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19 January 2026
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
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Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

North west team expands with senior private client and property hires

Excello Law has strengthened its north west presence with the appointment of Heather Horsewood and Darren Barwick, who will work across the firm’s Liverpool, Manchester and Chester offices. Horsewood (pictured) joins as a specialist in wills, probate and estate administration, while Barwick brings experience across transactional property work, with a focus on residential and mixed-use development and secured lending.

Horsewood qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and brings around 30 years’ experience in private client work, including drafting wills, administering estates and advising on inheritance tax planning. She is well known for handling complex and sensitive matters, including high-net-worth estates and cases involving vulnerable clients. She said Excello offers ‘an exciting, modern, forward-thinking way to offer high-quality legal services’.

Barwick has more than 20 years’ experience advising developers and secured lenders on site acquisition, development funding, plot sales and bridging finance. He said Excello has ‘an exceptional reputation in the industry’, adding that the move gives him ‘the freedom to concentrate on delivering excellent client service’.

Julie Mogan, north west regional director at Excello, said the appointments reflect ‘the high calibre of lawyer who chooses Excello’, adding that the firm’s model ‘empowers senior practitioners to build their practice with true autonomy’. The hires come during a period of strong growth for Excello, which recently reported record turnover of £30.5m and continues to expand its UK and international footprint.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Cripps—Radius Law

Cripps—Radius Law

Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

Switalskis—Grimsby

Switalskis—Grimsby

Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments

NEWS
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Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
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