A Cumbria law firm has welcomed more new blood to its ranks.

Rachel Atherton has joined Napthens as part of the commercial team.

Previously, she was a senior associate solicitor at multi-national resort development company Diamond Resorts, where she worked in-house to advise the business on commercial agreements and led General Data Protection Regulation compliance for the group.

At Napthens, she will work alongside commercial and regulatory specialists including partner and head of the commercial team, Jon Esner, who himself joined the firm earlier this year following 17 years in industry.

He said: “Our service is in demand and we continue to see that demand grow as clients look for specialist advice to support their businesses.

“Rachel is a valuable addition to the team. She brings further in-house experience to the table which is invaluable when advising clients on many of the practical issues they face on a day-to-day basis.”

Ms Atherton, who has particular expertise in the tourism industry from practising overseas for national and international clients, will offer advice on issues including commercial contracts, regulatory matters, outsourcing and IT contracts and data protection.