Legal adviser to the Women's Resource Centre, Honor Desmond-Tetlow, has joined Mello Jones & Martin to advise on all areas of matrimonial and family law and in general civil litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms Desmond-Tetlow practised at the Bar in Ireland, where she also served as vice-chair of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and as a member of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties.

Upon coming to Bermuda in 1986, she worked for the firms of Peter J.C. Smith and Appleby.

Her experience is with a wide range of civil litigation cases, including personal injury matters and property disputes, with an emphasis on family and matrimonial law.

In recent years, she qualified as a family-law mediator and is involved in the collaborative-law process, a method in which she works to keep issues of divorce and custody cases out of the courts and helping parties to resolve issues in a less combative way.

In addition, Ms Desmond-Tetlow served for many years as legal adviser to the Women's Resource Centre where she established the court-advocacy programme and assisted in drafting domestic violence and anti-stalking legislation.

"Honor brings a depth of knowledge and a breadth of experience that would be an asset to any litigation team ¿ as she certainly will be to ours ¿ and her counsel will serve our clients well," said Alan Dunch, head of the firm's litigation practice group.

"We are delighted to welcome Honor to the firm."