North West law firm Farleys Solicitors has appointed Chris Bowers as Partner and Head of Insolvency, further strengthening the firm’s specialist commercial offering during a period of continued growth.
Chris joins Farleys’ Insolvency Team, where he will lead the firm’s insolvency practice and work closely with insolvency practitioners, directors, creditors and businesses on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious insolvency matters.
Based at Farleys’ East Lancashire office in Padiham, Chris brings with him extensive experience gained over a long career in insolvency law, most recently as Head of Insolvency at Forbes Solicitors.
Chris began his legal career working predominantly in Lancashire and Manchester specialising in Insolvency in the early 2000s. He went on to found and manage his own law firm across the Pennines, specialising in business debt recovery, insolvency litigation and advisory work for insolvency practitioners.
His experience spans advice, both litigation and transactional on both corporate and personal insolvency cases, including administrations, liquidations, bankruptcies, voluntary arrangements, asset recovery, antecedent transaction and misfeasance claims, director conduct issues and debt recovery.
The announcement follows a sustained period of expansion for Farleys, which became part of Lawfront in 2022 and has continued to grow its regional footprint through investment in people, services and carefully selected local acquisitions. Recent milestones include the acquisition of Mulderrigs Solicitors in Rawtenstall in 2023, Alker Ball Healds in Wigan in 2025 and Houldsworth Solicitors in Clitheroe in 2026.
Farleys now has offices across Manchester, Preston, Blackburn, Padiham, Rawtenstall, Wigan and Clitheroe, supporting individuals, families and businesses with a broad range of legal services. The appointment of Chris adds further depth to the firm’s commercial expertise at a time when many businesses are navigating challenging economic conditions.
Chris’ appointment also comes as Farleys continues to invest in developing talent within the team, with Armin Pishro recently qualifying and being retained as an Associate.
Chris Bowers commented:
I’m delighted to be joining Farleys at such an exciting time for the firm. Farleys has a strong reputation across the North West for practical, client-focused advice, and the firm’s growth journey over recent years creates a real opportunity to develop the insolvency offering further.
Throughout my career I have worked closely with insolvency practitioners across the full range of corporate and personal insolvency procedures. My focus has always been on providing clear, practical and commercially focused advice that helps office-holders maximise recoveries, overcome challenges during appointments and achieve the best outcome for stakeholders. I look forward to continuing that work at Farleys, while collaborating with colleagues across the firm to deliver a seamless service to insolvency practitioners, businesses and directors facing complex insolvency and restructuring issues.
Ian Liddle, Managing Partner at Farleys Solicitors, said:
“We are very pleased to welcome Chris to Farleys as Partner and Head of Insolvency. His experience and specialist knowledge will be a real asset to our clients and to colleagues across the firm.
“Chris joins us during an important period of growth for Farleys. As we continue to expand our presence across the North West, we are focused on investing in talented people and specialist teams who strengthen the service we can offer to clients. Chris’ appointment is an important step in the continued development of our commercial services, and we look forward to seeing the insolvency team grow under his leadership.”
Farleys’ insolvency team works with clients across the North West and beyond, offering advice on a range of matters including corporate insolvency, personal insolvency, director duties, contentious insolvency claims, debt recovery and commercial disputes.
