On the move: the latest East Midlands hires
Law firm Flint Bishop has announced the appointment of Stacey Cox as its newest partner and head of employment.
Cox previously worked with Flint Bishop as an employment partner and brings 20 years of experience advising employers and employees across all areas of employment law.
She handles both contentious and non-contentious matters, with a particular flair for TUPE and corporate support work.
Her career includes leading employment law teams at Elliot Mather and Wake Smith Solicitors, founding SFT Consulting Limited and most recently serving as a partner at Gunnercooke.
Cox also has High Court litigation experience arising from employment disputes and provides advice on corporate transactions, restructuring and strategic HR issues for clients in both the public and private sectors.
Qamer Ghafoor, chief executive at Flint Bishop, said: “We are delighted to welcome Stacey back to Flint Bishop at this pivotal time for the firm. As we continue to invest in top talent and deliver market-leading services to our clients, Stacey’s deep expertise and leadership capabilities will significantly strengthen our Employment team and position us for further growth.
“This latest appointment is one of several strategic hires aimed at bolstering our commercial and private client disciplines and expanding the firm’s presence across our office locations in Birmingham, Derby, and Leeds.”
Inaphaea BioLabs, the translational contract research organisation based at MediCity Nottingham, has announced the promotion of Melissa Barr to head of scientific operations.
Barr joined Inaphaea, a spin-out from ValiRX, in 2023 as lead scientist. Since then, she has played an instrumental role in delivering preclinical drug discovery projects across oncology and women’s health, as well as leading a team of scientists on-site.
Melissa Barr
She said: “I have had the privilege of growing alongside Inaphaea since its inception. Being part of a start-up has been an exciting and rewarding journey, offering opportunities to develop not only technical expertise but also operational and leadership skills. Highlights of my role so far have included establishing and characterising patient-derived cancer models, driving their use in translatable research, managing our laboratory operations, and leading a talented team of scientists.
“In my new role as head of scientific operations, I am excited to continue supporting our amazing team, strengthening our current capabilities, and driving forward innovative research. I look forward to contributing to the technical, operational, and strategic aspects of our work as we deliver impactful solutions for our clients and stakeholders.”
Mark Eccleston, ValiRx CEO, said: “We’re delighted to announce Melissa’s well-deserved promotion. She has played a key role in Inaphaea’s growth and development journey so far, bringing specialist scientific expertise as well as helping to drive operational efficiencies.
“Melissa’s practical laboratory experience, academic understanding of oncology, and commercial experience in the contract research space will be an invaluable asset as we work with a growing number of customers to accelerate the progress of their drug candidates.”
