A former trainee has been made partner at a law firm he joined nine years ago.

George Crofton-Martin, 34, has been promoted at Furley Page and is now a top figure the business’ dispute resolution team.

The University of Kent graduate specialises in solving commercial disagreements, contractual disputes, professional negligence and construction litigation.

During his career he has represented a client at the European Court of First instance in Luxembourg.

Senior partner and gead of dispute resolution Peter Hawkes said: “This promotion reflects the strong contribution George has made to the development of our dispute resolution team and his involvement at partnership level will be a valuable asset for us in the future.

“We take great pride in the level of training and experience we can provide, seeking to offer the best to the best. By choosing to employ the pick of the bunch we ensure we retain the brightest talent for the benefit of our clients.

“George is part of a team made up of highly-experienced specialists in dispute resolution.

The dispute resolution team at the firm – based in Canterbury, Whitstable and Chatham – is recommended for its expertise by law guides Chambers UK and the Legal 500.

Petter added: “Disputes are a common part of business life; they are problems but they can be successfully solved in an efficient and cost effective way with the right approach.

“Our aim is to give clients practical advice. We make it our job to understand their business and agree the objectives to be achieved. We provide clear advice on all the options and we view litigation as a last resort, not an inevitable outcome.

“We support clients in negotiations and advise on more structured approaches such as mediation or arbitration.”