Business law firm Baines Wilson has strengthened its highly rated commercial property team with two further appointments.

Alistair Bell joins as a solicitor and Charlotte Graham as a paralegal.

Alistair, 45, has worked in residential and commercial property since he qualified as a solicitor in 2009.

Originally from Carlisle, he studied law at the University of Liverpool followed by a legal practice diploma at the College of Law in Chester.

He joins Baines Wilson from a practice operating in Carlisle and the North East.

He said: “Joining Baines Wilson will allow me to work as part of a very experienced team. It’s a great opportunity.

“As an experienced solicitor already, it was important to me that I joined a team that could help me continue to develop a specialism in commercial property.” 

Outside work, Alistair runs marathons and enjoys long-distance walking completing trails in the UK and abroad.

Charlotte, 26, grew up on her family farm on the outskirts of Carlisle.

A former pupil of the city’s Central Academy, Charlotte has worked as a paralegal at two other Cumbrian law firms – specialising in commercial property and agriculture – prior to joining Baines Wilson in July.

Since 2017, she has combined full-time work with part-time studies for a Bachelor of Laws degree through the Open University. She is due to graduate next year.

She said: “I am excited to have joined Baines Wilson and I am looking forward to developing my career with the firm. 

“My interest in agricultural law stemmed from my family’s farming roots and that interest quite quickly extended to all types of commercial property from farms to hotels, to housing development and industrial sites.

“Despite some transactions being similar, every property is individually unique and presents its own set of complexities, which I find really interesting.”

Juggling work and studies leaves little time for hobbies – Charlotte is a former horse rider who continues to enjoy working with horses as and when time permits. She and her fiancé Connor are currently building a house and plan to get married next year.

Baines Wilson has offices in Carlisle and Lancaster.

The appointments of Alistair and Charlotte follow the recent arrivals of Naren Deen and Abigail Clucas as the firm continues to expand its commercial property team to further cement its position as a heavyweight in the region.

The department is singled out for praise in the latest edition of the Legal 500 guide, which describes Baines Wilson as being “at the forefront of commercial and residential property development projects”.  Duncan Harty and Sean Logue are also identified as being leading individuals in their field and region. 

For more information on Baines Wilson, see https://www.baineswilson.co.uk/ or call its offices in Carlisle on 01228 552600 or Lancaster on 01524 548494.