Devonshires has appointed Nikki Bowker as head of litigation & dispute resolution, succeeding Philip Barden, who remains with the firm as an equity partner. Bowker joined the firm in 2014 and became a partner in 2019. She specialises in complex commercial litigation, including corporate and shareholder disputes, professional negligence, defamation and fraud, alongside crisis and reputation management work.
Bowker also advises on judicial review and public law matters, and has acted in high-profile inquests and cases involving disclosure, public interest immunity and vulnerable witnesses. She has worked on nationally significant matters including the #TheyKnew campaign with Action for Accountability and represented Hayley Crawford, founder of the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign. Alongside Barden, she has also acted for soldiers involved in Troubles-related investigations and prosecutions.
Commenting on her appointment, Bowker said: ‘I am honoured to be leading the LDR team at Devonshires and continuing the momentum the team has been driving.’ She added: ‘I’ve seen a considerable amount of change and growth in my time at Devonshires and I’m excited to lead this next phase of the department’s continued and strengthened success.’
She also praised the firm’s culture and support, saying: ‘The firm truly cares about nurturing talent and supporting the next generation of lawyers.’ Bowker thanked Barden for his support and said she looked forward to continuing to work with him ‘as he continues to advise our brilliant roster of clients’.
