Two senior appointments at expanding Liverpool office of north west law firm Napthens

Recruitment of Anna Hayes and Veronica Howley reflects rising caseload and headcount and the firm’s commitment to serving clients in the Liverpool City Region
The Liverpool office of north west law firm Napthens continues to expand with the appointment of legal directors Anna Hayes and Veronica Howley, reinforcing its commitment to the city region.
Their arrival takes the number of staff at the Liverpool office of Napthens to 37 and follows the fast-growing firm recently taking a 10-year lease on 5,000 sq ft of office space in Bruntwood SciTech’s The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street.
By investing in a new home in the city’s business district and expanding its presence and headcount, Napthens is delivering on its growth ambitions in the Liverpool City Region and across the north west.
Anna progressed her legal career in corporate real estate in Liverpool, training with Hill Dickinson before moving to DLA Piper and latterly CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang. Her practice covers various sectors with a focus on industrial/logistics and retail assets.
She has acted mainly for national and international real estate investment trusts (REITs), pension funds and institutional lenders in acquiring, occupying and disposing of assets.
Anna’s specialisms include acting for investment manager Downing in the sale of the Port of Liverpool building and student accommodation nationwide, providing due diligence for Annington Ltd on the sale of 31 former Ministry of Defence housing estates and acting for retail clients including NewRiver Retail and Argos/Sainsbury’s and for REITs such as St James’s Place UK plc, Picton Property Income Limited and Tristan Capital.
Having joined Napthens from Slater Heelis in Manchester and working in dispute resolution for more than 20 years, Veronica heads the firm’s contentious probate team. She helps clients to resolve disputes arising from the death of a loved one or the administration of their estates, on claims under the Inheritance Act and relating to the administration of will trusts.
Veronica is recognised by Legal 500 as a lead associate for her legal expertise and empathy and is a member of the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists and Professional Negligence Lawyers’ Association.
Their appointment follows that of Kevin Howard, a senior associate in the corporate team who joined from TLT having worked at national and international law firms following a previous career in tax with Big Four accountancy firms. He is experienced in advising on public and private mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, joint ventures and restructurings, acting for public and private businesses, institutions, management and entrepreneurs.
Headcount at Liverpool has risen by 20 per cent in just 18 months, providing clients with a full-service offering, including an eight-strong corporate team led by corporate partner Kieran Donovan and ongoing growth in complimentary practice areas of commercial property, employment and commercial litigation together with a full family and private client offering including wills, probate and residential conveyancing.
The firm works with a growing client base of private individuals, family companies, owner-managed businesses, large corporates, institutional lenders and investors and regional businesses.
Kieran said: “Our recruitment of Anna, Veronica and Kevin proves the enduring appeal to leading legal practitioners of wanting to be part of the exciting growth of Napthens in Liverpool, the city region and wider north west.
“Their arrival increases the breadth and depth of talent across the firm, reinforcing our commitment to retaining and attracting top talent to deliver best in class legal services for our clients.”
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