People on the move: McAlister Family Law; Palatine Private Equity; Freeths; Unity Theatre; Manchester International Festival

Manchester-based McAlister Family Law owner Amanda McAlister has bolstered her team with the appointment of Liz Cowell and Fiona Wood as partners.

McAlister says the recruitment of two high-profile Manchester solicitors is a real coup for the practice.

Cowell and Wood were both previously partners at Pannone, prior to Slater & Gordon acquiring the firm, and have each carved out hugely successful careers in family law.

Cowell practices in all aspects of family law with experience of cases involving inheritance issues, pre and post nuptial settlements and cohabitation agreements.

She sits as a deputy district judge, practices as a family law arbitrator and is a member of the Law Society Family Law Panel.

Sheis also a member of the Institute of International Family Lawyers, which allows her to assist her clients who are resident abroad.

Wood specialises in divorce cases where there are substantial and complex assets involved, often acting for business owners.

She is accomplished at protecting assets, reducing the impact of the divorce on a business. She is recognised and commended by The Legal 500 for her “pragmatic advice, robust responses…and good overall case management” and she “exudes confidence and calmness” providing “expert guidance”.
McAlister said: “It is great to be working with Liz and Fiona. Both are
dedicated to the provision of family law and I am delighted that they have decided to join McAlister Family Law.

“We are a full service family law firm and it is my mission to build and develop McAlister Family Law over the course of the next 12 months, ensuring we provide expert advice, a valued service to clients and ultimately exceed their expectations.

“With Liz and Fiona as partners, their support will be invaluable as we position McAlister Family Law as the ‘go to’ firm for family law nationally.”

Cowell said: “I am thrilled to be part of McAlister Family Law and am very much looking forward to the future of the firm, shaping the provision of family law in the UK.”

Wood said: “Joining McAlister Family Law from Slater & Gordon was an opportunity too good to miss. We are committed to creating a bespoke, full service firm that provides the very best family law advice with a personal touch.”

McAlister Family Law is part of Beyond Professional Services Group, a business with legal services at its core with a genuinely different approach.

Fundamentally honest with core values such as loyalty, transparency, dynamism and inclusion, the Group aims to go above and beyond what is usually expected from a law firm to offer straight-forward, transparent and customer-focussed practical advice with style and personality, using the very best technology to drive efficiency all the time.

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Palatine Private Equity, based in Manchester is continuing to invest in its UK team with the promotion of James Painter to investment manager and the appointment of Mathew Thompson as financial controller.

Painter joined the firm in February 2016 as Investment Executive from KPMG’s corporate finance team.

He has been involved in a number of transactions at Palatine including the buyout of holiday park operator Verdant Leisure, the £21m investment in housebuilder Westleigh and the firm’s investment in TTC Group, a provider of road user and cycling education courses.

More recently, Painter was involved in Palatine’s investment in ZyroFisher, the leading distributor of cycling parts and accessories in the UK and Ireland.

Thompson joins from PwC where he has worked within financial services assurance for the past eight years. He qualified as a chartered accountant in 2012 and will be responsible for the accounting and administration of the funds along with the LLP and associated entities.

Founded in 2005, Palatine is a partner led private equity firm that typically invests between £10m and £30m in growing entrepreneurial businesses. The firm now employs 32 staff across offices in Manchester, London and Birmingham.

Ed Fazakerley, partner at Palatine Private Equity, said: “The Palatine business continues to go from strength to strength and we are continually investing in our team as a result. James has been with us for two years and has added tremendous value to some of the strongest performing companies in our portfolio.”

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The Manchester office of law firm Freeths has appointed a new director.

Jill Carey joins the firm’s Litigation department where she will specialise in Property Litigation and Dispute Management. She brings with her a wealth of experience across the entire sector, having worked most recently for the last 10 years in London at Taylor Wessing.

Carey advises on the full range of commercial and residential real estate dispute matters. In addition to conducting litigation, she works to give smart property advice to clients to try and identify and avoid potential disputes.

She also writes regular articles for industry publications and has spoken at numerous seminars.

John May, managing partner of Freeths’ Manchester office, said: “Jill is a great asset to our Northern litigation offering and I am sure she will assist with the team’s growth, both in reputation and client base, over the coming months.”

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Liverpool’s Unity Theatre has announced the appointment of two new trustees to help oversee the next phase of its development.

Ruth Cobban, a senior consultant at the communications agency Influential and Yvonne Bottomley, deputy chief executive and finance director at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre have joined the board of what is one of the UK’s most prolific champions of bold, innovative theatre.

The Hope Street-based venue has a history dating back to the 1930s and has long been at the forefront of presenting boundary-breaking works to new audiences. Now, in addition to its regular programme of contemporary work, it is also home to several of the region’s radical arts festivals, including Homotopia, DaDa Fest and PhysicalFest.

Chris Bliss, chair of Unity Theatre said: “With their impressive media and financial expertise, both Yvonne and Ruth bring with them a wealth of skills that will help us achieve this. We’re delighted to welcome them as part of the team.”

Cobban, who joined Influential from a career in journalism, heads up a number of communications campaigns for large corporates and SMEs.

She said: “Talent needs a space to innovate and Unity is a platform that enables a truly diverse range of voices to be heard. It’s a theatre that plays an important role in the ecosystem of British culture and I’m delighted to become part of the team. I’m looking forward to helping drive engagement and promoting this great venue to new and existing audiences.”

Bottomley has extensive experience leading on major capital projects involving multiple stakeholders and has led or contributed to a number of significant capital projects in the North West including leisure and health hubs and currently Liverpool’s new Cancer Hospital. She also has significant experience and expertise in business development.

She said: “I have a lifelong love of the arts and theatre. I’m particularly pleased to join Unity, a theatre with a rich heritage and reputation for championing exciting new work.”

Unity has itself just appointed a new artistic director and chief executive Gordon Millar, who is set to join from the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe this February.

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Manchester International Festival has appointed chief operating officer Alex Byars to lead on business planning and operation of The Factory.

Byars’ previous experience includes leadership roles at football clubs Manchester City, Everton FC and the Rugby Football League.

He will lead on MIF business development and operation of flagship new cultural venue The Factory. Delivered in partnership with Manchester City Council, The Factory will be run year-round by MIF.

He takes up the COO role at the end of February.

This new role is a key part of the expanded executive team, which will be steering the organisation through a period of unprecedented growth as The Factory takes shape.

John McGrath, artistic director and chief executive, Manchester International Festival and The Factory: “Alex will be concentrating on business planning for The Factory, and getting us ready for the year-round challenge of running this extraordinary new space. His wide-ranging experience in the world of sport and finance will be a fantastic addition to the company’s skills.”

Byars said: “As a biennial festival, MIF has quickly established itself as a key live event in the international cultural calendar.”

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Alex’s appointment comes at a key moment in the development of The Factory – which will be far more than just another arts venue.

“With an economic impact that will be considerable – creating or supporting 1,500 full-time jobs and adding £1.1bn to the city’s economy over a decade – The Factory will both entertain and train people of all ages, and will provide a world-class space for people to meet, exchange ideas and learn new skills.”