Holmes & Hills Solicitors Appoints Matt Downing as Partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial Department

Holmes & Hills Solicitors is pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Downing as Partner and Head of the Corporate and Commercial Department.

This strategic hire strengthens Holmes & Hills’ position as a leading provider of specialist legal services to businesses across Essex and East Anglia. It reflects the firm’s continued investment in building a dynamic, client focused corporate and commercial offering that is aligned with our values of professionalism, proactivity, accessibility, personability, and empathy.

Matt is a highly experienced corporate lawyer with over a decade advising business owners, leadership teams, and shareholders on complex corporate transactions. He brings considerable expertise in business sales and acquisitions, including owner managed and family run businesses, as well as management buyouts, shareholder matters, funding arrangements, corporate restructuring, non-contentious insolvency and complex contractual arrangements. He also has experience in the franchising sector, regularly advising on the sale and purchase of franchise businesses.

Recognised by the Legal 500 as a Leading Partner and Recommended Lawyer, Matt holds a First Class Honours degree in Law from the University of Lincoln and achieved Distinction in the Legal Practice Course at Nottingham Law School. His career has seen him lead corporate legal teams across Norwich and Cambridge, before joining Holmes & Hills to head up this key area of growth.

Matt’s arrival marks an important development for Holmes & Hills’ Corporate and Commercial Department, which has been a key focus for strategic expansion in recent years. He will lead a growing team of specialist solicitors with wide ranging experience advising commercial clients. The department’s capability is further enhanced by the integration of dedicated employment law expertise, enabling the firm to offer a joined-up service across corporate, commercial, and employment matters.

Rebecca Mason, Managing Partner at Holmes & Hills, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Matt to the firm. His appointment marks an exciting moment for our corporate and commercial practice and is a reflection of the firm’s ongoing growth and ambition. Matt brings a wealth of experience and a collaborative leadership style that we know will be a real asset not only to the team, but to the businesses we work with across the region."

This appointment reinforces Holmes & Hills’ commitment to supporting business clients throughout Essex, Suffolk, and the wider East Anglia region with commercially astute, pragmatic advice delivered by experts. It will also enable the firm to be more exposed to the Norwich marketplace with Matt looking to maintain and build upon his existing connections in the area too.