Date:  2 May 2008

NEW PRESIDENT TAKES THE HELM AT BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY

Solicitor Caroline Coates has taken up the presidency of Birmingham Law Society.

She takes the baton from Sukhdev Bhomra, who stood down at the Society’s Annual General Meeting (22 April), becoming the organisation’s 189th president. She is the third female president, following in the footsteps of Jayne Willetts (2000) and Diane Benussi (2003). At 38 she is the organisation’s youngest president.

Having started life as a barrister, Caroline joined law firm Buller Jeffries in 1993 and was admitted as a solicitor the following year. A litigation specialist, she handles product liability claims, construction industry claims and professional indemnity cases for local authorities. She is partner in charge of Buller Jeffries’ Coventry office and, until earlier this month, was chair of Coventry First, a networking and lobbying group for the professional sector. She is a member of the College of Law Birmingham Branch Advisory Board and the FOIL (Forum of Insurance Lawyers) representative in Coventry.

In her year in office, Caroline plans to focus on membership retention and recruitment, around the West Midlands, and on raising the profile of Birmingham Law Society, both locally and nationally. She also aims to forge stronger links with trainee and young solicitors.

She said: “I am looking forward to this year, ensuring that the Society remains relevant to its members and the legal profession here in Birmingham generally and delivers on its objectives.  The profession is going through a period of change and there will no doubt be challenges ahead but the Society is well set up to deal with them.”

Caroline’s vice president for 2008-2009 is Bernard Shepherd, a consultant at HBJ Gateley Wareing LLP following their acquisition of his practice in May 2007.

Dean Parnell of Sydney Mitchell becomes deputy vice president, while Andrew Stilton of Martineau Johnson remains in the treasurer’s seat. Andrew Lancaster of Anthony Collins Solicitors and Helen-Jane Arnold of Benussi & Co are joint honorary secretaries.