David Kirwan was admitted to the roll of solicitors in the summer of 1969 and embarked on a long and distinguished career and is now managing partner of law firm Kirwans

One of Merseyside’s best-known professionals is celebrating 50 years in the legal profession.

David Kirwan was admitted to the roll of solicitors in the summer of 1969 and embarked on a long and distinguished career and is now managing partner of law firm Kirwans, a practice founded by his late father, CH Kirwan, more than 70 years ago.

His higher-profile cases have also seen him become a familiar face in the media, and he regularly champions the rights of people facing prosecution by local authorities. He has built up a strong and loyal client base over the five decades of his career, most notably he late Winnie Johnson, mother of Moors Murderer victim Keith Bennett.

More recently, he represented Daniel Jones, the Welsh farmer whose prosecution by Conwy Trading Standards collapsed amid much media interest less than a week into the trial. Another notable case was a successful Judicial Review of Liverpool City Council which had sought to exclude buskers from the Cavern Quarter.

Legal duties

During his career he has also taken on a wide range of legal duties, including sitting as a judge for the Immigration Appellate Authority and acting as a legally qualified chairman of the local NHS committee at Chester, dealing with patients and others who had made complaints against doctors, dentists and opticians.

He was also one of the first solicitors in the region to hold Higher Court advocacy rights in both crime and civil law, which allows him to stand alongside barristers and represent clients in court, as well as acting in the civil courts. He took over the reins at Kirwans in 1980.

His love of interacting with people means that, unusually for a managing partner, Mr Kirwan still combines client work with operational duties. He has also been responsible for overseeing the training of many solicitors who have ‘graduated’ through the firm.

Fantastic experiences

Mr Kirwan said: “I have had some fantastic and varied experiences and opportunities since qualifying, and 50 years on I still believe that the law is the best profession in the world. There have been many changes since I started practising, with technology and the internet in particular being an absolute game-changer.

“However, one thing that hasn’t changed is the need for people going through key moments in their lives to be able to access a friendly and professional service that they can rely on.

“Over the decades I have taken great pleasure in working with the people of Merseyside and beyond, and I look forward to many more years of seeing both myself and my team continue to solve their legal problems.”