People: Law firm expands commercial property team; Head of chambers announced; New commercial director at consultancy; and more

Law firm Gordons has boosted its team with five new hires, as its commercial property offering continues to thrive.

Gordons has appointed three solicitors and two chartered legal executives, taking the commercial property team’s headcount to 30. Katherine Anderson, Sophie McFeely, Clare Freear, Tanzeela Hussain and Mathew Abiagom join the department, led by partner, Paul Young.

Katherine Anderson joins as a solicitor, bringing over 12 years of knowledge with her. Previously an associate within Eversheds Sutherland, Anderson has extensive experience of dealing with a range of real estate work and has particular expertise in leasehold transactions and asset management matters.

Sophie McFeely also joins as a solicitor with two years’ experience. She studied Law at the University of Leeds before completing a Legal Practice Course at the BPP Law School in Leeds. Prior to joining the team, McFeely completed her training with London property specialist firm, Glovers Solicitors.

Tanzeela Hussain takes on the role of solicitor in the property litigation team and deals with a variety of property related disputes for a range of clients. Prior to joining Gordons, she spent over six years at Leeds-based Drydensfairfax, where she began as a paralegal, trained and qualified as a solicitor.

With over eight years’ experience in real estate and commercial property, Mathew Abiagom joins as a chartered legal executive from Addleshaw Goddard. He has particular experience in asset management, as well as landlord and tenant work.

Clare Freear, who has been with Gordons for almost 13 years, most recently in the residential conveyancing team, has also joined the firm’s commercial property department as a chartered legal executive.

Commercial property partner, Joanne Fearnley, said: “People are key to our success and we are always looking out for the brightest talent to join our teams. As our commercial property offering continues to grow, we are delighted to welcome Katherine, Sophie, Tanzeela and Mathew to the firm and look forward to supporting them in the next stages of their careers.

“We’re also thrilled to have Clare joining our team. The knowledge that she has built up at Gordons over the past 13 years will be invaluable as she steps into her new role within commercial property.”

Gordons employs 200 people in total, split between the Bradford and Leeds offices. Clients include retailers B&M, Iceland and Morrisons; construction and high-performance materials manufacturer Saint Gobain; and international brewers Molson Coors.

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St John’s Buildings Barristers’ Chambers has appointed Richard Norton as Head of Chambers.

Norton’s term as Head of Chambers will run for the next three years. He will be supported by Frances Heaton QC, who has been appointed to the role of Deputy Head of Chambers.

With over 26 years’ experience as a personal injury and clinical negligence barrister, Norton has been on the Board of Directors at the Chambers for more than 10 years. In recommending Norton as an expert in his field, legal directory Chambers and Partners describes him as being “efficient, good with clients and extremely competent”. Norton’s experience includes advising on cases of delayed diagnosis, surgical negligence, birth damage and GP negligence.

Frances Heaton QC is a family law barrister with more than 30 years’ experience, specialising in children law. She is regularly instructed in cases involving exceptionally serious injuries, death, serious sexual abuse, exploitation, serious neglect, and learning and mental health difficulties. Frances was called to the Bar in 1984.

St John’s Buildings is one of the largest barristers’ chambers in the country, housing 240 barristers and more than 70 employees across offices in Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Chester. It is known for its innovative approach to the use of technology to drive efficiency and to support its barristers in the changing legal landscape.

Norton succeeds Sally Harrison QC in the role who held the position for five years. In her time as Head of Chambers, St John’s Buildings has benefitted from unprecedented success, seeing income grow by 12 per cent, with profit achieved in each of the last six years, and a rise in the share price of the company. The Chambers has also won a series of awards, including: Chambers of the Year at the Yorkshire Legal Awards 2017, as well as at Family Law Awards 2016, Manchester Legal Awards 2015 and the Personal Injury Awards 2018, and the firm is currently nominated for the Chambers and Partners Bar Awards.

Chief Executive Chris Ronan said: “Richard is an excellent appointment as Head of Chambers. He has been right at the heart of the success we have seen during Sally’s reign, and will continue to ensure Chambers strives for even greater prosperity in the future.

“At a time when the legal industry has come under increasing pressure on price, due to competition and austerity cuts, we have managed to buck the trend in increasing our profitability and our barrister income. The Board and I are confident that, with Richard and Frances’ involvement, this growth will continue.”

Norton said “I am very proud to have been elected Head of Chambers by my peers. Sally and the Board have done a superb job in steering Chambers with exceptional commitment over the past five years, and I hope to build on the opportunities this has created. I am fortunate to have the support of Frances and the rest of the Board, as well as the exceptional staff at St John’s Buildings, and I am confident that we will continue the great work that has already taken place.”

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DLA Piper has recruited three newly qualified associates within their Sheffield office. Tom Manley, Real Estate, Joe Masson, Intellectual Property & Technology and Melissa Wilkinson, Corporate, have successfully completed their training contracts with the firm and are now embarking on their new legal careers.

In addition the firm welcomes a new wave of trainee solicitors to its Sheffield office. Davin Basi, Jodie Cunnington, Chloe Dunn, Laura Higson, Daniel Lavender and Sofia Wyzykiewicz joined the office in September. They will spend two years training at the firm, six months per seat, each in a different practice area.

Petra Billing, DLA Piper’s Office Managing Partner in Sheffield, said: “This recent investment in our people demonstrates our continued commitment to the region. We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues into our Sheffield office.”

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A Harrogate business guru who advises SME owners on growth and profitability has joined a Yorkshire-based management consultancy as its commercial director.

Peter Dickinson – who began his career as a mainframe engineer with International Computers Limited (ICL) and spent more than two decades working in the Middle East, America and Europe – has taken on the key role with business transformation expert, NOW Consultancy.

NOW Consultancy was launched in 2015 by Olga Wormald, who has worked with some of the biggest names in the UK retail and leisure sectors, including Warner Leisure, Hallmark Cards, ASDA, Tesco and Morrisons.

Wormald said: “I first met Peter two years ago when he became my business advisor. I had recently started NOW Consultancy and, seeking to grow the firm in terms of winning clients and attracting new consultants, he was recommended to me.

“Over the last 24 months we have built up a very close working relationship and have achieved far more than I had envisaged. And, because of his understanding of my business, my aims and goals, I asked Peter if he would join the business as commercial director.

“My expertise is change management and, with Peter’s guidance, he has helped me transform my own business.  I’m delighted to say that he agreed to my proposition and, with him as a key member of the NOW Consultancy team, we can now push our horizons even further.”

Dickinson said: “For the last two years I have been Olga’s business mentor, helping her win more consultancy work.

“This in turn has led her to bringing on board more experts to help deliver a raft of different projects – all for clients going through transformational change.

“Joining NOW Consultancy is a very exciting prospect. The company is rapidly gaining a reputation for the successful implementation of change programmes often under budget and ahead of time.”

After almost three decades working for mega corporations, first as a “techie” then in international sales, Dickinson launched his own venture, Harrogate Business Advisors Limited.

Over the last 14 years, he has worked with scores of SME owners helping shape and build the strategy and action plans to fulfil the transformation they desire.

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