Promotion of Eight New Associate Directors

Released On 17th Feb 2025

Battens Solicitors Announces Promotion of Eight New Associate Directors

Battens Solicitors is pleased to announce the promotion of eight outstanding individuals to the position of Associate Director. This significant milestone reflects their exceptional contributions, dedication and leadership within the firm.

Associate Directors at Battens Solicitors The newly promoted Associate Directors are:

Anna Austin, who is Head of the Commercial Property team and based in our Yeovil office. Anna has over 20 years of experience and has been with Battens for 10 years, acting for a wide range of clients including landowners, developers, SMEs and commercial landlords and tenants.
Cate Barnes leads the Residential Property team within our Poundbury office. She brings 20 years of experience specialising in residential property transactions, including sales, purchases, re-mortgages and transfers of equity.
Gareth Bishop is part of our Family Law team based within the Poundbury office. He has worked at Battens for 14 years and is a member of the Law Society Children Law Scheme. He specialises in cases when acting for children either through their CAFCASS Guardian or where they are able to instruct a solicitor directly, often dealing with the most serious allegations of physical harm and sexual abuse.
Sarah Ford is Head of the Residential Property Department at Battens, based at the Wareham office. She has a wide client base ranging from first-time buyers to up sizers, downsizers and buy-to-let investors, offering a personal bespoke service. Sarah has worked at Battens Solicitors for over 15 years.
Dawn Gallie is Head of Employment. She has over 20 years of experience advising on all areas of Employment law and HR for both employers and employees, including representation at the Employment Tribunal. Dawn has been with Battens since 2011 and is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA).
Kate Golding is Head of the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence department based within the Yeovil office. She has over 20 years of experience and returned to Battens in 2007 (having completed her training contract here previously) to build a new personal injury department. Kate specialises in all types of personal injury and clinical negligence claims, concentrating primarily on those in which the clients have suffered significant and life-changing injuries.
Brian Levine is Head of the Media, Entertainment and Intellectual Property department at Battens Solicitors. With over 20 years of experience with 10 of these at Battens, Brian has a wealth of knowledge within media law and Intellectual Property and also advises on corporate and commercial work across all sectors. He is recommended by the Legal 500 for Media, Entertainment and Intellectual Property matters.
Ross Siviter leads the Residential Property team in Yeovil and Bath. With over 10 years’ experience within the residential property field, Ross has built up a solid reputation within the Yeovil area and is now expanding Battens’ residential property services in Bath.

Each of these individuals has demonstrated a commitment to excellence and a passion for providing top-tier legal services to our clients. The promotions are in recognition of their hard work, expertise, and the high standards they uphold at Battens Solicitors.

Ceri Stephens, Managing Director of Battens Solicitors, commented: "We are thrilled to recognise the achievements of these eight talented professionals. Their promotions are well-deserved and a testament to their commitment, hard-work and loyalty over the years. We are confident that they will continue to drive our firm’s success and deliver exceptional service to our clients. Congratulations to all."