The Birmingham office of top 50 law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper has announced its latest senior appointments. Partners Adam McGiveron and Emma Bryant have joined from Shakespeare Martineau and will be responsible for growing the firm’s corporate practice in the Midlands.
Adam has more than 20 years’ experience across the spectrum of corporate transactions. He has built a strong reputation amongst mid-market companies advising on mergers, acquisitions and private equity funding, with many of the region’s leading entrepreneurs turning to him for both strategic insight and tactical support. His clients include businesses in manufacturing, technology, automotive retail and facilities management.
Emma has a particular interest in early stage and growth businesses but also acts for large corporates, local authorities, universities, and property development companies. She advises clients on a wide range of deals including acquisitions and disposals, private equity transactions, group reorganisations and shareholder arrangements.
Earlier this year the pair acted for Stafford-based Addmaster on its £33 million sale to Nasdaq-listed Swedish company Polygiene. Adam’s other recent deals include advising solar energy specialist Prolectric on its sale to Solihull based FTSE 250 business Hill & Smith Holdings, while Emma has advised Alliance Automotive Group – a subsidiary of the largest worldwide automotive parts distributor – on several acquisitions and a $1 billion group reorganisation.
Their arrival marks the third time in less than a year that Penningtons Manches Cooper has made senior lateral hires into its Birmingham office: Gemma Bell, a housing governance expert, joined in June 2020 alongside her team of three specialists, and Dr. Lisa Page, an intellectual property lawyer with a focus on the life sciences sector, followed in September.
Penningtons Manches Cooper established the Birmingham office as its first UK site outside of London and the South East in 2019, following the recruitment of Joel Kordan. He commented:
“I’m delighted to welcome Adam and Emma to our Birmingham office. They have a very impressive regional network and have built an enviable reputation in the mid-market based on strong relationships and a practical, client centric approach. Their skills and experience will complement our wider real estate, public sector and corporate governance services. We’ve gone from strength to strength in the region over the last 12 months and this latest expansion of the team is a critical step in our growth journey.”
Adam McGiveron said: “We’re thrilled to be joining Penningtons Manches Cooper. Joel has been building a great team since founding the office two years ago, and we look forward to hitting the ground running. Many local business have been through a brutal time but Birmingham’s underlying economy is still strong and there are lots of reasons to be optimistic.”
Partner and board member Helen Drayton, who leads Penningtons Manches Cooper’s non-contentious business services division, said:
“Adam and Emma are both highly rated corporate lawyers and will be a huge asset as we expand the practice into the Midlands. They have an excellent understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing businesses in the region, and great instincts around the rhythm and flow of the local market.”
She added: “These appointments reflect our strategy of continuing to invest in outstanding talent in key domestic markets at the same time as expanding the breadth and depth of the services we offer from our international offices.”