People on the Move: McAlister Family Law; University of Liverpool Mathematics School; Napthens; Fourth Day PR; Peach Law

From left: Laura Phillips, Nina Rawlings, Jessica Horsman, Natalie Kralski

McAlister Family Law, which has offices in Manchester city centre and throughout Cheshire, has added to its specialist children law teams with four new recruits.

Joining the firm are Jessica Horsman, Laura Phillips, Nina Rawlings and Natalie Kralski.

Jessica Horsman, solicitor, who joins the children law team from Bromleys Solicitors, specialises in children law, including child protection matters, and is particularly experienced in representing the interests of parents and grandparents in proceedings.

She is an accredited Children Panel member and an accredited police station representative and regularly carries out her own advocacy in court.

She said: “My new role at McAlister Family Law is both exciting and challenging, and I am thrilled to be working with lawyers who are some of the most experienced and respected in their fields of expertise.”

Laura Phillips, assistant solicitor, joins from Stephensons Solicitors. She will be covering matters such as care proceedings, adoption, and residence and contact disputes.

Nina Rawlings, paralegal, joins the children law team headed by Donna Roberts, a team which specialises in adoption, carrying out work on behalf of the children’s guardian, parents and local authority.

Natalie Kralski, also paralegal, joins the specialist guardian team headed by panel solicitor and partner Nick Hodson. The team represents and fights for the rights of some of the country’s most vulnerable children.

Amanda McAlister, managing director, said: “As a family law firm we are passionately committed to the welfare of children and delivering the highest levels of service to those who need us, and we are careful to recruit only those whose beliefs echo this commitment. We are, therefore, delighted to welcome these four new recruits to the business.”

McAlister Family Law is part of Beyond Professional Services Group. Led by Matt Fleetwood its business model is focused on investing in strong management teams to operate niche and focused businesses.

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The University of Liverpool Mathematics School, due to open in September 2020, has appointed Damian Haigh as its founding headteacher.

Damian is from South Yorkshire and studied at Cambridge University before returning to Sheffield to take a PGCE at Sheffield Hallam University.

For the past 11 years he has been a school leader in Wilmslow High School.

In 2008 he became director of learning and assessment, and more recently became director of research & development while also working as an evidence lead in education for the Aspirer Research School.

He has taught further mathematics and STEP mathematics for more than 20 years and is particularly interested in helping teachers make use of research findings about memory, cognition and effective teaching.

The University of Liverpool Mathematics School will take in 80 A-Level pupils per year to study Maths, further maths, computer science and physics.

Damian Haigh

In addition to offering a challenging and innovative A Level curriculum, the school will work with schools, colleges and education partners to raise attainment and interest in mathematics for pupils of all ages and abilities across the whole Liverpool City Region. It also seeks to address the gender imbalance that currently exists in the study of further maths.

Damian said: To be given the opportunity to play a key role in developing such a special school is beyond anything I’ve ever dreamt of. To do so in a city as vibrant and welcoming as Liverpool makes it even better.

“My ambition is to create an exceptional school which delivers a great education to students with a vocation in mathematics whilst also taking seriously its responsibility to help all students studying mathematics across the region.”

Prof Gavin Brown, chair of the University of Liverpool Mathematics School board of trustees, said: “In his application and at interview Damian offered an inspiring vision of how our city region’s mathematics education can become the best in the country and prepare our young people for inspirational future study and fulfilling careers.”

The new School will be located in the Alastair Pilkington Building on the university campus, where it will benefit from the close proximity and association with the University’s Department of Mathematical Sciences, before moving to a permanent home close to campus.

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Solicitor Stewart Croft has joined the litigation & dispute resolution team at regional law firm Napthens.

Stewart joins Napthens’ East Lancashire office in Blackburn from Acklam Bond Solicitors where he spent more than four years advising on civil and commercial litigation.

Stewart Croft

Stewart, of Darwen, acts for business clients facing a legal dispute and helps clients achieve commercial solutions through a negotiated settlement or alternatively through court proceedings.

He specialises in advising on topics including breach of commercial contracts, landlord and tenant law, professional negligence and partnership disputes. He is also a member of the Law Society junior lawyers division.

David Bailey, partner and head of litigation & dispute resolution at Napthens, said: “Stewart’s experience means he will be a great asset to the team and play a major role in supporting Napthens’ clients through sensitive and complex disputes.”

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Fourth Day PR, which has offices in Manchester, London, Paris, Berlin, Casablanca and Sydney, has appointed Lee Simpson to its UK content team.

The firm specialises in technology, but also works with clients in the industrial, arts and not for profit sectors.

Lee will be working in both Fourth Day’s Manchester and London offices, focusing on content strategy and execution.

He comes to Fourth Day from marketing technology company ResponseTap, where he was responsible for overseeing the planning, production and distribution of content.

Lee Simpson

His prior career also saw him work around the world as a journalist and TV script writer. A trained actor, Lee is also an experienced television presenter and producer, having worked for China Central Television in Beijing.

Fourth Day’s head of content, Paul Maher, said: “Bringing Lee in really strengthens our content offering across our UK offices. His breadth of experience and wealth of knowledge is a real asset for us and will be a highly valuable resource for our clients to tap into. It’s great to have him on board.”

Lee said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the Fourth Day team. Having been a client of the agency in the past, I know how dedicated they are to achieving results and doing so in a creative way.

“And the prospect of working with the network of offices around the world is really exciting, too.”

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Employment law and HR specialists Peach Law is pleased to announced further growth with the addition of experienced employment lawyer Paul Harris-Stelfox.

Paul Harris-Stelfo

Paul has worked in private practice in Manchester for many years and more recently worked in-house at Zurich Financial Services.

Managing director, Lindsey Bell, saiD: “Paul is a great addition who will work closely with the HR and employment teams to ensure clients continue to receive strong commercial advice.”

Paul said: “I’m looking forward to working in a mission-driven organisation with a clear purpose and a strong set of values.”

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