Essex law firm announces staff promotions
Birkett Long is delighted to announce the promotions of Tim Field, who has become a partner, along with Perdeep Grewal and Tej Thakkar, who have both become senior associates.
Partner, Tim Field:
Tim joined the commercial and corporate finance team at Birkett Long on 10 October 2016 as a newly qualified solicitor. Before turning to law, Tim worked within a number of SMEs before qualifying as a solicitor. This experience enables him to provide balanced advice, covering both legal and commercial issues that his clients face.
Tim was promoted to associate at Birkett Long on 1 June 2019 and then senior associate on 1 June 2020. On 1 June 2022, Tim became the team leader of the business team.
Tim’s clients at Birkett Long range from large multinational organisations to very small local businesses. His work covers a wide range of legal matters for his clients, including contractual matters relating to the negotiation of supply of goods or services contracts, agency agreements and investment into property developments.
Tim also works on business sales and acquisitions for clients, covering a wide variety of sizes and industries. He has worked on matters ranging from the purchase of a doggie day care centre to sports physio practice, and multinational tech companies to care home providers. Tim also leads the firm’s health and social care sector specialism.
Additionally, Tim works with not-for-profit organisations and charities as a specialist and offers those clients a commercial and legal perspective on corporate structure and responsibilities, undertaking work on the incorporation of new charities, amendments to a charity’s objects, and identifying ways in which trustees may be afforded the benefit of limited liability protection.
Tim is a trustee of Firstsite, Open Road and St Helena Hospice, as well as being a Governor of Boxted St Peter’s School and a director of Our Colchester, which operates the Colchester BID and aims to improve businesses in Colchester.
As an adviser to charities, Tim feels it is important that he has first-hand awareness of some of the issues that trustees and charities face – and there is no better way of understanding those issues than being a trustee and involved with a charity yourself.
Of his local charity work, Tim says: “I believe it is important to give back to the community in which you work and live in. Being a trustee of charities as diverse as the ones that I am lucky enough to represent means that I am able to give something back to the community, and hopefully guide those charities to continued sustainability and the opportunity to help more people. Each of the charities that I am involved with is passionate about helping others and it is inspirational to see the work that these organisations undertake, especially in the face of ever tightening budgets and fewer resources.”
In his spare time, Tim is interested in most sports, including running, cycling and has recently taken up paddle boarding. He also enjoys cooking and growing vegetables to assist his cooking.
Senior associate: Perdeep Grewal
Perdeep joined Birkett Long on 6 August 2018 as a solicitor in the dispute resolution team in Chelmsford following completion of his training contract at North Ford Solicitors. He studied law at the University of Kent, Canterbury and his LPC at the University of Law, Bloomsbury. On 1 December 2020, Perdeep was promoted to associate at Birkett Long.
Perdeep advises clients on shareholder or partnership disputes, debt recovery matters, professional negligence claims and commercial contract disputes. He is also part of the construction team and advises architects, developers, employers, main contractors, contract administrators and subcontractors on all types of construction disputes including payment issues, final account disputes, defects and poor workmanship, extensions of time, breaches of contract and negligence claims.
In his free time, Perdeep is usually at the Emirates Stadium supporting Arsenal FC and enjoys watching cricket at the Essex County Ground, Lord’s and the Oval.
Senior associate: Tej Thakkar
Tej studied law with Business at the University of Brighton and went on to complete his LPC at The College of Law, Bloomsbury. After three years of paralegal experience at Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer, Tej joined Leathes Prior in 2011 and qualified into the Regulatory & Private Criminal Defence Practice in 2014. Tej joined the business team at Birkett Long on 6 July 2021 as head of regulatory.
Tej has a wealth of experience and exposure to a diverse blend of work in a multitude of sectors, across the broad spectrum of regulatory and criminal matters. These include regulatory compliance, privately funded criminal defense, fraud, bribery and corruption, motoring defense, transport and haulage, health and safety, licensing and professional discipline and misconduct.
Outside of work, Tej’s hobbies include various sports and spending time with his family.
