Birkett Long announces four new partners

Four experienced solicitors have become Partners of leading Essex law firm Birkett Long.

The four women, Emma Clarke, Lisa Collins, Mel Loxley and Emma Wraight, bring the number of female partners at the firm to 11 and the total number of partners at its offices in Colchester, Chelmsford and Basildon to 23.

​Birkett Long Chairman David Wisbey said: “I am delighted that four such accomplished lawyers have agreed to join the partnership. This is an exciting time for Birkett Long as we prepare to move into new offices in Colchester and focus on providing the best possible service to our clients across Essex and beyond.”

Lisa Collins, 31, from Colchester, is team leader of the South Essex Divorce and Family team. A former student of St Mary’s School and the Sixth Form College in Colchester, Lisa trained at Birkett Long, joining the firm in 2008 after achieving a Distinction in her Legal Practice Course at the College of Law. 

Before qualifying into the Divorce and Family team in 2010, she worked in the Employment and Immigration, Wills, Trusts and Probate, and Commercial and Corporate Finance teams. 

Lisa said: “I chose family law as I like being able to help others through what is often a difficult time, and because no two days are ever the same.

“Becoming a Partner is something I have always dreamed of. I did not think it would be possible to achieve it so soon in my career. It is a result of the firm’s investment and support of me and shows how Birkett Long helps employees to achieve their potential.”

Lisa is on the Law Society’s specialist Family Law Panel and is a member of Resolution, which promotes and upholds a code of conduct seeking to resolve family disputes in a constructive and non-confrontational manner.

Mel Loxley, 39, is a member of the Divorce and Family Colchester team. She is also a member of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel and Resolution. 

Mel has specialised in family law and divorce since 2001, and has been involved in a number of complex cases involving self-invested pension schemes, inherited wealth, foreign property and offshore trusts. She is experienced in dealing with private child law cases, securing residence and contact orders and, in one case, ensuring a father maintained contact while in prison.

She said: “I like working with people and I find family law fascinating and challenging. It allows me to help people who are at a crisis point in their lives, and provide them with the guidance they need to get through it. I help my clients focus on the future and break down the legal process into manageable steps so it is less daunting.”

Mel, who grew up in Billericay and now lives near Colchester, joined Birkett Long in 2006 and became leader of the then Family Team in 2011. She was named in the Legal500 ranking in 2015. 

She said: “I am thrilled to be made a Partner, I have been working towards this goal since I started my legal career. Birkett Long is the leading law firm in Essex and has a fantastic reputation, it is professional and forward thinking, and really values all of its staff.”

Outside work, Mel is joint Vice-Chair of the Governors at St Mary’s School for Girls.

Mother-of-two Emma Wraight, 36, is based in the Chelmsford office as team leader of the Residential Real Estate South Essex team. 

A former Hedingham School student, Emma studied law at the University of Hertfordshire, working in-house with British Sugar and One Housing Group before joining Birkett Long in 2005. At One Housing Group she assisted the legal department in managing more than 12,000 homes in 26 local authorities. She has worked in Birkett Long’s Basildon and Colchester offices. Emma is also a Trustee and Company Director of Farleigh Hospice in Chelmsford.

Emma said: “I love working at Birkett Long because it’s such a progressive and high-quality firm. I enjoy working with clients on a one-to-one basis, especially with commercial property, and helping them to achieve their goals. I’m absolutely thrilled to become a partner as it shows the firm has seen potential in me and it is recognition for what I’ve achieved.”

Emma Clarke, 35, works in the Chelmsford Wills, Trusts and Probate South Essex team and will take over leadership of the team in July. Emma qualified as a solicitor in 2006 and joined Birkett Long in 2010 from another Essex firm.
She is a member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and a committee member of the Essex branch, and a member of Solicitors for the Elderly.

Emma said: “I am absolutely over the moon to be asked to become a partner at Birkett Long. I feel that if you work hard and go the extra mile it will be rewarded and appreciated. There is excellent support and encouragement here to be your best and I enjoy coming to work.”