Adams Harrison Christmas Party
Adams Harrison enjoyed their 2023 Christmas party at the Hilton Hotel Cambridge on Saturday 9th December.
Lovely food and excellent service! A great time was had by all.
Adams Harrison enjoyed their 2023 Christmas party at the Hilton Hotel Cambridge on Saturday 9th December.
Lovely food and excellent service! A great time was had by all.
The partners are delighted to announce that Tanya See joined Adams Harrison on 25th September 2023.
Tanya is a Solicitor and will be based in our Sawston office, although she is also able to see clients at our other offices in Haverhill or Saffron Walden.
Tanya was educated in Cambridge and has attained a BA in Criminology and an LLM, and trained in local firms.
She enjoys helping clients navigate through the minefield of family law and helping them work towards a solution/settlement.
The Partners are delighted to announce that Emma Bilsborrow was promoted to Partner on 1st July 2023.
Emma joined Adams Harrison on 27th February 2023 and took over as Head of the Family Department on 1st June 2023 following the retirement of Shoshana Goldhill, after 37 years at the firm.
Emma is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (FCILEX) and has 14 years post qualification experience in family/matrimonial law. She has a wealth of experience in advising clients on all aspects of divorce and separation including children’s and financial issues. She advises on the division of property (in the UK and abroad) including pensions and has particular expertise in High net worth cases. Emma is a Member of Resolution which is a community of family justice professionals who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way. If, however, a family or matrimonial dispute cannot be resolved amicably or by mediation then Emma also has experience in dealing with litigious matters in the Court arena.
The Partners of the firm are:
Jack Stewart
Jennifer Carpenter
Richard Booth
Melanie Pratlett
Emma Bilsborrow
The partners are delighted to announce that Kerri has been approved as a Chartered Legal Executive.
Adams Harrison considers that internal progression is an important part of the culture of the firm and Kerri is an example of the opportunities available, having joined the firm after finishing school and working up through the ranks.
Kerri became a graduate legal executive in 2015 and formally became a fee earner in 2016.
She has 6 years’ experience already and is well-versed in handling complex cases but the fellowship with the Institute of Legal Executives was delayed due to the pandemic and associated factors. The partners are delighted that she has finally received this well-deserved recognition.
Congratulations Kerri!
Debra Tofts, our friendly receptionist in Sawston, is also a Mental Health First Aider within the firm.
She is often inspired to write and circulate a poem to staff to lift the spirits, and has kindly given permission for this one to be published on our website and social media pages.
You can feel it
You can see it
You can hear it
It’s coming
It brings you hope
It lifts you up
It restores you
It’s coming
Out of shadows
Out of darkness
Out of chill
It’s coming
The days longer
The rays brighter
The warmth alluring
It’s coming
Just around the corner
Just within our grasp
Just teasing us gently
It’s coming
The Partners are delighted to announce that Jack Stewart was promoted to Partner with effect from 1st January 2023.
The Partnership Team comprises: Jennifer Carpenter, Melanie Pratlett, Shoshana Goldhill, Richard Booth and Jack Stewart.
Christine Gee, our Wills & Probate specialist paralegal in Sawston office celebrates a significant birthday this weekend.
Happy birthday Christine!
We won’t give away your age except to say it has an 0 in it.
100 years ago the first woman was admitted to the Law Society of England & Wales.
In fact the following momentous achievements for women all happened in 1922:
• Dr Ivy Williams was the first woman to be called to the Bar in May 1922. She did not practice as a barrister but became the first woman to teach law at an English university.
• Helena Normanton became the first woman to practice as a barrister in England. Helena was called to the Bar in November 1922 and went on to become the first female counsel in cases at the High Court of Justice, and the first woman to obtain a divorce for a client.
• Carrie Morrison became the first woman admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in December 1922. Maud Crofts, Mary Elizabeth Pickup and Mary Elaine Sykes also passed their Law Finals Examination at the same time but Carrie was the first to complete her articles and be admitted to the Law Society Roll.
The fight for equality in the legal profession actually started decades earlier. It was in 1878 that Janet Wood became the first woman to complete a law degree in the UK. Even then women were only permitted to take a ‘Special Exam for Women’ which was offered as an alternative to the men’s degree exam.
Some 100 or more years later the fight for equality in the legal profession continues and every year all women in the profession celebrate new milestones for equality and diversity.
• In 2017 Lady Hale was appointed the first woman President of the UK Supreme Court.
• In 2018 the Supreme Court saw its first female-majority panel hear a case – with Lady Hale, Lady Black and Lady Arden sitting as three out of five judges to hear the case re D.
• In 2019 Elizabeth Johnson became the first female chartered legal executive to be appointed a judge.
At Adams Harrison we are proud of our balance of male and female leaders
In December 2022:
• The firm is owned by an all-female partnership, comprising Shoshana Goldhill; Melanie Pratlett and Jennifer Carpenter. Other partners include Richard Booth and, as of 1st January 2022, we welcome Jack Stewart as a partner.
• Equality and Diversity is integral to our working practices and recruitment plans
• As at December we are made up of:
• Six female and four male qualified lawyers
• Two female unqualified lawyers
• One female and one male trainee solicitors
• One female practice manager
There are more achievements to be made for equality and diversity in the legal profession and we are excited to be part of the journey.
Sarah Bruce acted for a client in Haverhill with regard to probate matters. The client said
“I also wanted to say thank you for all your work you have completed for me over the last two years in relation to both my parents. It has been an emotional and challenging time and I am grateful to you for helping everything go very smoothly in the circumstances.”
Coping with the loss of a loved one is never easy and can feel overwhelming especially if you are responsible for dealing with the legal and financial aspects of their estate. Depending on the circumstances you may need to go through probate, which can be a challenging process at a very difficult time. Sarah Bruce, who works in our Haverhill and Saffron Walden offices, can help you through the process. We also have Leanne Mayes in our Haverhill office, Christine Gee in our Sawston office, or Melanie Pratlett, Head of Wills & Probate, who works mainly in our Saffron Walden office.
01799 523441 Saffron Walden
01440 702485 Haverhill
01223 832939 Sawston