People on the move: Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall; KBL; Ruth Jackson Planning; RICS; CookKit & more

LANCASHIRE-based law firm Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall Solicitors has its sights on growth after promoting one of its lawyers.
 
Holly Gethin, who is a private client solicitor, has been promoted to head up WHN’s wills, trusts and probate service at its Bury office.
 
The 30-year-old joined WHN in 2010 and trained in the firm’s specialist asset protection team before qualifying as a solicitor in 2012.

For the past four years Gethin has played a key role in delivering an expert legal service to local families and individuals, advising on all aspects of wills, trusts and probate to enable people to protect their assets.
 
The new role will see Holly drive WHN’s private client division in Bury, which already handles lasting powers of attorney, applications to the Court of Protection, family and child law matters and residential conveyancing.

Michael Shroot, partner at WHN and in charge of the Bury office, said: “WHN has seen a spike in demand for its private client services over the past few years, particularly wills and trusts.

“This area of law is very complicated and many people are now recognising plans for the future need to be legally watertight and carefully thought out by specialist solicitors and not thrown together by DIY wills or online portals.
 
“Holly is a gifted member of our team and her promotion is well deserved. She provides a beacon of expertise in a complicated area of legal practice and has a bright future ahead.”
 
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BOLTON-based KBL Solicitors has bolstered its private client team with the appointment of Maria Lonergan as of head department.

Lonergan who has specialised in wills, trusts, tax, estate planning, probate and estate administration for the past nine years joins the firm from Brearleys Solicitors.

She is an affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, a student member of the Association of Contentious Trust & Probate Specialists and an accredited member of Solicitors for the Elderly.  

Partner Chris Taylor said: “We’re delighted to welcome Maria to the firm. She has developed considerable expertise in the private client arena and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team which will certainly be an asset to the firm and its clients.”

KBL opened an office in Blackburn in April.

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RUTH Jackson Planning in Manchester has appointed Deborah Baker Barnett to its team.

Baker Barnett has more than seven years’ experience in planning, in both the public and private sectors.
 
She joins from Indigo Planning where she helped bring forward a number of new-build housing schemes in Cheshire East, advised on the residential redevelopment of a derelict listed theatre in Salford, and a 10,000sqm retail proposal on a vacant employment site.

Before joining Indigo Planning, Baker Barnett worked at Cheshire East Council.

RJP was established in 2011 by town planner and chair of the ProManchester Transport and Infrastructure Sector Group Ruth Jackson following six years with international consultancy Arup.  

Deborah’s appointment takes Ruth’s team to three fee earners servicing an impressive list of clients that includes Network Rail, Salford City College, and Manchester Crematorium.  
Ruth Jackson, director of RJP, said, “This year’s fantastic growth is testament to our clients’ faith in the economic potential of the North of England.  

“With a number of high profile projects in the north, Deborah will be a great addition to our team.  She brings a wealth of experience in housing, regeneration and heritage, and I look forward to working with and learning from her.”

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ROB Higginson, a commercial leader at Laing O’Rourke has been appointed chair of the RICS Greater Manchester QS (Quantity Surveying) & Construction Professional Group, whilst Adrienne Yarwood, managing surveyor at DSG Quantity Surveyors has taken up the role of vice chair.

The RICS Greater Manchester QS & Construction Professional Group exists to provide a support network for local construction professionals to increase their knowledge and skill set, whilst making invaluable contacts.

Every year, the group hosts RICS’ largest event in the world – the RICS Greater Manchester QS & Construction Dinner – which attracts upwards of 900 guests for an evening of dining, entertainment and a celebrity after-dinner speaker.

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BURNLEY-based refrigerated vehicle manufacturer CoolKit is continuing its expansion with the appointment of Loredana Emmerson as marketing manager and the promotion of Mark Beaton to sales manager.

Established in 2005, CoolKit is a provider of refrigerated vans, fridge van conversions and van insulating kits to a wide sprectum of industires including food and drink, pharmaceuticals, agricultural and science industries.

Employing more than 70 people on a site of 2.5 acres, CoolKit produces more than 1,500 insulating kits annually.

The company has expanded its staff and facilities extensively in the last twelve months following an average 40% year-on-year growth over the last six years.

With many new large contracts underway, the workforce has already grown by more than 50% in the last twelve months to more than 70 employees.

Emmerson joins with her more than eight years’ experience in marketing roles for companies including Hillendale Landrover, Biodome International and Kirk Environmental.

She said: “I’m very excited to be joining CoolKit, which is such a dynamic company and a real East Lancashire success story.  We are looking to build upon our recent expansion and enter new market sectors and territories, so the marketing department is going to be very, very busy.”

Beaton has been with CoolKit since 2013 and has now been promoted to sales manager.  He said: “Sales for CoolKit have never been better and are set to expand further.  We have built a reputation for our vehicle conversions’ quality, for features including thermal integrity, light weight, durability, versatility and strength.”

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LAMBERT Smith Hampton has boosted its Liverpool agency team with the appointment of Adam Taylor as a senior surveyor.

Taylor joins from Keppie Massie having previously worked for DTZ in Manchester. 
He works with clients such as Bruntwood, St Modwen, Hurstwood and Grosvenor and has joined the team to advise on the disposal of industrial and office space in the Merseyside and North West region.

Robert Diggle agency director at LSH’s Liverpool office said: “There is a clear increase in demand for office and industrial space in and around Liverpool. As such, Adam is a key addition to our Liverpool office’s busy agency team as we continue to expand our client and instruction base in the Liverpool and North West market.”

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INTERNATIONAL law firm DAC Beachcroft has appointed residential development expert Leanne Murray in its Manchester office.

Murray joins as a legal director from Brabners in Liverpool where she previously headed the specialist residential development team.

Having begun her legal career with Welsh firm Hugh James, Murraye later took up a position as in-house legal director for a residential developer and contractor in South Wales and has built a track record of advising national developers on site acquisitions, disposals and strategic land matters.

With dual knowledge of both Welsh and English planning law systems, Leanne’s new role at DAC Beachcroft will see her advise the firm’s national developer clients in the northwest as well as a number of contacts in South Wales.

Nick Beko, who heads the residential development team at DAC Beachcroft’s Manchester office, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Leanne to the team.  To be able to attract a specialist of her calibre and experience is testament to the high regard in which our Manchester residential development practice is held.”