L-R: Lorna Payne and Rita Clare
Two senior solicitors have returned to a leading law firm and back to their hometown of Leamington.
Lorna Payne and Rita Clare have recently re-joined Wright Hassall, where they both started their law careers before moving away from the firm.
The firm has welcomed Lorna as an associate solicitor specialising in private wealth, while Rita returns as a senior associate in the corporate department.
For Lorna, it completes a journey from Leamington to Lymington – and back again – and another huge step forward for a career which started, in essence, at age 15 when she joined Wright Hassall for work experience.
After starting out helping around the office, she went on to university, gaining a degree in business studies.
It was on her return to Wright Hassall that she realised that she wanted to pursue a career in law.
She left Wright Hassall in 2003 and has had stints at other Midlands firms, as well as a firm in Lymington on the South Coast, before returning to Leamington and Wright Hassall.
She said: “I started helping out with photocopying and admin tasks to get some work experience with Wright Hassall so it has been an incredible journey for me to now be starting here again in such a senior position.
“I have learnt a lot in the intervening period and it felt like the perfect time for me to come back to the firm and take my career to the next level.
“It is also great for me on a personal level to be back in Leamington and close to my family.”
Rita had previously worked her way up to the role of corporate team associate after working across transaction services and investments for SMEs and large corporates.
She left Wright Hassall at the end of 2014 after more than 8 years and has now returned to the firm as a senior associate in the corporate team.
She said: “Returning to Wright Hassall is a big step forward for my career as the firm continues to go from strength to strength”.
“I am also pleased to be back working in the area that I grew up in and started my career.”
Paul Rice, Senior Partner, said: “We are always delighted to welcome back previous members of staff; it speaks volumes for us as an employer and as a successful business.
“We are particularly pleased that Lorna and Rita, have chosen to return and who we know will make a great contribution to the firm.
“Their experience in their respective fields is invaluable, both for the teams they are working with and for our clients who will benefit from their expertise.”
