Appointments: Law firm welcomes ex-Walker Morris and Addleshaw corporate specialists; Partner promotions; and more

THE Leeds office of law firm Mills & Reeve has made two appointments to its corporate team.

Shubhu Patil is joining as a principal associate from Walker Morris where she was an associate in the corporate team.

Ms Patil, who has previously worked at Addleshaw Goddard in Leeds and at Slaughter and May, advises across the full corporate spectrum with particular expertise in capital markets, handling IPOs and secondary offerings on AIM for corporate clients, brokers and NOMADs.

Also joining from Walker Morris is solicitor Anna Gausden who will be an associate in the Mills & Reeve corporate team.

The Leeds office launched its corporate team at the end of last year following the appointment of partner Paul Johnson, who joined from Irwin Mitchell where he was partner and head of the firm’s corporate team in the Leeds office.

He said: “Mills & Reeve has ambitious expansion plans for its corporate and commercial offering in Yorkshire. Over the last few months we have completed a host of multi-million pound deals and currently have a very healthy deal flow with a number of completions due over the coming weeks. I’m delighted to welcome Shubhu and Anna who will be great additions to the team.”

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RAMSDENS has made a trio of partner promotions.

Vikki Horspool and Laura Beevers are both partners in our care team and Lindsey Frith is now a partner in the conveyancing team.

Paul Joyce, managing partner, said: “The appointment of these partners reflects their excellence in client service along with their commitment to the firm.”

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A FAMILY solicitor at Harrogate Family Law has been promoted to the role of associate solicitor to support its plans for growth.

Claudia Gilham joined the firm at the start of last year from Anthony Collins Solicitors, a law firm in Birmingham.

She was recently appointed to the committee of Young Resolution in West and North Yorkshire and chairs the domestic abuse charity IDAS.
 
Andrew Meehan, managing director of Harrogate Family Law, said her promotion was part of a wider growth plan and continued development of the team in Harrogate.

“Claudia joined the firm during our fifth year as part of our expansion plan,” he said.

“Since then we have moved to larger premises and experienced further growth following our autumn listing as North Yorkshire’s top niche family law firm by the Legal 500.

“Her promotion recognises the expertise she has brought to the firm and the contribution she is making to our team and to our role as a leading local family law firm.”

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THE son of William Whitaker, managing director Whitakers Chocolates, has become the fifth generation to join the company in its 127-year history.  

Rob Whitaker has been appointed as digital marketing manager for the Skipton-based company.

William Whitaker said: “One of the key ingredients to Whitakers Chocolates’ success is ensuring our strong family values and heritage are at the heart of what we do as a company. It is great that Rob is the latest Whitaker to join the company – my great-grandparents would have been proud.”
 
Rob Whitaker added: “It is great to have the chance to play a part in the company I grew up with and help the business to continue to evolve and develop, by looking after the digital marketing elements of the company.”
 
This latest appointment sees three generations of the Whitaker family working at the company as John Whitaker, Rob’s grandfather, is chairman.
 
Whitakers Chocolates started as a grocer shop in the village of Crosshills and is now one of the largest manufacturers of chocolate in the UK suppling wholesalers, hotels, restaurants and independent retail shops nationally.