People on the move: Hillyer McKeown;Vardags; Exchange Chambers; PlaceFirst; EY; PI Castings
NORTH-West law firm Hillyer McKeown has appointed sports lawyer Dominic McGinn to work in its Liverpool offices.
McGinn specialises in sports law and all aspects of commercial dispute resolution and has been recommended by the Legal 500 clients guide.
The appointment builds on Hillyer McKeown’s existing work in the sports field, which has included image rights, contracts, sponsorship agreements and HR issues.
The firm regularly acts for football, rugby, basketball clubs and a number of sports bodies.
In the past, McGinn has represented fitness instructor Sarah Watson against Manchester United footballer Marcos Rojo, which led to an injunction banning his identity being lifted.
Paul Marsh, partner and head of the litigation group at Hillyer McKeown, said: “Dominic brings with him a wealth of experience providing clients in the sporting and wider business world with outstanding dispute resolution services.
“He led the sports law team at his previous firm and will play an important role in helping Hillyer McKeown grow both our sports law and commercial litigation teams.”
Hillyer McKeown has offices in Chester, Liverpool, Wirral and North Wales.
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FAMILY law firm Vardags has promoted three members of staff at its Manchester office on King Street as a result of extensive growth in its client base.
Naomi Rainey has been promoted to senior associate, with Annemarie Bradley taking up the role of solicitor and Bethany Davies as trainee solicitor.
Nikki Hale has been appointed as paralegal.
The new appointments have taken staff numbers at the Ship Canal House office from zero to six in just three months, with plans to expand recruitment in the area.
Emma Gill, newly-appointed director at Vardags, said: “Vardags is experiencing incredible growth as we continue to push the boundaries and provide a cutting edge legal service to clients in Manchester and across the North-West, Cumbria and Wales.
“This is testament to our brilliant Manchester team who work tirelessly to deliver life-changing results for our clients and I am excited see the inevitable further growth in the coming months.”
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EXCHANGE Chambers has appointed three London barristers to expand its northern set at its Manchester offices on Deansgate.
Robert O’Sullivan has joined as a door tenant, whilst criminal and regulatory law specialists Stella Hayden and Ray Smith have joined as full members.
Tom Handley, director of chambers at Exchange Chambers, said: “Robert O’Sullivan QC is an outstanding barrister who regularly appears in the very biggest cases, while Stella and Ray are highly regarded criminal and regulatory specialists.”
Smith said: “Exchange Chambers is a dynamic set. I am looking forward to developing and diversifying my practice in the areas of criminal, regulatory and public law.”
Exchange Chambers, with offices Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, now has 169 members, including 16 silks. It plans to have over 200 members within the next three years.
The organisation has secured its highest ever rankings in the newly released Legal 500, where it is described as a “regional powerhouse” and praised for its “great depth of experience and expertise at all levels.
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PLACEFIRST, a build-to-rent property developer based in Manchester, has announced a number of recent recruitments as part of its commitment to deliver 1000 family homes across the North of England by 2020.
Following a £25m funding deal with ESO Capital earlier in May, the company has made 12 appointments covering construction, development, finance, lettings and administration.
PlaceFirst has established in-house construction capability through a new division of the company, PlaceFirst Construction. The company will assume responsibility for delivery off all PlaceFirst developments and has been strengthened through the appointments of Alan Murt (quantity surveyor), Michael Fallon (contracts manager), Richard Jones (site manager), John Adamson (site manager), Pablo Tejeda (buyer), Brett Dixon (maintenance manager) and Abdul Rahim (site pperative).
David Lynch (project manager) joins PlaceFirst from Gerald Eve and will work closely with senior management on development pipeline and ensure diligent delivery of PlaceFirst projects.
The finance team has been expanded through the appointments of Richard Godsland (financial controller – construction) and Dianne Westcott (accounts assistant).
PlaceFirst’s in-house property & lettings team welcomes Chris Barnicle (property and lettings coordinator) as part of the company’s commitment to a professional, direct landlord service for its customers.
Sarah Sharp (office manager) has joined the company from HOW Planning and will provide support to the senior management team and assume overall responsibility for the smooth running of the Manchester office.
David Smith-Milne, managing director, said: “This is a really exciting period in the company’s growth. PlaceFirst is rapidly becoming a much larger business with some really great ideas that will help to establish us as one of the country’s highest quality private landlords aimed exclusively at families.”
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EY has appointed a new head of valuations and business modelling at its Manchester office.
Hilary Heap joins EY from KPMG where she spent 18 years working in the corporate finance team.
Heap will be responsible for commercial and intellectual property valuations, including those required under the new UK GAAP regulations, as well as for corporate transactions, reorganisations, joint ventures and shareholder disputes.
She has wide-reaching experience across a range of sectors, including technology, chemicals and life sciences.
Simon Allport, senior partner for the North West at EY, said: “Hilary has exceptional experience of valuations for companies across the UK – from emerging technology app developers to established aerospace conglomerates. I am pleased that she has joined the team here at EY to head up our valuations and business modelling team.”
Heap added: “I am thrilled to take on this role at EY. At a time of uncertainty and change, being able to assess new market opportunities, as well as understand where a company’s value truly lies is something that all businesses can benefit from. I look forward to developing the team here in Manchester and working with clients across the North.”
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PI Castings and its sister company Turbotech Precision Products – both based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester – have appointed Neil Shaw as their new managing director.
He brings a wealth of leadership and manufacturing expertise, in order to continue the PI Castings’ tradition of supplying high quality, precision investment castings and machined components; thus securing the future for its employees for many years to come.
The company says Shaw’s primary aim is to grow and build upon PI Castings’ excellent reputation for delivering high-quality castings, on time, at competitive prices.
His appointment brings a wealth of experience in delivering high-quality precision castings that meet demanding customer needs and specifications.
Ian Taylor, the previous managing director of PI Castings is confident that Neil is the right man to take up the position. Although Taylor will no longer be the Managing Director of PI Castings and Turbotech Precision Products, he will still retain a place on the board of both companies.
He said: “After 15 years as Managing Director, it is time for me to hand over to someone who can continue to guide the work that PI Castings has been carrying out for over half a century.
“I have been fortunate to work with directors, managers, staff and employees who have helped me maintain PI Castings’ reputation within the investment casting industry and for this, I thank them wholeheartedly.
“I know that Neil will receive the same support and that the company will continue to prosper in the future.”
Shaw said: “I am passionate about improving quality, OTIF delivery and reducing manufacturing cost by the introduction of lean continuous improvement.
“I am focused on ‘putting the customer first’ and ensuring the development of a mutually beneficial supply relationship. I believe in developing people and processes, with the focus on working smarter to eliminate waste from processes.”
