Member Article

Seven more promotions at Clarion

A further seven lawyers at Clarion are developing their careers with the Leeds law firm as they receive promotions and rise up the ranks.

Stephanie Parish becomes a legal director; and Florence Maxwell, Sarah McGovern, Stephanie Douthwaite, Jemma Green, Kaira Clarehugh and Andrew Curtis are promoted to the role of senior associates.

Roger Hutton, joint managing partner at Clarion, commented: “The strength of the Clarion culture has shone through during these testing times and I am proud that we have pulled together and continued to provide an outstanding service while supporting one another. We continue to invest in developing our talented lawyers and reward their hard work and achievements for their clients.

“Well done to all seven lawyers recognised with these latest promotions, it is particularly satisfying that more than half of them trained with us and have stayed to pursue their careers with the firm.”

Having been a member of the private client team for the last ten years since qualifying with Clarion, Stephanie Parish becomes a legal director in recognition of her technical expertise, commitment and approach. As well as promoting the work of the team throughout the region, Stephanie also provides supervision and support for more junior lawyers. She has developed her own skills by achieving STEP accreditation and gaining the Solicitors For the Elderly Older Client Care in Practice Award.

After qualifying with Clarion in 2014, Florence Maxwell plays a key role in the commercial team and has become the firm’s expert on GDPR. She advises on all data protection matters and this technical knowledge, together with her client relationship skills, have helped to develop several new clients.

Sarah McGovern has been with the firm for ten years, achieving a successful career in private client practice through the CILEx qualified route and also achieving her STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients. She spends much of her time working on complex matters related to estate administration, disabled persons trust, capacity issues and court of protection.

Andrew Curtis joined the banking and finance team in 2019 and has taken the lead in managing complex transactions in the leverage and real estate finance space for high-profile borrowers, clearing banks and alternative lenders. He also helps to develop the team through the training he provides to both clients and colleagues.

Stephanie Douthwaite plays a significant role in the family practice with most of her work involving complex and high value cases. She has recently gained the Resolution Specialist Accreditation and co-founded the professional development group, Ascension.

Jemma Green has been a key member of the intellectual property team since qualifying with Clarion in 2014. She is a renowned technical lawyer, leading on complex matters, particularly in the field of designs. She established and runs the firm’s Junior In-House Lawyer programme and manages the firm’s mentoring scheme with BPP Law School.

Finally, since joining the corporate team in 2015, Kaira Clarehugh has taken the lead on a wide range of high-profile deals. As a trainee supervisor, she shares her knowledge with junior members of the team and is on the committee of ClarioNet, the firm’s networking group for young professionals, and is part of the firm’s International Strategy Group responsible for developing international relations.

In February, Clarion achieved a three-star accreditation as one of the 2020 ‘Best Companies to Work For’ in recognition of the “outstanding levels of engagement” of its 230-strong workforce. It was also ranked No. 8 in the prestigious Sunday Times list, making it the highest ranked law firm in the UK and the highest ranking of any company in Yorkshire.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Kilmurray .