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09 February 2026
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
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Anthony Collins—four appointments

Property and commercial teams bolstered by senior hires

Social purpose law firm Anthony Collins has appointed two legal directors and two senior associates as part of its ongoing growth strategy. Selina Kong, Kelly McDonnell and Beth Williams join the expanding property team, while Sian Brown strengthens the commercial team with specialist expertise in health and social care.

Selina Kong joins as legal director following a 20-year in-house career in the charities and not-for-profit sector, specialising in complex property matters for charitable organisations. She said the move was ‘an exciting opportunity’ to work with a leading firm in the sector, adding that she hopes her experience will help the team support clients ‘in an impactful and compassionate way’.

Kelly McDonnell has been appointed legal director and head of conveyancing, bringing more than 20 years’ experience advising registered providers, local authorities and private clients. Commenting on her new role, she said it was ‘a great opportunity to take everything I’ve learned and put it to good use for a diverse client base’, within ‘one the country’s most dynamic property law teams’.

The firm has also appointed Beth Williams as senior associate in the social housing team in Manchester, enhancing its affordable housing and regeneration offering in the Northwest, and Sian Brown as senior associate in the governance team in Birmingham. Matthew Wort, senior partner at Anthony Collins, said: ‘Our teams are at the centre of everything we do’, adding that each new hire shares ‘a commitment to our social purpose goals’.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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