Clarion has appointed Chris Booth, the former head of the Leeds office at Pinsent Masons, as a partner.
Booth joins the firm’s eight-strong employment team, having led the UK employment group at Pinsent Masons before becoming head of the Leeds office in 2012.
He has experience in corporate board issues (listed and non-listed), senior executive entry/exits, restrictive covenants, discrimination and trade union law, and has a strong track record in handling complex employment tribunal cases. His experience includes advising high profile public sector bodies as well as blue chip corporates.
Sarah Tahamtani, partner and head of employment at Clarion, commented: “It is testament to the strength and calibre of the practice that Chris has chosen to join us. With his focus on providing innovative, pragmatic advice, he will fit in well with the team, adding further strength in depth as we continue to expand.”
Booth added: “I was impressed by what I’d heard of Clarion’s employment practice, it is already one of the largest in Leeds and I feel that it has huge potential to grow.”
Seven lawyers at Clarion have also been promoted, including two members of the firm’s employment team.
Deborah Warren, Fiona Marr and Rachel Dean have all risen to the position of legal director, while Kayleigh Fantoni, Victoria Clark, Russell Stevens and Joanne Chase have become senior associates.
Newly appointed legal director Warren joined Clarion in 2007, qualifying into the employment team before being promoted to senior associate in 2015. Clark, who joined Clarion in 2010, has risen to the position of senior associate in the employment team.
Roger Hutton, joint managing partner at Clarion, commented: “While we are continuing to recruit the brightest talent, growing the team by 17% last year, it is vital that we also provide a supportive environment where people enjoy working. A key part of this is enabling the team to develop their skills and grow their careers with us, and I’m very proud that so many of our lawyers are being recognised with these promotions.”
