People on the Move: Gateley Legal; Halewood Wines and Spirits; Deloitte Real Estate; Marks & Clerk; Access

Stephen Leung and Crystal Or

Gateley Legal has established its Exhibitions Property team in Manchester with the addition of two new solicitors, Crystal Or and Stephen Leung.

The team, headed-up by partner Doug Fordham and legal director Louise Ilhan, works to attract overseas private investors looking to buy new-build residential properties across the North West.

Crystal began her career at Moon Beever before moving onto JMW Solicitors, where she specialised in property exhibitions. Born in Hong Kong and later studying in the UK for her legal qualifications, Crystal speaks Cantonese and has established strong investor relationships across the Far East, Middle East and Asia.

Crystal said: “It’s an exciting time for Manchester with lots of developments in the pipeline.

“The city is at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse and a base for many international organisations. Mix that with key ingredients such as world-class universities, global football brands and connected transportation links, and it’s clear to see why the region is attracting lots of international investment.

“I’m excited to join Gateley Legal as it stands out from the crowd when it comes to acting for international investors.

“We handle the entire transaction process for the buyer, whether it’s a first investment or adding to a growing portfolio.

“We are also on the panel for all major Chinese and Hong Kong banks, in addition to several Sharia mortgage providers in the Middle East.”

Stephen Leung previously worked for Gorvins Solicitors and was also born in Hong Kong before moving to the UK to study at Durham University. He speaks Cantonese and Mandarin.

Stephen said: “We provide comprehensive legal advice to clients and travel thousands of miles to meet people face-to-face. What sets us apart from other legal professionals is the fact that we are fully immersed in different cultures, so we better understand the needs of individual and corporate investors.

“Doug and his team have been advising clients for over 25 years in this sector and I’m looking forward to working with them as we expand and roll out their very successful model across the North West.”

Legal director Louise Ilhan said: “Crystal and Stephen have made an immediate impact since joining the business by securing Gateley Legal’s place on a number of legal panels. They are both formidable experts in this field and will go above and beyond to ensure our clients receive the best service.”

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A soon-to-be graduate has taken the food and drink industry experience gained during his degree at the University of Chester Business School, to secure an exciting, newly-created role with a Liverpool-based drinks manufacturer.

Ben Summers, 22, has secured a position as an online retail graduate at Halewood Wines and Spirits after completing his studies for a Business Management (Entrepreneurship) degree in June.

In Ben’s new role he will be working with the company’s well-known brands, such as Whitley Neill Gin, JJ Whitley, Crabbie whisky, Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum and more.

Ben Summers

He will be utilising online retail websites, such as Amazon, and creating and placing content on their pages in order to increase revenue and boost sales, as well as improving brand reputation.

Ben’s course includes a year in industry placement, which in his case was at Lidl, and he credits both in helping to prepare him for his career.

He said: “Lidl, in my opinion, is the reason I was able to secure this job and secure interviews for other roles with different companies. Having that placement year, with such a reputable company, was my main talking point. I rotated across many positions with Lidl and so I had plenty to discuss in terms of different types of skills when I was in interviews.”

Dr Connie Hancock, associate Professor and head of the Department of Business and Finance, Chester Business School, said: “Ben was an outstanding entrepreneurship student, who formed his own business in his second year of study and went on to undertake a year’s internship as part of his degree programme.”

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Deloitte Real Estate’s Manchester office has continued to strengthen its planning and development team through the promotion of Niall Alcock and Eve Grant to director in recognition of their leading role advising clients on large, complex regeneration schemes across the UK.

After joining the firm as a graduate, Eve Grant has recently advised on the Airport City North Masterplan, and has secured planning permission for The Hut Group’s new 950,000 sq ft global HQ, which is set to be one of the UK’s largest bespoke office developments outside of London.

Eve also secured planning permission for the new 491-bed student accommodation at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Birley Fields campus, and has advised on Urban+Civic’s Manchester New Square development as well as Argent’s Paradise development in Birmingham city centre.

Eve Grant and Niall Alcock

Niall Alcock originally began his career with Deloitte Real Estate in Glasgow before joining Deloitte Real Estate’s Manchester office as a senior planner in 2015.

