In a strategic enhancement of its services, Mills & Reeve appoints Bethan Davies as lead employment counsel, leveraging her expertise to bolster its internal advocacy unit.
- Bethan Davies transitions from Parklane Plowden to Mills & Reeve’s Leeds office, assuming a national role to enhance client-service cohesion.
- Her established rapport with the firm’s employment team is anticipated to ease her integration and amplify the firm’s market position.
- Her appointment underscores Mills & Reeve’s commitment to securing top talent, emphasised by Paul Johnson as a strategic team addition.
- Bethan Davies aims to streamline client relationships, fostering a more collaborative approach to Employment Tribunal litigation.
Mills & Reeve has strategically appointed Bethan Davies as its lead employment counsel, marking a significant step in enhancing client services. Bethan, a qualified barrister formerly with Parklane Plowden, will be based in the Leeds office but serves a national role. Her transition is seen as pivotal in strengthening Mills & Reeve’s internal advocacy capabilities, aiming to offer a more cohesive relationship between solicitor and counsel.
Bethan’s established relationship with the firm’s employment team, built through regular collaborations, is expected to facilitate her seamless integration. This move not only bolsters the firm’s capabilities but also positions it uniquely in the market. Paul Johnson, head of the Leeds office, highlighted her recruitment as evidence of the firm’s commitment to attract high-calibre professionals. He stated, “Bethan’s appointment as leading employment counsel is a strategic move for the team. Bethan already works closely with our employment lawyers, and her appointment demonstrates our ability to recruit high-calibre people to assist our clients in this region and nationally.”
Richard Barker, another employment partner, noted this appointment as a notable development within the employment, pensions, and immigration sectors of the firm. He emphasises that having an in-house barrister gives Mills & Reeve a unique selling proposition in the market. “Bethan’s arrival as a qualified barrister is a key development for the employment, pensions, and immigration team at Mills & Reeve. Her appointment gives the firm a real USP in the market, as very few firms can offer in-house counsel to their clients.”
Bethan herself expressed enthusiasm for her new role, citing an opportunity to integrate more efficiently with clients as a primary benefit. Her goal is to streamline interactions between client, solicitor, and barrister, thus providing a consistent and holistic service. She remarked, “Joining Mills & Reeve in-house presents an exciting opportunity to streamline the relationship between client, solicitor, and barrister, and provide consistency for clients. I hope this new structure will allow scope for a more collaborative approach to Employment Tribunal litigation. This new role allows me to focus the entirety of my practice on well-prepared employment work across a wide range of respondent clients. I’m really excited to see how we can develop this role.”
Bethan Davies’ addition to Mills & Reeve is set to significantly enhance the firm’s employment services, aligning with its strategy of delivering superior client cohesion and advocacy.
