Movers & Shakers: Yorkshire & Humber
2023
April
Pinsent Masons has appointed Andy Wright as a new pensions partner in Leeds.
Irwin Mitchell has announced the promotion of nine colleagues to partner, with effect from 1 May 2022. Ross McWilliams (complex PI) has been promoted in Leeds.
Terry Saeedi has joined Irwin Mitchell’s pension team as a partner.
Devonshires has promoted five solicitors to partner in its annual round of promotions. They include Leeds-based, Natalie Swales (banking, corporate & governance).
Ashtons Legal has announced that Luke Evans has qualified as a solicitor with the firm, following the completion of his training contract.
Irwin Mitchell has appointed Matthew Ambler as a senior associate in its pensions team.
Andrew Uttley has joined Bevan Brittan’s employment, pensions and immigration team.
Clarion Solicitors has welcomed Kate Imeson as an associate in the firm’s commercial and IT law team.
Phillip Feather has joined Gordons’ dispute resolution service as a senior solicitor.
Arc Pensions Law has announced the promotion of Claire Goodby to senior associate.
March
Hempsons has announced that it has retained all Trainees who qualified in March and have all taken up their new positions in Corporate Commercial, Employment, Healthcare Advisory and Real Estate, following the successful completion of their training contracts.
Ward Hadaway has appointed James Garbett as a partner in the planning team based in Leeds.
Ison Harrison has announced the appointment of Victoria Boid as a partner in the corporate team, based at Duke House, the firm’s headquarters in Leeds city centre.
Brabners has appointed Michelle Spark as a partner in the property team based in Leeds.
Ridley & Hall has announced the appointment of commercial property specialist Stacey Brook as a partner. Meanwhile, private client solicitor, Thomas Grice, is promoted to partner and head of private client, with residential property solicitor, Ashley Sowerby, also promoted to partner.
Yorkshire law firm Truth Legal has announced the opening of a new office in Hull and the appointment of two new lawyers. The new office at K2 Tower, Bond Street is the firm’s third regional office since the business launched in Harrogate in 2012. The Hull office will be headed up by specialist immigration lawyer, Frances Ledbury. Ledbury is joined by paralegal, Olivia Pickering.
Ward Hadaway has appointed Matthew Hills as an associate in the planning team based in Leeds. Meanwhile, planning technician Kevin Sanderson has relocated from the firm’s Newcastle office.
McCormicks Solicitors has appointed David Leuchars as a solicitor in the corporate and commercial department. Meanwhile, McCormicks has welcomed Stuart Farrar who has more than 40 years’ experience in residential conveyancing.
Devonshires has made two hires in its Leeds office. Commercial property solicitor, Amy Chadwick, joins the firm’s securitisation team. Mary Brennan joins the firm’s housing management & property litigation team as an associate. The office has also welcomed, Stuart Counsel, who joined Devonshires in 2022 as a paralegal, and takes up a role as a solicitor in February 2023.
Raworths has announced the promotion of Adam Colville-Robins to an associate in the firm’s dispute resolution team.
Emma Farrell, a lawyer with more than 20 years’ dispute resolution experience has joined Rollits as an associate based in the York office.
Williamsons solicitors has announced that operations director Neil Waterhouse and finance director John Auld have joined the board.
Chris Thomson has joined Ison Harrison’s Leeds office.
Anthea Nelson has joined LCF Law’s corporate and commercial department as a senior associate.
Blacks Solicitors has started 2023 with the promotion of ten team members. Sarah Brown and Dean Goodwin (residential property) and Alex Hall (corporate and commercial) have been promoted to senior associate chartered legal executives, while Hayley Blackburn (corporate & commercial) and Liam Douglas (residential property) have been promoted to associate chartered legal executives. James Martin (commercial dispute resolution) and Amer Ali (residential property) are now senior associate solicitors, while Annie Beaumont (wills & probate), Josie Kirk (family) and Samantha Simpson (residential property) have been promoted to associate solicitors.
Morrish Solicitors has welcomed Shamila Hussain as a solicitor in the family law team.
Brabners has appointed Junaid Sohail as a solicitor in the litigation team based in Leeds.
HR specialist and employment lawyer, Natalie Saunders, has re-joined Levi Solicitors as a consultant to head up the firm’s new employment law advice service.
