People: New banking litigation partner at law firm; New director at Wakefield BID; and more
Walker Morris has appointed Rob Aberdein as a partner to their banking litigation group.
Aberdein will strengthen the firm’s offering to financial services clients. He was recently ‘triple ranked’ in The Legal 500 for Debt Recovery and Commercial Litigation, with Top Tier Ranking for Debt Recovery in Scotland. He said:
“I am delighted to be joining Walker Morris as a Partner. They are a firm I have long admired and the opportunity to help them build their financial services business was impossible to turn down.”
Andrew Beck, head of banking litigation partner, said: “Rob has built up both an impressive client base and a business that is wholly compatible with ours. His enthusiasm and skill set will help the team at Walker Morris continue to develop our successful offering and will allow Walker Morris to offer UK-wide legal services to our financial services clients.”
Louise Power, banking litigation partner, added: “As a firm we service clients on a national and international basis from our base in Leeds. Having someone of Rob’s calibre and renowned reputation within the Scottish market join our team is a fantastic enhancement to our offering for our financial services clients.”
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Wakefield Business Improvement District has appointed Debenhams store manager Andy Gooder to its Board of Directors.
Gooder joined Debenham’s nearly four years ago to manage its shop in Trinity Walk in Wakefield’s. He has extensive experience in retail having worked as a store manager for 21 years for Homebase, Somerfield and Woolworths.
Gooder said: “I have been based in Wakefield three times over an 18-year span and have seen the community evolve considerably over that time. The city centre I walked into when I joined Debenhams was completely different to when I first came here.”
Wakefield BID was launched earlier this year with the aim of making the city a great place to do business and give the local economy a boost. Gooder said he was keen to get involved with the BID because of his passion for Wakefield.
“The city has so much to offer and be proud of. As businesses it is key that we not only do all we can to promote Wakefield but join forces under one vision to make it even better and that is what the BID aims to do,” he added.
“As well as bringing my retail experience and the facilities that the store has to offer for holding wider community events to the Board table, I hope I also contribute energy and excitement. I’m looking forward to pushing ahead and making Wakefield a better place to live and work.”
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Law firm Weightmans continues to expand its private client presence in the UK with the appointment of a family law expert and launch of a new team to provide family law services across Yorkshire.
Louise Walker joins the firm as consultant and heads up the newly launched family team in the firm’s Leeds office, based at Westgate Point.
After training in London and setting up a family law department in Hertfordshire by her mid-twenties, Walker went on to work at Irwin Mitchell in Leeds where she launched and developed a family law team which grew from strength to strength under her ten years there as partner and head of family law Leeds.
She was also a Partner at Jones Myers, where she continued work with high net worth individuals and business owners.
Walker said: “Weightmans is a business with a commercial approach and a constant focus on the client and their requirements and it is great to be working at a firm that fits my ethos and ambition so closely.
“I look forward to developing the team here and welcoming clients to our Leeds base for all of their private family matters.”
Head of private client and partner, Carole Atkinson, said: “This is a fantastic development both for our Leeds offering and the wider national family and private client teams. Louise is a very well-respected lawyer with a wealth of experience and knowledge and we are delighted to bring these expert family law services to our clients in the Yorkshire area.”
