Smith Partnership Solicitors, based in the East Midlands, has welcomed three new partners to the firm – two who have been promoted and one who has recently joined.
Danielle Upton and Clare Cuomo have both risen through the ranks at Smith Partnership, which has offices in Derby, Leicester, Burton, Swadlincote, Stoke-on-Trent and the newly opened Ashby.
Danielle, who works in the commercial property department, was shortlisted for the Rising Star category of the British Legal Awards last year for her work securing space for the upscaling of a Derby-based firm which is a key UK supplier of COVID-19 lateral flow tests to the Government.
She joined Smith Partnership in November 2014 after completing her Legal Practice Course at the prestigious Nottingham Law School. She advises clients on a full range of property transactions including freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals as well as secured lending, and has a particular expertise in complex commercial landlord and tenant matters.
Clare works in the childcare team in Derby and represents parents, grandparents, family members and children, as well as the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, in cases which are often highly sensitive and complex. Clare was admitted to the Child Panel in 2005 and continues to remain a member of the association which works in the best interests of children and young people.
Zoe Romain has over 14 years’ experience specialising in complex property transactions and joins the commercial property team in Derby after eight years at Actons Solicitors in Nottingham.
Zoe has built up a reputation for providing pragmatic advice to clients across a wide range of property transactions including high value and complicated Landlord and Tenant transactions within office, industrial and retail sectors. Zoe enjoys the additional challenges of providing property support on restructuring and insolvency pre-pack transactions and in connection with property disputes.
Kevin McGrath, managing partner, said: “It is an absolute pleasure to be able to announce these thoroughly deserved promotions. In addition to promoting two partners and welcoming Zoe to our firm, three staff have also been successful in being promoted to associate level. Well done to all.”
In the annual round of promotions, which follows an interview panel held at the end of last year, Beth McGovern, Carly Harwood and Rebecca Green have been made associates.
Beth McGovern joined Smith Partnership in 2012 working as a paralegal in the crime department in Leicester. A graduate of Combined Social Sciences at The University of Lincoln, Beth went on to complete her Graduate Diploma in Law and later the Legal Practice Course at Nottingham Law School. She has also been identified as a rising star in the 2023 Legal 500.
She carried out her training contract with Smith Partnership and qualified as a solicitor in July 2017.
Carly Harwood is a private client associate specialising in Wills, Trusts and Estates, including drafting wills and the preparation and management of Lasting Powers of Attorney. She has completed the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners diploma and is a full member of STEP.
Rebecca Green joined Smith Partnership in February 2021 as a chartered legal executive within the Private Client department based at the Burton office.
She specialises in private client matters including Wills, Asset Protection, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection applications for those that lack capacity, Probate applications and Estate Administration and has been assisting and advising clients for over 10 years.
