Firm appointment: Family law expert made executive partner at Ward Hadaway

Top 100 law firm Ward Hadaway has appointed family law expert Liz Bottrill as executive partner within its north west team based in Manchester. 

Joint head of Ward Hadaway's family and matrimonial team, Bottrill, who has over 30 years’ experience, joined the firm in March 2020 from the Manchester office of Laytons. 

She will continue to perform her day-to-day role, in which she advises clients in relation to divorce and cohabitation issues, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and financial solutions, issues relating to children, and surrogacy arrangements.

Bottrill takes over as executive partner from Paul Johnson, who is stepping down to focus on the further development of the corporate team in Manchester with fellow partners Sean FitzGerald and Melanie Yeomans, as well as his position as president of the Manchester Law Society.

Ward Hadaway managing partner Martin Hulls said: 'I would like to give my sincere thanks to Paul for his excellent leadership over the last seven years. He was the office's first Executive Partner and has been pivotal during a period of significant growth. He has guided the Manchester team as they adapted to a Covid-shaped environment, and has ensured the team has continued to innovate, progress and successfully navigate an ever-challenging landscape.

'I warmly welcome Liz to the role and I’m confident that her experience and expertise, along with her dynamism, empathy and good judgement she has shown since she joined us two years ago, will drive the Manchester office forward with energy into the next phase of its growth.'

Botrill added: 'I have some very big shoes to fill as I take over the reins from Paul, but I can’t wait to get started. As a group of partners which has more than doubled over the last two and a half years, we’ve worked extremely well together as a team to get through the enormous challenges of the pandemic. I want to harness this commitment, tenacity and experience as we look to the future, and continue to build on our rapid growth and development in Manchester and the wider region.'

Bottrill's appointment follows that of Emma Digby, who recently became executive partner of Ward Hadaway’s Leeds office, covering the wider Yorkshire region.