Commercial Litigation Manchester

Irwin Mitchell has appointed a new Partner to its expanding commercial litigation team.

John Lord joins the firm's Manchester office on Quay Street, where he will head up the regional commercial litigation team.

He was previously at Halliwells in Manchester where he worked for the past 13 years, joining as a solicitor, before progressing to Associate and then Partner in 1998.

The 39-year-old grew up in the Lake District and qualified from Chester Law College in 1996. He was part of the pro bono legal team that last year forced the Government to revise its policy on "top-up" payments by patients for cancer drugs not available on the NHS.

On his appointment, John said: "I am delighted to be joining Irwin Mitchell and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to build on the success here in Manchester. The management has a proven track record and I'm thrilled to be part of the team."

Managing Partner, Grahame Codd, said: "We are very pleased to welcome John here – he has an excellent reputation in commercial litigation and will strengthen our team in Manchester, as we continue to build our presence in the city and across the North West region."

John, whose wife is expecting their first child in November, enjoys playing 5-a-side football during his spare time.