Our first-class Family and Mental Health departments are going from strength to strength and we are pleased to be celebrating the growth and achievements of the team in the recent months.
As part of our continued dedication to provide the highest standards of expert legal care to families and individuals on Teesside, we welcome Louise Shaw as a new member of our Family and Mental Health departments. Louise has recently completed her law degree at Teesside University and is keen to embark upon her legal career with Punch Robson. Louise was involved in the Law Clinic at Teesside University and last year, was chosen to receive a bursary from Punch Robson to allow her to work in the law centre over the summer period, assisting many local and vulnerable people in need of legal services. Louise will join our very experienced member of the team, Angela Strike as a legal clerk, dealing with both family and Mental Health matters.
Julie Brown, Associate Solicitor in the department said, “We are really pleased to welcome Louise into the team. She developed a keen interest in family law during her degree and has gained invaluable experience working in Teesside University law clinic”.
Julie is also celebrating her own news, as she now joins Head of Department Graeme Downs, and Solicitor Rachael Hart as a member of the Law Society’s specialist Mental Health Panel. Julie is already an experienced member of the specialist Children Law Panel and an expert in representing children and family members in child protection proceedings. She is a skilled advocate in the family courts and is looking forward to using her expertise to represent patients before the mental health tribunal. Julie’s experience of representing children in family proceedings will be particularly valuable in representing children and young people suffering with mental health difficulties.
Our Family and Mental Health departments work very closely together, with many issues in respect of both areas often overlapping. This enables us to provide the best quality of care to our clients as we draw on the strengths of our solicitors in both areas.
Partner and Head of the Departments Graeme Downs says, “Our focus as a team is upon ensuring that our clients are provided with the best possible service. We pride ourselves on our approach in dealing with matters in a sensitive and caring manner, whilst also ensuring a robust approach to a client’s case, where this is required”.
We are also proud that Rachael Hart has been the driving force behind ensuring that the firm became, and now remains ‘dementia friendly’ and she has worked hard, not only to train many other colleagues within the firm but also in delivering training outside of the firm.
