Four solicitors have been promoted to senior associate at Tameside law firm Bromleys.
The quartet are Anthony Theakston, Kate Allsop, Rachael Frankland and Francesca Rigby.
Senior and managing partner Mark Hirst said: “This round of promotions reflects the acknowledged expertise of each individual in their respective fields as well as recognising their dedication, the success they have achieved for their clients and their contribution to the growth of the firm.
“Anthony, Kate, Rachael and Francesca all have a great future here with Bromleys and are integral members of our growing team. Their promotions are very well-deserved.”
Anthony, who joined Bromleys in 2018, works in the care proceedings and children services team. He specialises in child care work and deals with private and public law matters, representing children, parents and other family members where there are disputes within families or involvement with social services.
He is a member of the Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme, which independently recognises and accredits specialists in children and family law work.
Kate also works in Bromleys’ care proceedings and children services team. She mainly acts for children, parents and other family members in care and adoption proceedings and in private law proceedings relating to children and special guardianship cases and advising parents involved in social services disputes. She also has expertise in the field of domestic abuse and forced marriage protection cases.
Kate has held the Higher Courts Rights of Audience qualification since 2012, when at the age of 27 she became one of the youngest solicitors in the UK to achieve this accreditation from the Solicitors Regulation Authority due to her expertise. She is also a member of the Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme, Resolution and Child Concern.
Rachael splits her time between dispute resolution and employment work. She has a broad practice in relation to disputes, advising on contractual and commercial matters, neighbour disputes, contested wills, landlord-tenant matters, professional negligence claims, insolvency and bankruptcy, debt collection and credit control.
Her employment expertise covers contentious and non-contentious work, including drafting contracts of employment, staff handbooks, employment policies and advice on TUPE transfers.
She also has wide experience of contested claims on behalf of employers and employees in the High Court and County Courts for injunctions to enforce restrictive covenants and money claims, and in employment tribunals for unfair or wrongful dismissal, discrimination and unlawful deductions from wages.
Rachael’s litigation work includes representing clients in cases involving injuries at work, road accidents, public liability claims and Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority claims. Rachael, who has been at Bromleys since joining as a trainee, is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
Francesca joined Bromleys last year as the head of its Wills and Probate and Court of Protection teams. She specialises in all private client matters, including wills, probate, lasting powers of attorney, Court of Protection work, trusts and elderly client administration.
She is a member of both the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), a global professional body comprising lawyers, accountants, financial advisers, trustees and other practitioners who help families plan for the future. Her memberships recognise her as an expert in the field of wills and probate.
Meanwhile, several non-legal staff at Bromleys have also been promoted. Hailie Applegate has been promoted to associate in the accounts department, where Jackie Brindley has been promoted to legal cashier. Caroline Renshaw, a law costs draftsman, and practice manager Louise Nolan have also become associates.
They are the first non-legal members of staff to be promoted under the firm’s career path, which was recently amended to recognise people’s expertise in specialist areas, not just in the legal field.