Ridley & Hall has announced that care solicitor, Zoe Butt, will join the firm’s care department in February 2023. Meanwhile, solicitors Helen Moody, Rosie Turner, and Shelley Harper have all been promoted to associates, while private client paralegal, Sophie Aldridge, has been offered a training contract at the firm. Public Law administrator, Tanisha Walker, has been offered a solicitor apprenticeship and will begin her SQE training, while private client secretary, Marie Stanley, will study for her CiLex qualification, supported by the firm.
Roche Legal has welcomed solicitor Lynsey Bashforth.
February
Irwin Mitchell is launching a new environment, social and governance (ESG) advisory service for corporate and institutional clients leading with new products to audit cyber security and help clients with diversity and inclusion assessment, support and training.
Simpson Millar has promoted Gemma Bielby as a partner in the Leeds office.
Ison Harrison has promoted Claire Loftus, Abbie Churchill and Helen Donaghy to partner. Meanwhile, partner Daniel Kenworthy, has been promoted to assistant head of residential conveyancing across the whole firm..
Schofield Sweeney has promoted Annie Gray to partner in the employment team.
Clarion Solicitors’ private wealth team has welcomed associate solicitor Brindley Meredith and experienced paralegal Natalie Goldfinch.
Simpson Millar has made 14 senior promotions. There are seven senior associate promotions and a further seven associate promotions. The senior associate promotions are: Lidia Foster (education); Nicola Duff (education); Verity Altaras (education); Hannah Morris (care homes); Ian Clifton (clinical negligence); Kelly Withers (clinical negligence) and Matt McGuire (cost drafter – CC Law). The associate promotions are: Claire Macmaster (public law and human rights); Sean Harrison (public law and human rights); Lucy Atherton (education); Aimee Brackfield (inquests); Eleanor Walker (employer and public liability); Dawn Hodge (learning and development) and Maleehah Afzal (finance).
Berwins solicitors has promoted family lawyer Emma Lees to associate. She trained and qualified with the firm.
Berwins solicitors has promoted Parminder Matharu to head of commercial property. Meanwhile, Khal Shahjahan joins the unit as a senior associate.
Jones Myers Solicitors has appointed Brittany Dyer as a children law paralegal in the Harrogate office.
Schofield Sweeney has made a number of senior promotions. Pardeep Khela has been promoted to director in the commercial property team. Lucy Holroyd has been promoted to director in the corporate team. Annie Hui-Gillen has been promoted to director in the litigation team Neil Towse, HR director, is the firm’s first non-lawyer to be promoted to director. Tasneem Patel, has been promoted to associate in the commercial property team. Seema Gabbi has been promoted to associate in the residential property team.
Freeths has appointed Max Ballad as a director.
Switalskis Solicitors has promoted 25 employees to associate and senior associate positions. The new senior associates are Ewan Bain, Georgina Peckett, Laura Taylor, Leesa Hullah and Tamlin Bolton. The newly promoted associates are Achita Singh, Becky Whitfield, Bianca Gaspar, Briony Ely, Charlotte Bettney, Christine Griffiths, Daniel Turner, Heather Smith, Jenny Di Sora, Kate Gelder, Katrina Elsey, Kristi Bateman, Laura Cates, Linda Smith, Mel Kelly, Ryan Dhinsa, Sarah Wildey, Sharon Woodward, Stephanie Turner and Stephen Bradley-Watson.
Two members of Stowe Family Law LLP have taken on roles at regional law organisations. Senior associate Claire Chisnall has been appointed treasurer at YRes West & North Yorkshire, while solicitor Danielle Hutchison has become co-chair of the Leeds Junior Lawyers Division.
Ison Harrison has announced the promotion of Natalie White to finance director following 15 years’ service with the firm. Claire Guthrie has been promoted to the position of head of accounts and cashiers.
Irwin Mitchell has appointed Jeremy Ladyman as a partner in the financial services team.
Corporate lawyer Alison Starr has joined Hill Dickinson as a partner in the business services team based in Leeds.
David Lister has joined Ward Hadaway as a partner in the family and matrimonial team.
Sills & Betteridge has acquired Sheffield city centre practice Acclaimed Family Law. Acclaimed Family Law will continue to operate under their own name from Cathedral Chambers, Campo Lane.
Taylor & Emmet has appointed Charlotte Higgins as a corporate partner in Sheffield.
