header-logo header-logo

23 October 2025
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
printer mail-detail

Weightmans—Emma Eccles & Mark Woodall

Firm bolsters Manchester insurance practice with double partner appointment

Weightmans has appointed Emma Eccles and Mark Woodall as partners in its insurance law practice, both based in the firm’s Manchester office. The move comes amid significant growth and rising demand across the firm’s insurance services nationwide.

Eccles joins the national large loss team from Clyde & Co, bringing extensive experience in high-value and complex injury claims. She has represented insurers, corporates, and public bodies across serious injury litigation. Her arrival strengthens Weightmans’ capacity to deliver specialist expertise in this fast-developing area.

Woodall becomes a partner in the cross-border team, working between Manchester and London. Recognised for his expertise in transportation and international claims, he has built long-standing relationships with clients in the bus and coach sector, adding further depth to Weightmans’ cross-border capabilities.

Head of insurance Kieran Jones said the pair’s arrival ‘significantly strengthen[s] our insurance practice’ and reflects the firm’s commitment to ‘meet the growing needs of our clients’. Manchester office head Carole Spiller added that she looked forward to seeing their ‘positive contributions’ to the team and its collaborative culture. Their appointments follow several recent senior hires, underscoring Weightmans’ continued investment in market-leading talent.

Image caption (L-R): Emma Eccles, Lee Jones, Kieran Jones, Carole Spiller and Mark Woodall

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn adds employee benefits and executive compensation practice in London with partner Richard Surtees

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL appoints new partner and head of intellectual property disputes

Muckle LLP—Roland Fairlamb

Muckle LLP—Roland Fairlamb

Specialist associate solicitor rejoins Muckle’s leading employment team

NEWS
The Supreme Court has clarified the scope of a director’s duty, in a case where a chairman’s good intentions went awry due to the pandemic
Digital fraud is ‘baffling policymakers, investigators, prosecutors and enforcers’, leaving ‘a massive justice gap’, the author of a government-commissioned independent review has warned
Richard Lloyd’s independent review of the Legal Services Board (LSB) has delivered a devastating verdict, accusing the super-regulator of having ‘lost its way in recent years’
The House of Commons has passed the Hillsborough Law, in a historic achievement for campaigners, survivors and families of those who died in the 1989 stadium collapse
Judicial statistics show a steady rise in the number of female judges and Asian and mixed ethnicity judges in the past ten years—however, progress in terms of representation has stalled for both Black lawyers and for solicitors
back-to-top-scroll