People on the move: Williamson & Croft; Projet Octo; Forresters; Curson Sowerby Partners; Roberts Jackson

JUSTIN Wright has become partner and head of marketing and sales at Manchester-based professional services practice Williamson & Croft.

Wright, who has been business development manager for PwC in the North West for last two years, will be responsible for bringing in new clients,  client development and relations, marketing, communications, PR and social media for Williamson & Croft.

He has worked with many sectors, ranging from digital and media, manufacturing as well as finance and fintech and was was recognised as PwC’s top business development manager in the UK and Ireland in the 2016 financial year.

Wright said: “Williamson & Croft is a Manchester based professional services practice, providing a wide range of services to a multi-disciplined client base.
“We strive to provide a service that is reliable, transparent, responsive and personally tailored, which is underpinned by a wealth of expertise and solid technical work.

“Our specialisms include property and construction, media, digital and technology, professional and legal practices, sports and television personalities and manufacturing.”
 
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MANCHESTER digital agency Project Octo has added a new digital marketing account manager, Anne Kelly.

Kelly joins the King Street firm following a distinguished and successful career at a variety of top digital agencies including Brass, Amaze, and MediaCom in the UK, and Carat Interactive in Paris.

“I’m delighted to join the Project Octo team at such an exciting time in the development of the business,” said Kelly who grew up in Bordeaux and Paris.

Director Adam Pritchard said: “We wanted to make a statement of intent and bring in someone who could help shape the business at a crucial time in our development”, explains director Adam Pritchard.

“With more client and employee acquisition on the horizon, it was essential to find someone who could help us develop the team aspect of the business and build great relationships with our clients. We’re looking forward to a great 2017.”

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INTELLECTUAL property specialist Forresters has grown its Liverpool office with the appointment of Emily Brunton as trainee patent attorney.

Brunton, 22, will work alongside head of office Ross Walker as she trains to qualify as both a UK and EU patent attorney.
 
Brunton, who graduated from Lancaster University with an integrated masters in physics, will undergo at least five years of on-the-job learning and law exams.
 
She said: “I have always had a passion for finding out how things work and the science behind technologies and new inventions. This role combines science and law, supporting inventors and innovators to get their products to the market.
 
“Forresters is clearly an ambitious company which is committed to skills and training – I am learning from working directly with clients and have a strong support network throughout the office.”

The company is also celebrating a number of recent achievements, including being ranked as a ‘Top Five’ British filer for EU trade marks and a recommendation for Liverpool-based senior associate and trade mark attorney Kate Cruse in the prestigious Legal 500.

Ross Walker, partner and head of Liverpool office, said: “At Forresters we understand the importance of recruiting talented young lawyers and trainees to support our long-term ambitions. Emily is a great fit for us, with a strong STEM background and attributes such as ambition, curiosity and diligence.

“As an office we work with clients worldwide, but are making a specific effort to grow our Merseyside client base and to understand the needs of entrepreneurs and innovators within the region.

“Liverpool has a number of burgeoning sectors, such as life sciences, tech and digital. Understanding intellectual property is key for businesses who want to target both domestic and European markets and stay ahead of the competition.”

Forresters moved its Liverpool operations to the Port of Liverpool building in 2013.

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CURSON Sowerby Partners, the specialist out-of-town retail advisory firm, has appointed Stuart Burdon-Bailey to head the company’s new leisure division, which will focus on advising operators, landlords and developers in the sector.

Burdon-Bailey, who will based at the company’s King Street, Manchester offices, has more than 25 years’ experience working with major UK leisure and retail companies, institutional investors and developers.

Burdon-Bailey joins CSP from JLL, where he spent 12 years as a national director in the out-of-town retail & leisure team.

Luke Sowerby of CSP said, “The leisure sector is a buoyant yet complex sector, that is hugely synergistic to our existing out-of-town retail business; Stuart’s expertise will allow CSP to capitalise on this part of the out-of-town market.”

Burdon-Bailey added: “It is exciting to be part of a young, dynamic business and provide new expertise that will further consolidate its position in the out-of-town sector.”

Stuart will be based in Manchester and will work from CSP’s new, fully refurbished office on King Street, when the company moves in early February.

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TWO lawyers at Wilmslow, Cheshire-based industrial disease specialist Roberts Jackson are celebrating promotions.

Solicitors Nimish Patel and Bill Singer have been made associates. Having led teams in the past, both Patel and Singer have chosen the ‘sole worker’ career path at Roberts Jackson, which involves building in-depth specialist expertise in a particular area.

This is a crucial element of the success of the firm as industrial disease law is highly complex.

Patel is an expert on clinical negligence, vibration-related injuries, work-related upper limb disease and asthma claims and Bill’s specialism is in musculoskeletal problems.

Both Patel and Singer also work on the development of the firm’s Knowledge Hub and mentor trainee solicitors.