New partner boosts Penningtons Manches Cooper’s Birmingham corporate team

Posted: 08/10/2021

Top 50 law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper has announced the appointment of corporate lawyer Richard Wrigley as a partner in its Birmingham office.

Richard, who was previously a partner at Shakespeare Martineau, is the fourth senior lateral hire the firm has made in the Midlands over the last 12 months, and the third senior appointment into the new corporate team that has been put in place to serve the region.

With more than two decades of experience advising on an extensive range of deals, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, restructurings, and corporate governance matters, Richard is well known for his work on complex, strategic and high value transactions, and those with an international dimension. He has a particular focus on the technology and energy sectors, where clients value the specific industry insights he has developed.

Penningtons Manches Cooper established the Birmingham office as its first UK site outside of London and the South East in 2019, following the recruitment of real estate partner Joel Kordan. In summer 2020 he was joined by Gemma Bell, a housing governance expert, and her team of three specialists, and later that year by Dr. Lisa Page, an intellectual property lawyer with a focus on the life sciences sector. In 2021, the firm has turned its focus to building a strong corporate practice, beginning with the recruitment of partners Adam McGiveron and Emma Bryant in May.

As the firm takes an integrated approach to corporate advisory work, Richard will join Adam and Emma in working collaboratively as a national team with colleagues in London, Cambridge, Oxford and Guildford.

Richard said: “I’m delighted to be joining Penningtons Manches Cooper at this exciting time of growth for both the corporate team and the Birmingham office more generally. Despite the pressures of the pandemic and current wider uncertainties, the local economy remains strong and I’m keen to ensure we exceed the expectations of our clients active in the deals market.”

Partner and board member Helen Drayton, who leads Penningtons Manches Cooper’s non-contentious business services division, said:

“I’m thrilled to welcome Richard to the firm. He is an extremely well regarded corporate partner, with a first-rate understanding of both the local market and the wider UK and international markets. He’ll be a key player in our corporate team as we look to further expand the practice here in the Midlands.”

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