header-logo header-logo

15 January 2026
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
printer mail-detail

Moore Barlow—Jess Ready & Natasha Jones

Commercial property and corporate teams expand in Southampton

Moore Barlow has appointed Jess Ready and Natasha Jones to its commercial property and corporate teams respectively, following year-on-year growth across the firm. The hires support the firm’s strategy to expand its offering in Southampton and across the South East.

Ready (pictured) joins the commercial property team after more than 14 years at Shoosmiths, where she became a legal director in 2022. With over 17 years’ experience, she advises institutional landlords, corporate investors, developers and occupiers on high-value commercial property transactions, with particular expertise in asset management, telecoms, renewable energy and infrastructure.

Jones joins the corporate team from South Coast firm Laceys, where she was a partner. She advises on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity investment, and high-value finance and refinance transactions, and has previously acted on AIM floats, multi-jurisdictional acquisitions and complex real estate matters during her earlier career in London.

Ready said she was ‘excited about the growth opportunities across commercial property’, citing the firm’s focus on ‘asset management and renewable energy and infrastructure’. Jones said her focus would be on providing ‘practical, commercial advice that helps [clients] move forward with confidence’. Edward Whittington, managing partner at Moore Barlow, said the appointments reflect the firm’s ‘ambition to continue growing our corporate and commercial property teams’.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Freeths—David Smith

Freeths—David Smith

Freeths secures major tax hire with appointment of David Smith

Ellisons—Chris Burnett

Ellisons—Chris Burnett

Patent attorney joins Ellisons to strengthen intellectual property offering

Katten Muchin Rosenman—Charlotte Hill

Katten Muchin Rosenman—Charlotte Hill

Katten strengthens financial markets and funds group in London

NEWS
The Court of Appeal's decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP has lifted months of uncertainty for Chartered Legal Executives while prompting a rethink of regulation and supervision
The assisted dying debate returns to Westminster as Lauren Edwards MP reintroduces legislation that stalled in the House of Lords last session despite clearing the Commons
A little-noticed provision of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has fundamentally expanded corporate criminal liability
Artificial intelligence is transforming legal practice, but careless reliance on it is creating growing professional risks
The law offers cohabiting couples surprisingly greater protection after one partner dies than when they separate during life
back-to-top-scroll