L-R: Alannah Jones, Iona Campbell, Katie Albiston, Emily Deans
Balfour+Manson has strengthened its highly-regarded family law and personal injury teams by announcing four promotions to Associate.
Two of the promotions are in the firm’s Aberdeen office, which has grown rapidly in recent years, and expanded into nearby Portlethen. Balfour+Manson also opened an office in Glasgow earlier this year to extend its geographical reach to meet client demand.
The promotions in Aberdeen see Katie Albiston become an Associate in the family law team, while Iona Campbell is promoted to Associate in personal injury and medical negligence.
Iona joined Balfour+Manson in 2017 as an Administration Assistant whilst completing her Legal Diploma, then started her traineeship in August 2018. She works alongside Partner Julie Clark-Spence and said: “Clients often come to me at a time when they are at their most vulnerable and I do my best to put them at ease from the initial point of contact through to securing the correct result for them.”
Katie Albiston worked for a small Aberdeen firm before joining Balfour+Manson in June 2021, and regularly appears at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, as part of the growing family law team in the city. She said: “I have always had a keen interest in family law. People often approach a family solicitor at very difficult times in their lives and I want to help support them through this process.”
Emily Deans is also part of the family law team, based in Edinburgh. She trained with Balfour+Manson and remained with the family team after completing her traineeship. Emily regularly undertakes work both within various Sheriff Courts and at the Court of Session. She said: “I have a particular interest in Child Law and matters relating to Surrogacy and alternative family structures. Outside work, I volunteer with Shared Parenting Scotland and the Scottish Child Law Centre, providing free legal information in connection with the law as it relates to families and children.”
Alannah Jones, recently accredited as a specialist in personal injury by the Law Society of Scotland, joined Balfour+Manson in January 2023. Her main specialism is medical negligence but she continues to practice in personal injury too. She said: “I have experience in representing clients in a variety of cases – from road traffic accidents, to GP negligence, and catastrophic injury cases – and have secured compensation for those injured as a result of criminal offences.”
David Short, Executive Chairman at Balfour+Manson, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Katie, Iona, Emily and Alannah to the ranks of Associate, strengthening what we can offer clients in two of our core practice areas.
“They are all extremely talented solicitors with very bright futures ahead of them. Balfour+Manson continues to focus on developing and promoting young talent across the firm, and this is the latest example of that approach.”