The Corporate team at Higgs LLP welcomes four new legal experts to the team: banking and finance specialist Neil Large joins the firm as Consultant Solicitor, Claire Stretton as Principal Associate, Matt Allen joins as Senior Associate and Sam Dell qualifies into the team as an Associate.
Neil qualified in 1996 whilst working in house at Northern Rock plc before moving into private practice and has held partner roles in a number of national and regional law firms. His practice covers the full spectrum of middle market M&A transactions and all types of debt and equity funding.
Claire joins from Gateley Legal, bringing with her a wealth of expertise and experience in corporate law. Working in a professional support and knowledge management capacity, Claire will play a pivotal role in enhancing services and introducing new efficiencies, systems and process for the benefit of the team and clients.
Matt joins Higgs from MFG Solicitors, where he gained valuable experience of the Midlands legal market. He advises on all aspects of company law, with a particular interest in mergers and acquisitions of all sizes and in all sectors. Having worked for a Midlands-based SME prior to beginning his legal career, Matt has firsthand experience of being in the shoes of the client.
Sam has successfully qualified into the corporate team following the completion of his training contract at the firm. His association with the firm began in May 2022 when he joined the corporate department as a legal assistant, having first been introduced to the firm through the Higgs Spring Vacation Scheme in April 2022.
"These are exciting times for the Corporate team," commented Richard Griffiths Head of the Corporate at Higgs LLP.
"We have grown significantly over the past few years and these new appointments will play a key role in driving the next phase of our growth. Neil’s extensive expertise in banking and finance matters will strengthen our offering in response to an increase demand for support and advice in relation to funding matters.
We see Claire’s appointment as a real progressive move with her role centred on driving efficiencies to ultimately enhance the client experience. Meanwhile, Matt and Sam will provide invaluable support to our busy transactional team, enabling us to continue to deliver a top-tier service to our clients."
Richard Griffiths
Head of Corporate
Higgs LLP Corporate team
These strategic appointments bolster numbers in the Corporate team to 23 lawyers and enhances the firm’s offering in the East Midlands and Shropshire.
Off the back of a record year in 2024 the momentum has continued into 2025 where the team has seen its best-ever Q1 performance. The team is currently ranked 1st by Experian as the most active legal team in the Midlands for M&A work. It is also ranked 10th nationally – the only regional firm to feature in the top 20.
Higgs LLP is deep-rooted in the Black Country – its heritage is what drives the firm’s authenticity, passion and dedication, which has been passed down through generations, creating the unique ‘Higgs quality’ that sets it apart.
Higgs isn’t just a law firm, with 32 Partners and over 250 people, it embodies a people-centric approach that impacts its people, communities, clients and its business partners.
The firm was named Regional Law Firm of the Year in 2023 and its expert teams are also award-winning. The Property team was crowned Property Law Firm of the Year in 2024 at the Midlands Property & Investment Awards and the Corporate team (won the award for Regional Legal Team at the West Midlands Rainmaker Awards 2024. Many of the firm’s experts are ranked in top bands across the leading legal directories, Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500.
