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

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
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
back-to-top-scroll