Legal news: Napthens acquisition; gunnercooke launches new firm; Berg & more
LANCASHIRE firm Napthens Solicitors has acquired a firm in Southport.
It has snapped-up Richard Jacklin & Co and offers trust and estate planning services, Wills, inheritance tax, powers of attorney advice, along with property matters including conveyancing.
Founder Richard Jacklin, lawyers Helen Kenyon and Jane Riley and support team member Amanda You, will join Napthens, while the office on Hoghton Street has been rebranded.
The move is planned as a springboard for Napthens in West Lancashire and Sefton. Simon Ainsworth, head of Napthens’ private client division, will lead the growth of the business in key markets in the region.
John Whittingslow, Napthens CEO, said: “Southport is an area where we already have a strong footing. We have a number of clients – individuals and businesses – based in the locality and having an office in the town will mean we are well placed for growing this business.
“For some time we have been looking to expand our presence in the North West, which now reaches from Preston, the Fylde and East Lancashire up to Kendal and Penrith.
“Richard Jacklin & Co is a great fit for us and I’m sure they will become a key part of the expanded firm very quickly.”
Richard Jacklin added: “Since I founded the business more than 20 years ago we have become a trusted part of many clients’ lives, and I’m delighted that by joining Napthens we will be able to build on this legacy. Napthens shares our own values, in particular integrity and hard work and I’m looking forward to being part of their practice.”
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GUNNERCOOKE, has launched a new firm called gunnerbloom aimed at harnessing the skills of rising legal talent.
The firm to be run by young entrepreneurial lawyers, will not only do transactional work, but help the businesses they work with grow and succeed.
Darryl Cooke, founder of gunnercooke said: “gunnerbloom was created to meet the needs of today’s ever-changing social and legal landscape, creating lawyers who are not only legally trained, but who are fully-rounded businesspeople, shaping the future of modern legal services.”
The firm’s first office is in the Rise Escalator in Manchester, and lawyers will be mentored by senior people from gunnercooke.
Unlike other firms, gunnerbloom lawyers will not specialise for the first three years of their training, to ensure that they develop wider commercial expertise. They will spend time every year operating on secondment within a business, developing vital commercial skills, and in their third year will be encouraged to set up their own businesses.
Anna Beaumont, CEO of gunnercooke, said: “We have always felt that junior lawyers would become better rounded advisers if their training focused more on the development of commercial and business skills. We’ve very excited about the prospect of building this model in gunnerbloom; creating the next generation of lawyers through tailored training and education, whilst helping them to understand the implications of their advice in a commercial context. With these skills, they will be able to work alongside growing businesses in Manchester, understanding the challenges they face and providing tailored, affordable service to nurture their growth.”
gunnerbloom’s first lawyers will be Ryan Brown and Sarah Bennett.
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ALISON Lovdeay, managing partner at commercial firm Berg, has become its chief executive.
Loveday, who has led the firm’s expertise and profile in challenging banking misconduct, has been with the firm for more than 25 years, becoming managing partner in 2007.
The firm has also appointed former banker Philip Pinder as a consultant. Pinder has more than 40 years’ experience in the sector, having previously held senior roles with both HSBC and The Co-operative Bank.
Newly-appointed managing director Richard Clark said: “We have strong plans for organic growth in the coming months and this includes key new hires and changes.
“Alison is an absolute ambassador for the firm, committed to developing our position as a leading professional services firm and, as such, this is an incredibly important move for us. We are delighted also to welcome Philip to the firm and know his expertise will be invaluable as we look to grow the business even further.”
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HARRISON Drury has bolstered its employment law offering with the appointment of its first human resource adviser.
Helen Darbyshire joins the firm, which has offices in locations including Preston, Lancaster, Kendal, with over 15 years’ experience in HR.
Darbyshire has worked for a number of bluechip firms including Aegon and QEK Global Solutions (UK) Ltd, and most recently Babcock where she worked as a HR officer for three years.
Roger Spence, director at Harrison Drury, said: “We know from our experience of dealing with local businesses that there is a real desire to have practical, pro-active HR support. With many employment disputes ending up in the courts we’ve identified that early intervention and advice on process management can have a really beneficial impact.
“Harrison Drury has broadened its service to go beyond addressing the legal issues, helping provide managers with the tools they need to improve their people management skills across the board.”
Helen, who also obtained a degree in Management with Law from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in 1996, is also a Chartered Member of the CIPD.
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TROWERS & Hamlins advised long-standing client Apache Capital Partners, the London and Gulf-based real estate investment management firm, on the formation of a strategic joint venture (JV) with property developer Moda Living.
The JV will plan, develop, deliver and operate a major private rented sector (PRS) portfolio across prime sites in UK regional cities. The seed asset for the JV is Angel Gardens, a 34-storey development scheme in central Manchester, which was acquired by the Apache and Moda Living JV in December 2015 from The Co-operative Group and its partner, Hermes.
Trowers & Hamlins team comprised corporate partner Nick Harrisingh, client partner Bill Jefferies, real estate partner Julian Keith and real estate associate Chris Hourihan, projects and construction partner Peter Kitson, and tax senior associate Michael Surry. The firm’s Manchester-based banking and finance team advised on the debt finance.
