Hill Dickinson strengthens independent health offering with appointments

Hill Dickinson has strengthened its independent healthcare team, as the law firm continues to grow its wider offer in the health and social care sector.

It has appointed partners Clare Auty and Carl May-Smith, both joining from Browne Jacobson.

Auty will work alongside existing corporate partner Monica Macheng to grow the independent health and social care practice. She acts on behalf of providers, funders, and investors, as well as manufacturers of medical devices and healthtech developers. She advises on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and commercial contracting for health and social care providers.

Before her 11 years at Browne Jacobson, where Auty was sector lead for independent health and social care, she spent more than 15 years in-house, including as general counsel at mental health services provider St Andrew’s Healthcare and head of legal services at beverage business Molson Coors.

May-Smith is a barrister specialising in regulatory and criminal law with a focus on the health and care sector. He advises on Care Quality Commission, Ofsted and General Optical Council standards, financial regulation, health and safety, and environmental law. He has worked with care providers, investors and public bodies requiring proactive regulatory litigation advice or specialist regulatory due diligence.

Before Browne Jacobson, where he spent almost 15 years, May-Smith was a senior prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service.

The pair will be based in Hill Dickinson’s Birmingham office. The wider firm has added almost 20 senior hires this year, with its partnership growing to more than 190 colleagues.

‘Clare and Carl are fantastic additions to the team, in what is an important demonstration of the strength and continued expansion of our health and social care capabilities nationally. Alongside our extensive support for the NHS, we continue to act on some of the most significant transactions in the independent healthcare space while helping clients to navigate regulatory hurdles and commercialise innovative new treatments and devices,’ said Andrew Craggs, head of health at Hill Dickinson.

‘Clare and Carl’s experience will only strengthen our growth ambitions as the independent sector continues to deliver on its clinical and commercial priorities.’