Taylor & Emmet has announced that it is moving to a new office in Sheffield based at 1 Ecclesall Road South in Banner Cross. The first members of staff are set to move to the new office in February 2023.
Irwin Mitchell has announced that Charlotte Pegg has joined the private client team in the Leeds office as an associate solicitor.
Wake Smith has launched a new will, trust and inheritance disputes team. Experienced litigator and contentious probate solicitor John Breeze will head up the team.
Wake Smith has appointed Tom Haywood as an associate solicitor in the company commercial team.
Wake Smith has announced that private client director Colleen Dooney has been appointed as a trustee of Age UK Sheffield.
Two legal directors have joined Clarion Solicitors’ real estate practice. Catherine Rhodes specialises in real estate finance and corporate support transactions. Lisa Stratford has been a specialist property litigator for over 12 years.
Solicitor Will Bates has joined LCF Law’s dispute resolution team.
Gordons has appointed two newly qualified solicitors after they completed their training with the firm. Alexandra Dixon has taken up a position within the property litigation service while Chloe Higgs has joined the firm’s employment law practice.
Ware & Kay Solicitors has appointed Liz Coe as a solicitor in the residential property team in Wetherby.
Ware & Kay has announced that trainee solicitor Lucy Riley has now qualified as a solicitor into the dispute resolution department.
Ware & Kay has announced the appointment of Jack Hedley as the new risk and compliance officer for the firm.
January
Julia Dacre Field has joined Gowling WLG to lead its residential development team in Leeds. Her arrival follows Mark Owen (of counsel), Kathryn Wood, James Lawson (legal directors), Patrick Jackson and Emma Speight (principal associates) and Liam Turner (senior associate) in joining Gowling WLG. Molly Hirst has also joined the team as associate.
Chadwick Lawrence has welcomed Kaye Willis as a partner.
Chadwick Lawrence has promoted Leeds-based Ruth Nippers (real estate) and Leanne Franks (corporate & commercial) to salaried partners as of January 2023.
Freeths has appointed Alison Ogley as partner in its planning and environment team.
Andrew Jackson Solicitors has announced that its tax partner, Fiona Phillips, has been appointed as a member of HM Revenue & Customs’ General Anti- Abuse Rule (GAAR) independent advisory panel.
Stowe Family Law LLP has made a number of promotions. Among those announced are Beth Sheridan (East Midlands) who has been promoted to managing partner. Shanika Varga-Haynes (Leeds), Rachel Fisher (South West & Wales) and Gemma Davison (Oxford & Banbury) have each been promoted to team leader partner while Liza Gatrell (Portsmouth, Southampton & Winchester) has become a partner.
Blacks Solicitors has appointed a partner to head up the new music law arm of the firm, Peter Bott.
Chadwick Lawrence has announced a number of promotions: Zoe Allen and Andrew Dickinson from the dispute litigation team in Leeds; Kirstin MacDonald from the real estate team in Morley; and Matt Perry from the acclaim team in Leeds, have all become associates as of January 2023.
Jones Myers Solicitors has appointed a senior family law specialist to head its Harrogate office. Neil Dring, senior solicitor and consultant, joins the firm’s financial remedies department.
Stowe Family Law LLP has announced a number of promotions. Promoted to senior associate are Sarah Peters (Southgate), Georgina Nelson (South West & Wales), Claire Chisnall (Ilkley & Leeds) and Hannah Ross (Leeds). Whilst Ciara Pugh (London, Bromley & Richmond), Florence Ashcroft-Lane (Nottingham), Luanne Morton (Nottingham), Jennifer Hudec (Manchester, Preston & Stockport), Sarah McLoughlin (Nottingham & Birmingham), Nikki Beasley (Esher, Guildford & Brighton), Katy Jordan (South West & Wales), Harriet Donovan (Esher, Reigate & Brighton), Jennifer Gray (London, Bromley & Richmond), Lucy Chandler (South West & Wales) and Hannah Stubbs (Birmingham, Nottingham & Leamington Spa) have all been promoted to the position of associate.
Clarion Solicitors has been joined by Ashton Craven-Lockwood and Wai Ling Wan in the intellectual property team.
LCF Residential, the conveyancing arm of Yorkshire law firm LCF Law, has welcomed experienced conveyancing solicitor, Liz Webster, back to its team.
