Bermans bolsters litigation team with senior hire
North west law firm Bermans has strengthened its litigation team with the appointment of James Thornton as a senior associate.
James (pictured, right) has joined Bermans in its Liverpool office from Warrington firm Fiona Bruce & Co, where he was head of litigation and dispute resolution.
He worked at Eversheds Sutherland and Weightmans before moving to Fiona Bruce & Co. Before training as a solicitor, he worked in the logistics and shipping industries.
James, a former semi-professional footballer for clubs including Brandon United, Esh Winning and Northallerton Town FC in his native north east, advises clients on commercial and insurance litigation, property disputes, private client issues, including contentious probate and trust matters, defamation, misuse of private information and consumer claims.
He also advises on and manages claims in the specialist lists of the Admiralty Court, Commercial Court and the Technology and Construction Court, as well as handling cases before the County Court.
Bermans partner and head of litigation Andrew Koffman (pictured, left) said: “James is an assured and calm litigator who has worked at national law firms and before that in the logistics and shipping sectors.
“He brings extensive experience advising on a wide range of commercial disputes, including the niche area of carriage of goods, and his appointment will strengthen our growing litigation team and enhance our presence in Liverpool. He is a very welcome addition to the firm.”
Bermans is an award-winning, full-service commercial practice advising owner-managed and SME businesses, investors, developers and funders across the north west and nationally from offices in Liverpool and Manchester.
Its specialist areas of law, alongside commercial litigation and dispute resolution, include asset-backed lending, tech-enabled debt and asset recovery for lenders and businesses, insolvency, corporate, commercial, intellectual property, employment and property.
The firm is part of MAPD Group, which was founded by Brian Cullen and Joanna Kingston-Davies in 2020 to power the growth of local law firms nationally through acquisition. MAPD stands for Making a Positive Difference.
James said: “Bermans is a well-established, forward-thinking and modern firm which I’m delighted to join. I look forward to working with colleagues across the practice and continuing to advise clients on a range of property, business and financial disputes.”
