BACK – Tom Devey, Neil Lloyd, FRONT – Laura Jones, Guy Birkett, Sarah Bond and Lyn Coughlan.

Changes at the top for leading law firm

Leading Midlands law firm FBC Manby Bowdler will have a new face at the top after its managing partner announced she is stepping down.

Kim Carr, a former winner of the prestigious LawNet Managing Partner of the Year Award, is to take a new role as lead partner in the firm’s Private Client team after 12 hugely-successful years at the helm of the practice.

Neil Lloyd will take over as managing director of the award-winning firm from April 1 as part of a series of management changes.

Neil, the firm’s sales director and a recent recipient of LawNet’s Outstanding Individual Contribution Award, will head a new executive board with Partners Guy Birkett and Tom Devey at the 30-partner practice, which has offices in Shropshire, Wolverhampton and Redditch.

Neil described the move as a huge honour and paid tribute to Kim’s work establishing the firm as one of the most successful in the Midlands.

“FBC Manby Bowdler would not be the success story it is today without the brilliant work Kim has put in over the last 12 years. I am hugely privileged to follow her in leading the firm and look forward to working with her for many years to come.

“Our emphasis will continue to be on treating our people as our most important asset and attracting, developing and retaining the high-level talent which has proved the bedrock of our success to date.

“We will continue to look out for and explore new opportunities in the coming years as we have over the last decade and more, retaining our balance between private client and commercial work and delivering fantastic client satisfaction in everything we do.”

Kim said she was looking forward to her new role and she was delighted the firm had been able to appoint from within.

“The firm could not be in better hands. Neil has a deep understanding of FBC Manby Bowdler’s DNA and the energy, drive and commitment to lead us to even greater success in the years ahead,” she said.

As part of the changes, Charlotte Clode and Stephen Burke will become Team Leaders of Commercial Litigation in Wolverhampton and Commercial Property in Shropshire respectively.

In addition a new Operations Board is being formed which will start sitting ahead of April and be chaired by Neil. It will include HR director Sarah Bond, finance manager Beverley Collinswood, head of risk and compliance Lyn Coughlan and Laura Jones, head of client experience, sales and marketing.