Yorkshire expansion for Simpson Millar as firm establishes public law team in Leeds

Simpson Millar is expanding its presence in Leeds with the launch of a dedicated public law team in the city.

The national law firm has appointed partner Patricia Cannon, who has more than 15 years’ experience as a specialist in public law children cases, to lead the new offering.

Joining from Henry Hyams Solicitors, Patricia has been tasked with creating a specialised national care team dedicated to representing children and other family members in child protection matters.

Simpson Millar has also appointed Lidia Foster, previously of Ison Harrison, as an assistant solicitor to support Patricia in setting up the Leeds-based team.

Imogen Jolley, Simpson Millar’s national head of public law, said: “This is a very exciting period of growth for the public law team at Simpson Millar, and for the firm as a whole.

“Patricia and Lidia, in their own ways, bring a wealth of experience to the table – both through their educational journey, and their careers to date – and they are exactly the calibre of legal professionals we are looking to add to our team at this time.

She continued: “Appointing a stellar team is a key facet of our growth strategy, and we are pleased to be able to expand our client offering across the country to provide specialist support to more people who need it; and particularly the establishment of a new public law team in Leeds which will provide specialised support for families involved in child protection matters in the region.”

The expansion of Simpson Millar’s public law division, which also included appointments in Manchester and Bristol, is part of a £50m investment growth strategy announced last year.