Vincents Solicitors has appointed apprentice solicitor Drew Barrow to the Corporate and Commercial department as part of an expansion drive. Drew will support Corporate and Commercial Director Michael Sandys at the firm’s head office in Winckley Square, Preston.

Drew joins Vincents from the Crown Prosecution Service where he worked for seven years as an administration assistant, paralegal and, latterly, a solicitor apprentice.

He has now been offered a full time position with Vincents following a 12-month secondment working with the firm’s Commercial Property and Residential Conveyancing team in Lytham and the Corporate and Commercial department at head office.

Drew said: “The secondment gave me the opportunity to broaden my experience in the law and I really enjoy the variety of clients, sectors and challenges within Corporate and Commercial work. After eight years in criminal law with the CPS I was ready for a change. I’m very grateful to Michael and Vincents for offering me the chance to make the transition and complete my training with one of Lancashire’s biggest and most respected law firms.”

Vincents will provide in-house training and support Drew in completing his degree with City University in London, from where he will graduate and qualify in Summer 2024.

His addition to the team comes as Michael Sandys celebrates a successful first year with Vincents, supporting clients with intellectual property, commercial contracts, business sale and acquisitions, restructures, refinancing and shareholder agreements. He also acts for both claimants and defendants in media law and libel cases, including those involving national newspapers, trade unions and broadcasting channels.

Michael said: “We’ve had a very good first year with significant transactional work for care home operators, hoteliers, insurers, management companies, and tech start-ups. Intellectual Property and trademarks have also proven busy areas for us, with client recommendation generating further work which is always very pleasing.

“We continue to attract new clients and so Drew has come on board at just the right time. He has the legal knowledge and the strong people skills which make him a great addition to the team. As demand continues to increase, we are still actively recruiting and would welcome interest from experienced practitioners to grow the department further.”

To contact Michael Sandys and Vincents’ Corporate and Commercial department, please call 01772 280 329 or email MichaelSandys@vslaw.co.uk