Derek Sands, partner at Rowlands Solicitors, is set to retire following a career that has spanned four decades.

Qualifying to practise law in 1965, he has worked for Manchester based firm, Rowlands Solicitors for 44 years. Holding a multitude of high profile appointments during his career, Sands was president of the Manchester Law Society in 1985/86. He is also one of only a few life members of Manchester Law Society and was on the Council of the Law Society, based in London from 1986 to 2000.

The acclaimed lawyer has acted on many high profile cases, including a £90 million pharmaceutical company sale.

Sands, partner at Rowlands, commented: "The British legal system has altered a great deal since I began practising in 1965, and working in the field has changed immeasurably. Practising law is very different these days – it is a lot more competitive and involves much longer hours. However, along with this comes opportunity to work on interesting cases and make a real difference, which for a lot of people in the profession more than makes up for the hard work.

"Manchester is a fantastic city to practise in law, with such a great mix of talent and expertise. Rowlands has been a fantastic firm to work for all these years and with some great legal minds. I have enjoyed working at the firm immensely."

Sands joined law firm Kirk Jackson in 1967 after qualifying as a Solicitor in 1965. The firm merged with as Rowlands in 2002.