Employment and commercial offering strengthened by double hire
Forbes Solicitors has expanded its commercial division with the appointment of partner Katy Parkinson and senior associate Paul Hatton. The hires are aimed at supporting businesses navigating significant employment law reforms and increasingly complex litigation risks across Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
Parkinson, a ‘Legal 500 Recommended Lawyer’, specialises in employment and HR and brings more than 17 years’ experience in both contentious and non-contentious matters. Based in the firm’s Lancashire office, she advises on company restructuring, collective redundancy processes, ACAS early conciliation, employment tribunal proceedings and TUPE transfers, and will help clients respond to changes introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025. She said: ‘Organisations are facing the biggest employment law changes in a generation… Forbes’ Commercial Division thrives on teamwork and knowledge sharing and is ideally placed to help companies embrace employment law changes.’
Hatton joins with more than 20 years’ experience in commercial litigation and is an accredited mediator with a focus on alternative dispute resolution. He has advised on contractual disputes, professional negligence claims and shareholder and partnership disagreements. He said: ‘Commercial litigation is becoming more complex because of rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI)… Forbes Solicitors’ Commercial Division has the expertise and experience businesses need to navigate these challenges.’
Emma Swan, partner and commercial division lead, added: ‘Katy and Paul are extremely well respected and it’s a pleasure to welcome them to our team… helping us stay ahead of demand for commercial services.’
