Bevan Brittan strengthens Leeds litigation team with partner hire

Bevan Brittan has hired Judith Hopper from DLA Piper as a litigation partner in its Leeds office.

Hopper, who worked at DLA Piper for ten years and was a director at the firm, specialises in commercial litigation with a focus on PFI/ projects disputes, contentious construction and professional negligence.

She also has extensive experience of commercial and contractual disputes, corporate disputes including breach of warranty and shareholder disputes, and breach of confidentiality claims.

Notable cases Hopper has worked on include advising Birmingham City Council in the contractual dispute with Amey arising from the £2.6 bn PFI contract for the repair and maintenance of a road network. The council won at the Court of Appeal in February this year.

Last month Bevan Brittan unveiled plans to double the size of its Leeds office, after agreeing a deal to take on more office space at Toronto Square in the city.

Hopper said: “I am very happy to be joining Bevan Brittan. It has a reputation for undertaking high quality, complex work and has great strength in depth across both the public and private sectors. The firm is growing and has serious national ambitions. I greatly look forward to working with clients and colleagues here.”

Michael Boyd, Head of the Leeds office at Bevan Brittan, said: “We welcome Judith to the team here in Leeds. Someone of her calibre does not come along very often. Her joining marks another step-change in the development of our Leeds office.”