Family and employment law firm Consilia Legal is retaining newly qualified trainee solicitors Emma Cartlidge and Nikol Loutchansk.
Leeds- and Harrogate-based Consilia Legal’s decision to retain to trainee solicitors follows a significant period of growth at the firm.
Cartlidge and Loutchanska both started at the firm as paralegals. Cartlidge, who has just qualified, said: “I am delighted to be continuing my legal career with Consilia Legal as a qualified solicitor in the firm’s prestigious employment team.”
“I would like to say a huge thank you to [Consilia Legal founders] Marie [Walsh] and Laura [Clapton] who have supported me in my journey since I joined the firm in September 2015 and to the team for their ongoing support and encouragement.”
Loutchanska, who has also qualified, added: “I am very excited to be continuing my legal career as a solicitor at Consilia and feel very fortunate to be able to work alongside such a lovely and supportive team.”
The firm recruited paralegal Matthew Bretherick earlier this year to assist in the family and employment departments. He said: “Since joining in March I am really enjoying it at Consilia Legal. We have a great team and it is a lovely place to work. I feel like I am in the best place to start and further my legal career.”
Last year, the family team welcomed Sarah Manning, an experienced family law solicitor and accredited mediator. She assists Clapton in the family department.
Clapton said of Manning’s appointment: “Sarah’s approach to family law and dispute resolution is perfectly in line with our ethos as a firm and strengthens our family mediation offering. Sarah has been a fantastic addition to our growing team.”
This year has also seen two promotions in the employment law team.
Employment solicitor Victoria Horner has been promoted to senior associate and employment solicitor Andy Boyde is now an associate.
Horner said: “I am delighted to have been promoted, following what has been an extremely busy year for the employment team and firm as a whole. I am looking forward to continuing to work with the fantastic team of people we have at the firm, to build on its success in the future.”
Boyde said of his promotion: “Whilst the firm as a collective continues to go from strength to strength it is pleasing that my individual efforts have been recognised by the directors and they have rewarded my hard work and dedication with a promotion to associate level within the firm.”
Consilia Legal was founded by directors Walsh and Clapton, who set up the firm in November 2014. It is now made up of two directors, five solicitors and two paralegals.
Walsh said: “I am absolutely thrilled with the progress of the firm over the last 18 months. To be in a position to train and retain solicitors on qualification and to promote internally giving some real structure to the practice is a dream come true and will hopefully help us to grow further in the coming years.”
“We really appreciate all of our colleagues at Consilia Legal and they have a massive input into the success of the firm.”
Pictured: Andy Boyde, Victoria Horner, Nikol Loutchanska, Marie Walsh, Emma Cartlidge, Laura Clapton, Matthew Bretherick and Sarah Manning
