Irwin Mitchell ‘recruitment coup’ wins DLA Piper senior figure

Paul Firth joins the firm’s Sheffield office from DLA Piper in Sheffield where he was office managing partner for 14 years and also regional managing partner for the firm’s seven offices outside London between 2006 and 2009.

Most recently, Mr Firth, a commercial property specialist, has worked on a consultancy basis for DLA.

In his new role he will work closely with the head of business, Niall Baker. Mr Baker said: “This is another major recruitment coup for Irwin Mitchell and it marks an integral part of our national drive to grow the firm and develop into a significant operator within the corporate market place.

“Paul has been on this journey before and I firmly believe he is the right man to work with and support the senior team here at Irwin Mitchell – not just in Sheffield and Yorkshire, but across the UK.”

He added: “We are extremely excited and confident about our future potential and we believe Paul can play a big part in helping us unlock it. Not only will he support our growth, he has the pedigree required to provide the high quality legal advice that our clients demand.”

Other recent appointments include real estate lawyer Jon Vivian, who joined with six other partners and a team totalling 23 from SJ Berwin late last year. Other national appointments include corporate partner David Glover and property law strategist Geoffrey Lander.

Mr Firth said: “Irwin Mitchell is a very exciting proposition and I’m looking forward to helping take the firm forward and building on what is an already very solid platform.

“The next 12-18 months will undoubtedly be challenging again for the economy and the legal sector as a whole. The firm’s solid foundations, strong ambitions and innovative approach are, however, unique and I believe place us in a very strong position to not only deal with the challenges, but also the opportunities that lie ahead.”

In addition to his role at Irwin Mitchell, Mr Firth remains vice chairman of Creative Sheffield. His other positions include pro-chancellor at Sheffield University, and chairman of the Children’s Hospital Charity in Sheffield.