Slater Heelis Strengthens Leadership Team with Key Appointments

Slater Heelis has made a double appointment with Scott Sands joining the firm as Partner and Head of Corporate alongside Carla Murray as Partner and Head of Commercial, further strengthening the firm’s leadership and expertise in corporate and commercial law.

The duo brings over 27 years of experience between them and with each being highly regarded and renowned in the sector makes these appointments a huge coup for the Manchester and Sale-based firm. Scott and Carla also join at a key time for the forward-thinking firm which has entered 2025 with bold and ambitious growth plans in their respective areas of law; making this an exciting time for the two aligned teams.

Scott Sands brings extensive experience advising individuals, owner-managed businesses, SMEs, and corporates on a broad range of matters, including acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, investments, employee share schemes and family investment companies.

As new Head of Commercial, Carla Murray brings a wealth of experience in Commercial Law, IT Law, and Intellectual Property Rights; she is a prominent figure in various sectors but has developed significant expertise in Technology, Life Sciences, Media and Entertainment.

Commenting on the appointments, Rachel Fletcher, Managing Parter at Slater Heelis, said: “We are delighted to welcome Scott and Carla to the team. Their expertise in corporate and commercial law is second to none and will be invaluable in supporting our clients and further strengthening our capabilities in key sectors. These appointments reflect our commitment to providing exceptional legal services and expanding our offering to meet the evolving needs of businesses and they are incredible assets to have join us.”

Simon Wallwork, former Head of Department said the appointment of Scott and Carla brings considerable expertise to the Corporate Commercial Department and adds to its already strong capabilities following a busy 2025, in which the team completed over 25 transactions with an average deal value of over £8m and in which the team was also short listed for Corporate Team of the Year (mid-market) at the Insider Dealmakers Awards.

Slater Heelis is part of legal services business Lawfront, and adding further comment on their appointment Axel Koelsch, Chief Operating Officer of Lawfront, commented “We continue to invest in top tier talent such as Scott and Carla, who both bring an impressive breadth of talent and experience.

“Scott’s corporate experience advising businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals across a range of sectors, and Carla’s commercial and technology law expertise, will be an asset to Slater Heelis and its ambitious growth targets.”

Slater Heelis is an award-winning, full-service law firm acting for clients across the UK and internationally with an expert team of over 210.

With its head office in Sale, Greater Manchester and a large office in Manchester, the firm offers a range of legal services to both private and business clients including: Family Law, Wills & Probate, Court of Protection, Personal Injury, Corporate Law, Crime (including Business Crime & Regulatory), Dispute Resolution, Property Litigation, Contentious Probate and Contentious Court of Protection, Employment & HR, Property Law and Construction & Engineering.

To find out more about Slater Heelis and its range of services please visit www.slaterheelis.co.uk.