Appointments: Moves at Kirwans, BLM, Gunnercooke, GL Hearn and Mazars

LIVERPOOL law firm Kirwans has continued its recent expansion by bringing in Clare Ellison as its new head of family law, while Angela Whittick has joined as a solicitor in its commercial department.

Ellison joins from Southport-based Hodge Hallsall and specialises in divorce work, childcare issues and domestic violence.

Whittick joins from Manchester-based WE Solicitors, having previously worked for Brabners Chaffe Street and for the North West Development Agency as an in-house lawyer.

Other new appointments include Lisa Alty, who joins as sales and campaign executive from Brabners Chaffe Street, IT trainer Debbie Chadwick and road traffic legal advisor Natali Farrell.

Kirwans said that the latest appointments mean that staff numbers have grown by 20% within the past year.

Managing partner Simon Gibson said: “The legal world is changing rapidly and consumers – whether they are private individuals, families or businesses – are becoming more demanding than ever in terms of how they expect legal services to be delivered.

“The investment we have made in our business during the past year demonstrates that Kirwans is committed to putting itself at the forefront of the new legal landscape.”

Kirwans recently opened its fourth office at Brunswick Business Park in Liverpool.

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NATIONAL law firm Berrymans Lace Mawer (BLM) has appointed new partner Andrew Cameron to the safety, health and environment (SHE) team in Manchester.

Cameron joined the firm from Russell Jones & Walker, where he was also a partner and head of the Wakefield office.
 
He qualified in 2001 and has established a reputation as a business crime and criminal lawyer, with experience in regulation and health and safety. He has also been instructed by the Police Federation to represent police officers in professional discipline investigations.
 
The appointment takes the number of partners at BLM to 145. 

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AWARD-winning corporate lawyer Anna Gregory has left Lancashire support services group Enterprise to join Darryl Cooke’s new boutique firm Gunnercooke as a partner.

Gregory is experienced in a broad range of corporate and private equity work, including share and asset acquisitions and disposals, group re organisations and restructures,

She will continue to work with Enterprise plc as an external adviser for corporate work and brings them as a new client to the Manchester-based firm.

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GL Hearn’s Manchester office has appointmented two senior staff from rival firms to further support the expansion of its building consultancy department.
 
Gregg Iredale has been appointed as director of building consultancy after joining from building surveying and project management practice Powell Williams. He will be providing clients with advice  on a range of building consultancy issues.
 
Tom Frankel, has been recruited as senior surveyor from GVA, where he specialised in building consultancy across both the public and private sectors. 
 
Stephen Downey, head of the Manchester office, said: “The continued growth of the building consultancy team in the Manchester office forms a key part of the overall business plan at GL Hearn.”

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ACCOUNTANCY firm Mazars, has recruited Gareth Hitchmough as a partner in its Liverpool office.. 

Mr Hitchmough, 35,  will be advising owner managed businesses as well as listed and international groups.

He said: “I am really excited to be joining Mazars. It is a firm which has real strength and depth locally, nationally and internationally and is ideally suited to serve many businesses across the Liverpool city region.”