Appointments: Skipton Building Society; Progeny Corporate Law; Switalskis Solicitors; Vital Online Studio

AMANDA BURTON has been brought on board at Skipton Building Society as non-executive director.

Ms Burton brings with her a career background in law, having most recently held the position of global chief operating officer of Clifford Chance.

She is currently a non-executive director of Countryside Properties, HSS Hire Group and Monitise.  She is also a trustee of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.  
Before this she held senior legal executive roles with Meyer International, Ratners Group and Tiphook.

David Cutter, Skipton’s group chief executive, said: “We’re delighted that Amanda has joined the board of the Society, as non-executive director. As a mutual, we are run for the benefit of our members, and the board of directors is ultimately responsible for the Society’s performance and strategic direction. Amanda joins this board, bringing a wealth of wider business knowledge and experience – and these skills will help ensure we continue to build a better Society for our members.”

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PROGENY CORPORATE LAW has expanded its UK and international commercial and residential property offering with two new senior hires.

Jonathan Crew, a former partner at national firm DWF, specialises in all aspects of commercial real estate, including large scale investment acquisitions and disposals, as well as commercial property development and property portfolio management for national brand retail clients.

Sabina Dzudza, a solicitor previously with Westminster firms Blake Morgan and Radcliffes Le Brasseur, specialises in residential property, with extensive experience in advising high-net-worth UK and internationally based clients on the sale and purchase of properties in the in the prime London market.  Additionally, she is a recommended solicitor for renowned UK developers on their off plan and new build purchasers and assignments in popular London developments.

Mark Burns, managing director of Progeny Corporate Law, said: “We are delighted that Jonathan and Sabina have taken the step to join our growing team of lawyers.  Their appointments, coupled to our recent merger with the Progeny Group, and further hires to be announced shortly, demonstrates our clear intention to grow the business in the coming months and years.”

The Progeny corporate law team of 19 fee earners continues to expand and last month moved into their newly refurbished offices in Leeds.
 
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KATHERINE JORDAN has joined Switalskis Solicitors from Blacks Solicitors.
She has practiced in the Leeds area for more than two decades and brings experience to Switalskis Wills, Probate & Trusts team.

Ms Jordan deals with all aspects of wills and trusts, including the subsequent administration of estates, as well as dealing with issues around mental capacity and tax planning.

Switalskis director Clare Peckett, who oversees the wills and probate department, said: “We are delighted to welcome Katherine Jordan, with her in-depth knowledge and wide-ranging experience she is an excellent addition to Switalskis’ team.

Switalskis has also welcomed solicitor Luke Piper to its Wakefield office. As a specialist immigration lawyer, he regularly advises individuals and organisations in relation to complex Immigration and Asylum Law matters and has a particular interest in cases with a human rights angle.
 
The firm provides legal services from 12 locations – Wakefield, Leeds, Bradford, Dewsbury, Pontefract, Huddersfield, Halifax, Honley, Boston Spa, Knaresborough, York and Goldthorpe (in association with Walter Brook and Co.).
 
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WETHERBY digital agency Vital Online Studio has expanded its website team with the arrival of a new developer who has arrived in Britain from Spain via Argentina.

Ismael Saez Cruz has been working in the UK for the six months as a freelance web developer and now lives in Harrogate.

Born and brought up in Alicante, on Spain’s Costa Blanca coast, Mr Saez Cruz had previously been in Buenos Aries, Argentina, before joining his brother in Harrogate, who works as an architect.

Andy Topps, sales director at Vital Online Studio, which is part of Vital Technology Group said: “Ismael is a highly skilled developer and a welcome recruit to our expanding team, and he arrives on the back of our relocation from Knaresborough to Wetherby in earlier this year.”