header-logo header-logo

02 April 2025
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
printer mail-detail

Clarke Willmott—David Stedman

Partner takes the reins in commercial litigation team in Birmingham

Clarke Willmott LLP has announced that partner David Stedman will be taking on a lead role in commercial litigation at its Birmingham office.

David, who joined the firm in 2014, is a seasoned litigator with a wealth of experience in dealing with complex commercial disputes.

In his new role, David is part of the firm’s initiative to expand the commercial litigation offering in Birmingham, growing both the team and the client base within the next 12 months.

David Stedman said: 'I’m excited to drive our commercial litigation team in Birmingham forward. Although previously based in the Bristol office, I worked across all of the firm’s regions, so I’m familiar with the team and the client work. I trained and lived in Birmingham prior to joining Clarke Willmott, so I am excited to spend more time back in this great city.

'Clarke Willmott has an incredibly strong commercial litigation division, and I look forward to further strengthening our position in the sector and specifically in Birmingham.'

David specialises in a wide range of disputes including professional negligence, breach of contract, partnership disagreements, misrepresentation, breach of confidence, defamation claims and contentious public procurement.

Notably, he has significant experience in corporate disputes and is known for his niche expertise in classic car disputes. The Legal 500 has acknowledged him as a "Next Generation Partner" in the field of commercial litigation.

Rayner Grice, head of Clarke Willmott’s Birmingham office, said: 'We are delighted to have David join our office and build our commercial litigation offering here.

'We provide a comprehensive range of legal services to our clients, and under David's leadership, the commercial litigation team will undoubtedly flourish.'

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Partner joins commercial property team in Taunton office

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner

NEWS
The legal profession’s claim to be a ‘guardian of fairness’ is under scrutiny after stark findings on gender imbalance and opaque progression. Writing in NLJ this week, Joshua Purser of No5 Barristers’ Chambers and Govindi Deerasinghe of Global 50/50 warn that leadership remains dominated by a narrow elite, with men holding 71% of top court roles
A legal challenge to police disclosure rules has failed, reinforcing a push for transparency in policing. In NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth examines a case where the Metropolitan Police required officers to declare membership of groups like the Freemasons
Bereavement leave is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. Writing in NLJ this week, Robert Hargreaves of York St John University explains how the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a day-one right to leave for a wider range of losses, alongside new provisions for pregnancy loss and bereaved partners
Courts are beginning to grapple with whether AI-generated material is legally privileged—and the answers are mixed. In this week's issue of NLJ, Stacie Bourton, Tom Whittaker & Beata Kolodziej of Burges Salmon examine US rulings showing how easily privilege can be lost
New guidance seeks to bring order to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Minesh Tanna and David Bridge of Simmons & Simmons set out a framework stressing ‘transparency’, ‘explainability’ and ‘reliability’
back-to-top-scroll