New-model firm Excello Law has opened a Manchester office and lured two experienced lawyers from a rival. Family specialists Katie McCann and Michael Gregory have been recruited from Knights plc and will join the other 110 senior consultant lawyers across the Excello network.

McCann will lead the new team from an office in Hardman Square and will work in partnership with Excello to develop Lowry Law, a specialist family law brand working across Manchester and Leeds. She qualified in 2005 and was called to the bar four years later, focusing on high net worth divorce, private children matters and wealth protection, acting for sports and media personalities, business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs.

Her colleague Gregory qualified in 2004 and often handles cases involving an international element where there been overseas divorces and major changes in financial circumstances.

Excello, which began as a dispersed firm in 2009, says it has witnessed ‘unprecedented interest’ in its fully agile business model following the pandemic.

George Bisnought, managing director, said: ‘Manchester is a major legal centre and opening there has always been part of our strategic ambition. With our investment in new facilities for our lawyers and clients in the heart of the city’s business centre, we’re looking for major growth of our team in the region.’

He added: ‘The combination of true agility for lawyers to work from where they want, with modern office facilities which foster collaboration among teams, is proving very attractive. We’re enjoying a significant increase in recruitment from lawyers keen to keep the flexibility and freedom they have experienced during lockdown.’

Excello has added lawyers to its property, franchising and licensing, family law and private client services in the last year, as well as merging with specialist London firm Jayes Collier to take on lawyers practising in the entertainment and creative industries.