Law firm Davis Blank Furniss has promoted Lauren Sever to partner in its Commercial, Corporate and Employment team.

Lauren joined the firm as a paralegal in March 2017, initially in the Personal Injury team followed by a two-year training contract. On qualification in September 2019, she then moved across to the Commercial, Corporate and Employment Department. She was promoted to associate solicitor in 2022 and to senior associate solicitor last year.

Lauren focuses on a variety of core matters including mergers and acquisitions, shareholder agreements, commercial agreements, sales and purchases of businesses, company re-organisations, and corporate assistance.

Richard Hamilton – managing partner of Davis Blank Furniss – said: “Lauren is a highly talented lawyer who has over the years become an integral part of the team. This promotion is much deserved and is a recognition of the value she adds.

Richard added: “As a business, we are passionate about nurturing talent from within so it’s fantastic how quickly Lauren has progressed her career. She started as a paralegal and is now a partner so we hope her trajectory will inspire other up and coming lawyers within the business.”

Lauren added: “Over the past seven years, the firm has supported my ambitions and I am delighted to now be a partner. My focus moving forward will be on delivering for our clients and helping to grow the department’s reach across the North West.”

Davis Blank Furniss has also appointed Lawrence Bowles as a solicitor in its Commercial Property team. Lawrence started his legal career as a paralegal at SO Legal in East Sussex. He joins Davis Blank Furniss from Whitehead Monckton which is a leading firm based in Kent. Lawrence studied for a BSc in Criminology & Psychology at the University of Greenwich, he then completed a Graduate Diploma in Law at the University of Sussex, followed by a master's degree (LLM) alongside his Legal Practice Course at The University of Law. 

In his new role, Lawrence will be working on a range of commercial property matters including acquisitions (including overage agreements); the refinancing and disposals of property and land; property finance and securitisation which will see him acting for banks and other institutional funders and their borrowers; as well as general commercial landlord and tenant work. He will also be looking to undertake some development work alongside other members of the team.

Lawrence said: “Relocating to Manchester was a big move so I wanted to work with a collaborative team that put clients at the heart of everything it does. Davis Blank Furniss has established itself as one of the North West’s leading firms so I’m now looking forward to drawing on its professionalism, expertise and the personal service it is famous for.”