the past 3 years at DAC Beachcroft.  She specialises in advising on governance issues including conduct and ethics, as well as alternative service delivery vehicles, shared service arrangements, income generation and commercialisation.

Frances Woodhead has worked in or with the public sector for over 25 years.  She was Director of Legal Services at Sheffield City Council with responsibility for a large in-house team, before joining Eversheds in 2010.  She advises on a wide range of issues including governance, strategic partnerships, collaboration agreements, education law, and shared services for education and health.

Duncan Weir, Managing Partner of Bevan Brittan, said:

“We are delighted that partners of the calibre of Judith and Frances are joining the firm.  We are assembling an impressive team in our new Leeds office, to enable us to provide our clients with an excellent service and, specific to Judith and Frances, to strengthen further our offering in the local authority market place.  With three more partners to come, we are creating a team that has strength and depth right across all aspects of the public and private sectors.”

Judith Barnes said:

“I am greatly looking forward to joining Bevan Brittan, which has such a strong reputation in the marketplace.  The new Leeds office is a very exciting prospect, with a real critical mass.  The firm has assembled a really strong offering to provide a truly client-focused service.  There are many challenges facing local government – I look forward to helping clients shape the new models of delivery that they need with Bevan Brittan.”

Frances Woodhead said:

“Bevan Brittan is a recognised and respected leader in its field. The new office provides a great platform for service delivery in the North, and the team that is being created has been very carefully thought through.  I am very pleased to be joining such a comprehensive line up with in-depth skills.  With so much change facing the public sector, the need for sound and focused legal advice has never been greater.”