Anthony Collins welcomes four new directors

Birmingham-based social purpose law firm Anthony Collins has recently announced the appointment of two legal directors and two senior associates as part of its ongoing growth strategy. The new hires include Selina Kong and Kelly McDonnell as legal directors, and Beth Williams and Sian Brown as senior associates. Together, they bring over 50 years of collective expertise to the firm’s expanding property and commercial teams.

Selina Kong comes from a background in the charities and not-for-profit sector, focusing on property matters, including the strategic restructuring of property portfolios. Before Anthony Collins, she led a major property portfolio restructuring for a prominent registered social care charity, which included the sensitive rehousing of vulnerable residents. Reflecting on her new role, Selina Kong stated, “After 20 years in-house, this move is an exciting opportunity for me to work with a leading firm in the charity and social care sector; applying my knowledge and insights to a range of projects. These sectors are facing immense challenges at the moment, and I hope that my unique set of skills and experience will support the property team in helping the sector in an impactful and compassionate way.”

Kelly McDonnell joins as legal director and head of conveyancing, responsible for leading plot sales and home ownership teams. With more than 20 years of conveyancing experience, she has handled numerous complex property deals, including those involving multiple property types. Known as a leading legal adviser to the property industry, she previously served as Chair of the West Midlands Branch of Women in Property. Kelly McDonnell expressed her enthusiasm for her new position, saying, “I’ve always enjoyed leading and supporting my teams, so this new role as head of conveyancing is a great opportunity to take everything I’ve learned and put it to good use for a diverse client base, as part of one the country’s most dynamic property law teams.”

The firm has also recruited two senior associates: Beth Williams for the social housing team in Manchester and Sian Brown for the governance team in Birmingham. Beth’s appointment supports Anthony Collins' investment in property services, enhancing its affordable housing and regeneration counsel in the Northwest. She has over ten years of experience advising registered providers and local authorities and currently sits on the board of Crosby Housing Association, Liverpool. Her accolades include recognition by Legal 500 and Chambers 2026.

Sian Brown, with 20 years of in-house experience, strengthens the firm’s commercial team by offering strategic advice to various organisations in the social care sector. Sian has a practical, solutions-based approach that addresses the legal and operational challenges faced in this area.

Matthew Wort, senior partner at Anthony Collins, stated, “What better way to welcome in the new year than appointing more new faces as we aim to build on the successes of 2025. Our teams are at the centre of everything we do, and it’s our priority to ensure that they are supported with all means necessary to succeed, both individually, and collectively. Importantly for us, each one of our new hires shares a commitment to our social purpose goals and I am looking forward to seeing the contribution they make.”