Excello Law welcomes new partners David Cooper and Andrew Cox, celebrating six years of exceptional growth in the Midlands
National firm Excello Law has grown its Birmingham team with the recruitment of new partners David Cooper and Andrew Cox, formerly founding partners of business and employment boutique firm Cox Cooper. David and Andrew’s arrival bolsters Excello’s growing presence in the Midlands market and demonstrates the appeal of the firm’s fee-share structure to experienced lawyers.
Andrew and David’s prior firm advised executives, managers and small and medium sized businesses. Andrew Cox is an experienced corporate and employment specialist and has acted for a range of SMEs and senior individuals, primarily in the Midlands, from company formation to an eventual sale. David Cooper has extensive experience in commercial dispute resolution, employment disputes and non-contentious employment law; he has a particular interest in settlement agreements and is frequently referred to employers as an independent adviser.
Since the launch of its Birmingham office in 2019, Excello Law has seen rapid expansion across the Midlands. What began with a small team of four has developed into a thriving region-wide practice of 30 lawyers by 2025, representing 650% growth in six years.
Joanne Losty, COO of Excello Law, comments: “We are pleased to welcome David and Andrew to Excello. Their experience in employment, company and commercial law complements and reinforces our fast-expanding team in the Midlands. Excello’s appeal to entrepreneurial lawyers – whether that’s senior partners at some of the UK’s leading firms or founders of their own practices – has fuelled faster than expected growth.”
From early roots to a regional powerhouse
With an existing Midlands presence including employment specialist Sarah King and commercial litigation lawyer Robert Sprake, Excello Law cemented its regional commitment in 2019 by opening a dedicated Birmingham office with the arrival of Richard Osborn, a real estate and development lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience leading major commercial and regeneration projects; and Stephen Belshaw, a specialist in contentious construction and infrastructure disputes.
Momentum continued as Excello expanded into the East Midlands, opening its Leicester office in 2021. New partner hires included M&A specialist Nathan Lapsley, who went on to establish boutique corporate transactions practice 458 Law under Excello’s unique House of Brands model.
In 2023 alone, Excello welcomed five new partners to its growing Midlands team. Another House of Brands firm – DBA Law, a boutique real estate and property practice – launched in 2024. Led by Helena Bannister, Terry Dickson and Anna Albini, and joined by associate solicitor Evita Svampane, DBA Law added significant further strength in both transactional and contentious property work.
Excello’s expansion has continued into 2025 with senior appointments in the region including employment lawyer John Dormer, corporate lawyer Jaspreet Lyall, commercial property specialist Daljit Singh Bhogal and real estate investment lawyer Richard MacKichan Burke.
Expansion on the horizon
Reflecting on the firm’s progress, Joanne Losty says: “Our growth across the Midlands is a direct result of the outstanding commitment and talent of our lawyers. Their collaborative approach, both within the region and across our wider national network, enables us to form strong multi-disciplinary teams for clients. We were delighted to be appointed to University of Leicester’s panel earlier this year, a success delivered by a cross-practice team drawn from across the firm.
As our legal teams have grown, we have expanded our office space in the Midlands and strengthened our support team to ensure we continue to provide the highest quality service. We are extremely proud of what has been achieved over the past five years and remain committed to further investment and expansion as we welcome more exceptional lawyers into our Midlands community.”