Penningtons Manches Cooper announces record round of partner promotions

Posted: 01/04/2022

Top 50 law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper has announced its largest ever round of partner promotions as 12 individuals join the partnership today, bringing the total number of partners to 137.

The newly appointed partners are:

Adele Ashton – reputation management and privacy

Daniel Berry – IP, IT and commercial

Michaela Britton – corporate

Charlotte D’Avola – social housing

James Harrison – commercial dispute resolution

Oliver Kidd – IP, IT and commercial

Tammy Knox – family

Victor Mata – marine, trade and energy

Laura Naser – family

Elizabeth Nicholas – private client and tax

Lisa Page - IP, IT and commercial

Tony Riches - marine, trade and energy

Adele Ashton joined the firm in 2017 and is a key member of the firm’s growing reputation management and privacy practice. She has extensive experience acting for individuals, businesses and organisations in defamation, privacy and data protection disputes. Adele has acted in a number of successful high profile cases and twice been part of a team shortlisted for Litigation Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards. She will lead the reputation management and privacy team alongside fellow partner Jeremy Clarke-Williams.

Cross-qualified as a lawyer and trade mark attorney, Daniel Berry advises on all aspects of intellectual property protection and enforcement in the UK and EU including trade marks, passing off, domain names, anti-counterfeiting, design rights, copyright and confidential information. He works for clients across a variety of business sectors with particular expertise in the fashion, travel, food and drink, entertainment, automotive and sports industries. Daniel has obtained postgraduate qualifications in intellectual property from Oxford University, Queen Mary University of London and Nottingham Law School.

Michaela Britton joined the firm’s corporate team in 2016. She has particular expertise in cross border transactions and advises businesses, family offices, wealth management firms and high net worth individuals on all matters relating to business expansion, group reorganisation and restructuring, acquisition and disposal of assets. Michaela has developed a practice advising international families and their businesses in Eastern Europe, USA and the Far East. She is often the first point of contact for contentious and non-contentious matters and work cross practice with other specialists.

Social housing specialist Charlotte D’Avola has been a key member of the firm’s rapidly expanding social housing team since 2007.  In 2015 she was appointed head of the social housing securitisation and portfolio team, focusing on large-scale property security transactions, refinancing and related treasury matters, as well as a range of portfolio property sales and acquisitions.  Charlotte has supported the successful growth of our social housing finance practice, specialising in debt capital markets and bank funding work. Her promotion is the latest in a series of significant appointments and promotions within the social housing team.

James Harrison trained at legacy firm Manches and is an integral part of the commercial dispute resolution team. He has a particular expertise in corporate disputes, including shareholder disputes and breach of warranty claims. James is also a key member of our restructuring and insolvency team, focusing on contentious insolvency issues. He is known for the practical approach he takes with both businesses and individuals and has notable experience of dealing with high-value claims, often with novel factors.

Oliver Kidd joined the firm in September 2019 to lead its IP, IT and commercial offering in Guildford and to support its strategic growth plans in the technology sector.  He is a commercial contracts specialist, advising businesses on the full range of technology agreements and other commercial contracts. As well as his strong focus on technology (including digital business, fintech and cybersecurity), Oliver supports clients in the hotel and leisure industry and also businesses operating at various levels of the food and drink supply chain. He has worked on secondment as in-house counsel at a variety of businesses.

Family lawyer Tammy Knox joined the firm in October 2017.  She is highly regarded for her work in international children disputes and has also established a strong reputation for complex financial matters and domestic children cases. Tammy has been involved in a number of high profile reported cases both at the High Court and Court of Appeal, including representing the Aire Centre as an intervenor in the novel case of Freddie McConnell, a transgender male who gave birth to a child and wanted to be recognised as the father on his child’s birth certificate. She chaired leading membership body’s Resolution’s Children Committee since April 2020, and won the Family Law Associate of the Year award at the Lexis Nexis awards in 2020.

Victor Mata, a Spanish qualified lawyer based in the Madrid office advises on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters. His practice includes shipping, transport, logistics, insurance, international trade and litigation, with particular expertise in handling personal injury claims, salvage proceedings and cargo claims on behalf of local and international clients. Victor lectures on maritime law both locally and internationally and has authored many articles and book chapters. He joined legacy firm Thomas Cooper in 2014 before it merged with Penningtons Manches in 2019.

Laura Naser is an award-winning lawyer, author and public speaker on family law. She is known for her popular Instagram account @thefamilylawyer, through which she engages with the public directly, and her successful book The Family Lawyer's Guide to Separation and Divorce - How To Get What You Both Want (Penguin Random House, 2019).  Recognised in the legal rankings for her innovative, modern and fresh approach to family law, Laura specialises in advising HNW/UHNW private individuals in financial and children’s disputes in both married and unmarried circumstances. Her cases often have an international element, involve complex financial structures, and/or are high conflict disputes to include parental alienation, relocation and domestic abuse.

Elizabeth Nicholas’ practice encompasses a broad range of private client work, with a particular focus on tax and estate planning. She acts for high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals, families and fiduciaries. Elizabeth is particularly well-known for the international dimension to her work and is also a leading member of the firm’s tax disputes team. Elizabeth is a member of STEP and of the STEP Surrey committee. She is ranked in Legal 500 and Chambers High Net Worth and, this year, was nominated as a Global Elite Rising Leader. Elizabeth’s promotion is a reflection of the growth and strength of the firm’s private client group.

Dr Lisa Page is a highly experienced intellectual property lawyer with a specialism in the life sciences sector and is passionate about developing the ecosystem for life sciences companies. Her client base spans pharmaceutical and medical device companies, biotech start-ups and spin-outs, as well as universities and other research-based organisations. She advises on all stages of the drug and device development pathway as well as on multi-party collaborations and spin-outs and has particular experience in the development stages of new products. Lisa has a PhD in molecular microbiology and had direct practical experience of working in the pharmaceutical industry before re-training as a solicitor. Her scientific background gives her a deep understanding of the issues facing the life sciences sector.

Ex-mariner Tony Riches is a shipping lawyer who advises ship owners, salvors, charterers, P&I clubs and property insurers on both wet and dry shipping issues.  His speciality is assisting with legal and practical issues arising from marine casualties including collision liability, charterparty disputes, cargo claims, general average, limitation, regulatory investigations, jurisdictional issues and wreck removal contracting.  He has particular expertise in unsafe port and ice navigation claims, as well as pollution liability and charterparty issues arising from measures to decarbonise shipping. He is experienced in Admiralty and Commercial Court proceedings and London arbitration, including LOF salvage arbitration.  Prior to the law, Tony was a Royal Navy Officer for over eight years serving at sea worldwide, including Antarctica.

Commenting on the appointments, Penningtons Manches Cooper’s chief executive David Raine said:

“We are delighted to announce this significant round of promotions. They represent the unusual breadth and depth of our expertise and reflect our continued commitment to investment and growth across all client areas. I extend my warmest congratulations to each of our newly appointed partners, whose success is a direct result of hard work and a dedicated contribution to the firm. Well done to them all.”

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