A law firm has appointed joint heads of its Birmingham office.
Justine Ball will jointly lead Shakespeare Martineau's base in 1 Colmore Square alongside existing office head James Woolstenhulme.
Ms Ball is a real estate disputes partner while Mr Woolstenhulme is a partner in the dispute resolution team.
The Birmingham office is the firm's largest across its portfolio and employs 575 people.
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Ms Ball, who began her career at Shakespeare Martineau as a trainee in 2011, said: "I'm incredibly proud to be taking on this role alongside James at such a pivotal moment for our Birmingham office.
"As a city, Birmingham represents both rich heritage and huge future potential and our office is central to that journey.
"We're deeply embedded in the region, with the Birmingham office being Shakespeare Martineau's birthplace and central to our ongoing investment in the West Midlands.
"Our aim is to harness our greatest strengths - our talent and our deep-rooted connections in the region - to cultivate our growth plans for the office.
"We are also so proud of being a responsible business that is committed to continuously building upon the positive and dynamic culture that benefits our people, our clients and the wider community."
Mr Woolstenhulme, who qualified with the firm in 2011, added: "Welcoming Justine as joint-head marks a fresh chapter for Birmingham and I'm excited about what we'll achieve together."
The joint-heads will lead the Birmingham office's strategic development, focusing on growth, talent and deeper community engagement.
Shakespeare Martineau is part of Ampa Group whose brands include planning consultancy Marrons, Lime Solicitors and loss recovery specialist Corclaim.
Chief executive Sarah Walker-Smith said: "The Midlands has always played a strategically important role in our group's growth journey.
"It's where Shakespeare Martineau began and remains a key part of our wider ecosystem of thriving hubs.
"Our continued commitment to the region reflects our belief in investing in places where we have strong roots, great talent and deep community connections.
"Empowering exceptional local leaders like Justine and James is central to how we drive sustainable growth across all our locations and deliver positive impact for our people, clients and communities."
