Legal

Kelly Grant (29) is a solicitor at Shoosmiths. Kelly began her career as a trainee solicitor with Milton Keynes based firm Heald Solicitors before qualifying and joining Bevan Brittan in Birmingham in 2007. At the end of 2010 Kelly joined the corporate team at Shoosmiths. She has carried out pro bono work for the charitable organisation ProHelp, which provides free advice and professional support to local organisations that do not have the funds to pay for them. She has also volunteered for her local Citizens’ Advice Bureau and the Milton Keynes Community Mediation Service. The current chairman of the events committee, Kelly is actively involved with Birmingham Future.
 

Damian Johnson (31) is head of structured products legal for Deutsche Bank in Birmingham. Damian is a qualified solicitor with 13 years experience in the financial services sector. He gained his legal qualification whilst working for West Bromwich Building Society, which sponsored his law degree. Damian takes part in Outward Bound Trust activities, including rock climbing, canoeing and orienteering to help raise money for charity. He also supported the Raise the Roof Campaign, an initiative pushing for a rise in the stamp duty threshold to assist first-time buyers, joining a delegation of financial services organisations in delivering a petition to Downing Street.
 

Tim Lake (34) is an associate at DLA Piper. Tim qualified in 2002 and joined the firm’s corporate department. In 2004/2005 he was seconded to Barclays Ventures to act as in-house legal counsel before being promoted to associate at DLA Piper in 2006. Tim is a long-standing mentor for Birmingham College of Law’s Diversity Mentoring Scheme and the Social Mobility Foundation’s E-mentoring project. As part of DLA Piper’s commitment to corporate social responsibility he has undertaken a sponsored walk for WaterAid, a sponsored cycle ride for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and a 27-mile walk for St Basils.