Since this time Niall’s work has included advising Bruntwood and the Vita Group on Circle Square, one of Manchester’s largest and most high-profile development projects.

Niall also leads on long-running regeneration projects at Greengate in Salford and First Street in Manchester city centre, and advises Leicester City Football Club on development of their new world-class training facilities, which when complete will be one of the largest and most advanced in Europe.

John Cooper, head of regions planning at Deloitte Real Estate, said: “Both Eve and Niall have developed fantastic reputations within our client base and the wider market for delivering complex and significant schemes across Greater Manchester and further afield.

“We’re proud to announce these promotions, and look forward to Eve and Niall moving into leadership roles and building on our reputation as a market-leading planning team that helps its clients achieve their ambitions.”

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Marks & Clerk, the patent and trade mark attorney firm, has boosted its team in Manchester with the promotion of James Stott to
partner.

James brings a wide-ranging background in electrical engineering to the Marks & Clerk partnership – with expertise in nanotechnology and micro-electronic devices.

James Stott

Steven Pediani, chartered (UK) and European patent attorney specialising in the software and artificial intelligence has also been promoted to senior associate.

The firm, based on Manchester’s New York Street, has further enhanced its presence in the city with the recruitment of a new cohort of five intellectual property trainees covering patents and trade marks.

The firm’s trade mark practice has also been strengthened through the recent hire of Graeme Murray, a trade mark attorney with substantial experience in the entertainment and the creative industries.

Graeme’s recruitment further bolsters the team – which counts some of the UK’s largest businesses among its clients – as it continues to grow its presence in the North West.

Steven Pediani

Dr David Robinson, managing partner at Marks & Clerk Manchester said: “Manchester and the wider North West is a hot-bed for innovation and is leading the world in technologies as diverse as graphene, software and engineering.

“Intellectual property is key to protecting this innovation, and to capturing the value inherent in a company. Good IP can open the door to investment and expansion and ensure that innovation is rewarded.

“Our growing team is a reflection of our commitment to helping businesses across Manchester and beyond deliver the technologies that will define the economy in the 21st century.

“It is especially pleasing to be able to bring in a new cohort of trainees and invest in the future of our business, and the talent that will help it thrive.”

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Creative agency Access has strengthened its team with four new hires following a string of new business wins and being awarded new projects from existing clients.

The integrated marketing communications and digital development agency based in Old Trafford, Manchester, has appointed four talented individuals to join its experienced team of specialists across digital, account management and creative.

Matthew Carr, 25, and from Didsbury, has been appointed as account manager. He previously held positions at Clear Marketing, CTi digital and Shaping Business.

Working on the Stagecoach Bus and The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company accounts, he will manage and develop these key client accounts alongside the senior team.

Bethany Holdsworth, 24, joins Access from digital agency Toyfight as a project manager. Bethany will be managing projects from concept to completion, tracking, reviewing and measuring results.

From left: Bethany Holdsworth, Adam Martin, April Powell, Matthew Carr

Access has also created two new junior roles, bolstering its creative and digital teams.

Junior developer Adam Martin, who lives in Manchester, previously worked at Cube3, while junior graphic designer April Powell, who was formerly at Driven, will be creating a range of digital and print concepts for clients including Greater Manchester Moving and Stagecoach Bus.

April has had Access on her radar since her studies at university and said: “I first heard about the agency when I was in university with many people recommending them as a great company to work for and so I’m delighted to be on board.”

Servicing a vast range of B2B and B2C clients, from global corporations and SMEs, to charities and the public sector, Access’s impressive client list includes WaterAid, National Grid, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Stagecoach Bus, BAFTA, Sentinel and Greater Manchester Moving.

These latest hires take staff numbers to 29.

Managing Director Simon Landi said: “As a business we have enjoyed strong year on year growth – with a highly successful last 12 months, securing new projects and five new client accounts. Our new team members and their skills sets will further strengthen our capabilities.

“We are proud to offer new recruits the highest levels of development opportunities to nurture talent and raise the creative bar both now and in the future.”

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