Devon law firm appoints new partner

Gilbert Stephens, a multi-role legal firm with six offices in Devon, has made Mark Perry Partner. Head of Personal Injury and Litigation for the firm, which merged with Symes Robinson & Lee in 2012, Mark has been with the Solicitors for 12 years.

Philip Luckham, Gilbert Stephens Chief Executive Officer, comments: “During the merger process Mark was appointed as head of Personal Injury and Litigation and we believe his experience is a valuable addition, as there is no one at Partner level covering this area of law.”

As part of the Gilbert Stephens Litigation team, Mark is responsible for the whole spectrum of law that is covered by the department, from Road Traffic Accidents and Contract Disputes to Medical Negligence and Debt Recovery. “I am passionate about this area of law, and enjoy that no two days are ever the same. I have worked on some very large claims in the past; I recall one in particular that went on over a number of years and combined a Boundary Dispute, Will Dispute and Neighbour Dispute, all wrapped into one legal case. I am currently working on some big personal injury claims, which have also been very interesting,” explains Mark.

Having qualified as a barrister from Nottingham Law School, Mark completed his training position at a firm in Taunton, covering Personal Injury and Litigation. He enjoyed the area of work so much that he called The Law Society and requested to switch from barrister to solicitor, taking the necessary exams to qualify for the sector.

Mark explains: “I set my heart on working in this field of law and took the necessary steps to accomplish this. I graduated from Northampton University with a law degree in 2000, qualified as a barrister a year later and then a solicitor a year after that. I really pride myself on my achievement of becoming a Partner as it just shows what you can do when you put your mind to it!

“As Partner, I am really looking forward to getting involved in the day to day running of the firm. It will be great to have an input into decision making and to take on more commercial responsibilities,” adds Mark.

“Outside of the office I really enjoy music and sport, but have had little time for anything since the birth of our son a year ago. Not only this, but we have been working on our new home in Sidmouth, which needed top to bottom renovation. It has been exhausting work, but we are really excited to move soon and enjoy the fruits of our labour.”