Appointments: JMW goes Down Under for new IP head; Barr joins Co-op as marketing chief & more

LAW firm JMW Solicitors has recruited Australian Durham Grigg as head of intellectual property.

Mr Grigg, who has emigrated from Australia to join the Manchester firm, was formerly with Tres d’Marque of Sydney. He has nearly 30 years’ legal experience and has previously worked in London and Bristol for  Burges Salmon.

He said: “I am very excited to be taking up this great opportunity to relocate to Manchester and join a forward-thinking law firm like JMW. I am passionate about IP in businesses of every size and in every industry sector.

Managing partner Bill Jones added: “Durham joining JMW to head up our intellectual property department is a significant appointment as he has an international following of clients as well as extensive experience and expertise.

“We are very pleased that Durham took the major decision to relocate to Manchester in order to join us and I am sure he will help develop and grow our intellectual property practice. These are exciting times at JMW as we continue to expand.”

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THE Co-operative Group has appointed Gill Barr as group marketing director.  Barr takes on the role vacated by Patrick Allen, who left in July last year and will join the Manchester-based group at the end of this month.

She was previously at MasterCard where she recently completed an interim assignment as head of marketing UK and Ireland.  Prior to this she held senior posts at John Lewis, Woolworths, Superdrug, KPMG, Athena and Wickes. 

Gill Barr said:  “The Co-operative’s recent rejuvenation has established great foundations for the future and I’m looking forward to using my retail and financial services experience to help drive the group forward.” 

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LAW firm Pannone has appointed Wayne Nash to its property litigation team.
Mr Nash joins Pannone’s Dispute Resolution Group as a senior associate from the Manchester office of Eversheds where he was an associate.

Paul Jonson, Head of Dispute Resolution Group, said: “Wayne is an excellent addition to our team and brings with him years of experience in resolving property based disputes for a wide variety of corporate clients. We have ambitions for the team and Wayne is a great asset for us.” 

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COUTTS in Manchester has added to its team with the appointment of Paul Chester as senior client partner.

Chester has 15 years’ experience within financial services and most recently was managing partner for Coutts in Yorkshire and the North East, responsible for Coutts’ Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle offices. Prior to this, he was the senior manager for the Coutts Liverpool office.

He lives in Manchester is married with two teenage daughters and has a keen interest in sport and music.

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MANCHESTER-based brand design consultancy Studio North has promoted Kerry Dennison to the position of client services director with immediate effect.

Dennison studied Law at Liverpool University and worked at several high profile agencies before joining Studio North in 2009. She has led the account management team since her arrival and has worked with Stagecoach, Merseyway Shopping Centre and the YMCA.

Her new role will incorporate strategic business development for the agency as well as continuing to oversee core client projects.

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PROPERTY Alliance Group, the Trafford-based developer and investor, has recruited former Tesco executive John Clarke as a new director to lead its retail and leisure development opportunities in the North West.

Clarke previously set up and managed Tesco’s regional site acquisitions office in Manchester. He also has more than nine years’ experience of the leisure sector, having worked for Whitbread and Premier Inn. He also acted in a non-executive role at MIDAS, advising on regional development.

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PETER’S Food Service, the Welsh maker of pies, sausage rolls and pasties, has taken two more staff from Lancashire-based Holland’s Pies.

The firm, which recently appointed ex-Holland’s Pies MD Neil Court Johnson as the new manaaging director of its Foodservice division, has now brought in Ian Collins to work as area sales manager for the North West region and Ian Jannison as business development representative. Both will work from Peter’s Food Service’s existing depot in Warrington, which employs 18 members of staff.

“For a long time, Peter’s has presented an exceptional opportunity to develop nationally,” said Court Johnson. “In attracting two ‘best in class’ professionals of unrivalled quality, we deliver a clear signal of intent to everyone in the industry that we are determined to realise this potential.”
 
Ian Collins said: “I enjoyed being part of Neil’s turn around team at Holland’s and am really looking forward to doing it again at Peter’s. I want to play a pivotal role in putting Peter’s on the map in the North West.”

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MANCHESTER planning firm Turley Associates has announced the appointment of a four-strong Heritage team.

The team all joined from planning consultancy DPP and include Roger Mascall, a former partner and head of DPP’s heritage team, who becomes Turley Associates’ national head of heritage. He is joined by associate directors Gareth Jones and Katy Lightbody as well as senior heritage planner Richard Brookes.

Mascall, Brooks and Jones will all operate from the firm’s London office, while Lightbody will be based at Turley’s Manchester HQ.

Rob Lucas, chief executive of Turley Associates, said: “This is a significant move for the firm and strengthens the support and advice we can offer clients across all of our 10 offices. Roger and his team have a enviable track record and we look forward to working with them.”