HAPPENINGS IN HAMPSHIRE
Spring successes for Churchers Solicitors across the South
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merger, promotions and an outstanding individual performance have been among the highlights of Spring 2022 for Churchers Solicitors. At the end of March Churchers announced its merger with Isle of Wight law firm RJR Solicitors further cementing its legal presence on the Island. The merger increases and enhances its commercial property and company commercial services, as well as strengthening the family and wills, probate and estate planning teams. Both Churchers and RJR Solicitors have a similar ethos of delivering legal series to the community from accessible locations. The merger strengthens both firms in providing services in areas of law which neither were previously able to provide Isle of Wight residents. This includes litigation and employment to RJR clients and commercial to Churchers clients. Both firms are long established and the merger addresses possible succession issues in the future to ensure a continued presence on the Island. Andrew Bryan, Churchers Solicitors Managing Partner, said: “We have always had a strong legal team based on the Isle of Wight and now that has got even stronger. This merger gives the Island community access to a plethora of legal services from well established and respected law firms – all accessible locally.” The merger grows the Churchers presence on the Island to six offices based in Ryde, Cowes, Freshwater, Newport and Shanklin – as well as the five existing offices in Hampshire. Spoffort Medal Award for Jess Measham Newly-promoted Wills and Probate Partner Jess Measham achieved an incredible individual success when she was awarded the Spoffort Medal by the Chartered Institute of Taxation. Jess recently became a Chartered Tax Advisor – the highest level of tax qualification in the UK – after completing her studies for the Chartered Tax Advisor courses and exams while maintaining a significant caseload. Given the time commitment required for this qualification, and the extremely difficult circumstances created by the pandemic at the time, this in itself was an impressive feat. But in addition Jess was awarded the Spoffort Medal for the highest result in the country in her advanced technical paper on inheritance tax, trust and estates by The Chartered Institute of Taxation. All of the Churchers family is extremely proud of this incredible achievement by Jess, which demonstrates not only her fantastic academic and technical skills but her true dedication to the firm and her chosen field.
Promotions Across The Firm In addition to her exceptional performance in her Chartered Tax Advisor exams, Jess was also promoted to Partner, making her one of the youngest Partners in the 150-year history of the company. Jess joined the firm in 2012 as a paralegal, before commencing her solicitor’s training contract in 2013. Jessica graduated from the University of Southampton with a First Class Honours Degree in Law. Qualifying as a solicitor in 2015 she took up a seat in the Wills and Probate Department. Other promotions at Churchers this Spring include: Louise Jack from the child law team in the Cosham office has been promoted to Associate. Louise joined the firm in September 2015 as a Trainee Solicitor. She qualified as a solicitor in 2017 and specialises in Children Act matters, and undertakes a wide variety of private and public law cases with an interest in advocacy. Louise is also an accredited member of The Law Society’s Children Law Panel. Emily Manley from the wills and probate team in Lee-on-the-Solent has also been promoted to Associate. Emily qualified in January 2016 after having spent 15 months of her training contract in the Wills and Probate department and has worked exclusively in this area of law ever since, she has also qualified to become a full member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Maxwell Green from the commercial property team in Fareham has been promoted to Senior Solicitor. Maxwell studied law at Surrey University, graduating in 2009 and spent the beginning of his career at a Property Management company before taking up a training contract at a local law firm. He then joined Churchers in 2019 where he primarily deals with commercial property transactions, complex residential matters, lease extensions and equity release. Daniel Norris from the family team in Ryde has been promoted to Senior Solicitor. After joining Churchers as a trainee in November 2017, he qualified as a solicitor in November 2019. Daniel is now a very well-respected member of the family team working with families and couples across the Isle of Wight. Managing Partner Andrew Bryan said: “It is amazing to see how these talented solicitors have progressed since they first arrived at Churchers. Our aim is to support our team allowing them to grow and thrive in their chosen field of law.” “The tenure and achievements of the Churchers team is a great testament to the firm but more importantly vital to the communities in which we operate.” ■ HAMPSHIRELEGAL | 11
