Lodders boosts senior leadership team with appointment of duo of directors

Law firm Lodders has boosted its management board with the appointment of two new directors.

HR specialist Grace Walton joins Lodders as People and Culture Director. In her role, she will lead and coordinate the delivery of the firm’s strategic and operational HR function, people initiatives, and talent management activities, as well as growing the HR team.

James Hamilton also joins the firm as IT Director. He will deliver a technology strategy that is aligned with Lodders’ overall business aims and lead a high-performing IT team.

With a strong background in IT, James joins Lodders from Wright Hassall LLP, where he worked for more than 16 years. During this time, he built a multi-disciplined IT team and progressed to head of the IT function, leading on all aspects of the firm’s IT infrastructure and support, development, reporting, and training.

Grace brings years of dedicated HR experience, as well as legal sector expertise, having worked in-house at law firms since 2017. Prior to Lodders, Grace was head of HR at law firm Wiggin. She has also worked in various HR roles across a number of professional services businesses including Browne Jacobson, Parexel, Capital One, and a forensic accounting firm.

Commenting on the new appointments, Paul Mourton, Lodders’ managing partner said: “We are really pleased to welcome these high-calibre individuals to the firm. With a strong background and in-depth understanding of the legal sector, both Grace and James are proven candidates, who will help drive the next stage of Lodders’ development and growth. Grace and James represent significant additions to our leadership team.”

Grace said: “I am delighted to be joining Lodders at what is an exciting phase in the firm’s growth and development. HR has always felt like a natural fit for me – it is a privilege to be able to problem-solve and help people be the very best they can be.

As People and Culture Director at Lodders, I will nurture a strong company culture and ensure this is consistent across all our offices, providing an environment where our people can develop and thrive.”

James said: “I was attracted to Lodders’ approach to IT service delivery, as well as its team and technologies, which present fresh opportunities to develop and improve. Lodders is a business that clearly cares about its people and clients and is always looking to evolve. Implementing relevant emerging technologies, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, will ensure the business is on a contemporary journey, with technology at its heart.”