Legal firm Pettingill & Co has hired a new lawyer to head its family law department.

English barrister Katie Richards, who has been practice for 14 years, worked in the UK in the area of family law before moving to Bermuda in 2009.

A spokesman for the firm said Ms Richards had amassed a wealth of experience in divorce, relationship breakdown and the resolution of high-value and complex property and financial disputes.

In addition, she has regularly appeared on behalf of parents in custody, care and control cases.

Mark Pettingill, the managing partner of the Reid Street, Hamilton, firm, said: “Katie is a valuable addition to the strong and dynamic team we are growing at Pettingill & Co.

“I have worked with Katie for a number of years and have every confidence in her abilities as one of the leading family and matrimonial practitioners on the Island.

“She is an accomplished advocate but also a strong proponent of alternative dispute resolutions.”

Ms Richards is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the Collaborative Law Alliance of Bermuda, which offers an alternative to acrimonious litigation.