Town solicitors’ 80th anniversary

LOUGHBOROUGH’S Hawley & Rodgers Solicitors is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

The firm was opened in 1939 by James Hawley and John Rodgers and their first office was at Lloyds Bank Chambers in Loughborough.

With the advent of World War Two John Rodgers was called up to serve in the RAF and James Hawley kept the firm afloat during the conflict.

After the war, the Partners moved to the Britannia Life Insurance building in Granby Street, which has since been demolished. From there, the firm expanded and two managing clerks, Charles Broughton and David Asher, joined the firm.

The next major step was a move to No. 21 Granby Street. This enabled a rapid expansion for the firm, including the move to No. 19 and 23 Granby Street, premises still occupied by the firm.

The next partner to join the firm was Christopher Coverley, who set up an office in Loseby Lane in Leicester in 1949. In the 1960s, the office was moved to New Walk.

It was the first firm of solicitors to have offices in New Walk and the partners won an award for their renovation of the building.

Back at Loughborough, James Hawley left the firm, but he was replaced by

Henry Charles, David Cooper, David Rodgers (John Rodgers’ son) and David Thomas.

In 1959, the firm established an office in Nottingham and new Partners were taken in, including Michael Morris.

The first office was in Clarendon Street and this was later expanded into a neighbouring building.

Christopher Coverley left the firm in the early 2000s. In 2008, the Leicester office was closed, but an office in Bingham was opened in its place.

In 2011, the Nottingham office was moved to its present premises in Canal Street.

In 2013, the partners purchased Thomas Legal, with offices in Loughborough and Long Eaton. In 2014, Constantinou Solicitors, who had offices in Stapleford and Long Eaton, were also purchased. Both Long Eaton offices were later relocated to the Market Place.

The firm’s current equity partners are Susan Benson, Alan Mangham and Caroline Williams who became partners in 1985, 2005 and 2009 respectively.

The firm, which offers a wide range of legal services, including family law, children law, buying and selling a home, wills and probate, advice for the elderly, personal and business disputes, commercial law and commercial conveyancing, now operates from Loughborough, Nottingham, Long Eaton, Bingham and Stapleford.

■ This picture was taken at the The Old Country Club in Quorn 1972/3, at a lunch given by Loughborough solicitors to honour His Honour Dennis Robson, retiring as a district Judge. Both young David Rodgers and his father John Rodgers, founder of Hawley and Rodgers are seen in the picture. From left to right: Malcom Smith of Straw & Pearce, Philip Thomlinson of Moss Toone & Dean, Malcolm Moss of Moss, Verdun Baron of Straw & Pearce, David Rodgers of Hawley and Rodgers, Marvin Walters of Bartlett Walters & Parry, Len Parry of Bartlett Walters & Parry, Ken Brighston- Partner of Moss Toone & Deane, John FD Evans District Registrar, Denis Robson District Registrar, Gordon Horsley District Registrar, John Rodgers founder & of Hawley and Rodgers, Duncan McLaren of Wooley Beardsley & Bosworth, James Toon of Moss Toone & Deane, Jim Blood of Wooley Beardsley & Bosworth, John Beardsley of Wooley Beardsley & Bosworth and David Cooper of Hawley and Rodgers.

■ An old photograph of the Loughborough Granby Street offices of Hawley & Rodgers Solicitors.