People on the move: Forbes Solicitors; Clearwater International; Intelligent Conversation

Forbes Solicitors, with offices in across the North, has announced two promotions in its expert housing and regeneration team.

Justine Hunkins has been made partner in the company’s Leeds office and Jennifer Hankinson is now an associate based at its Preston office.

Hunkins is head of the specialist housing litigation asset management team and advises social landlords in relation to their housing management functions.

Hankinson specialises in housing and regeneration property law and worked as an in-house lawyer for a registered provider for almost five years before joining Forbes.

She brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the role and prior to her qualification as a solicitor she also worked in the private sector, bringing a wider commercial expertise.

Hankinson is experienced in a wide variety of areas of property work in the housing and regeneration sector including sales of land, acquisitions, site acquisitions, s106 Agreements (and variations), licence for works, golden brick acquisitions and development agreements.

Lucy Worrall, partner and head of housing and regeneration at Forbes, said: “We are excited to announce these promotions as a reward for all the hard work both Justine and Jennifer have put in for the benefit of our clients.”

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Corporate finance firm Clearwater International’s debt advisory team has taken on two new experienced recruits in its vManchester and Birmingham offices.

Having already made four appointments earlier on in the year, the debt advisory team now stands at nine members in the UK, with a total of 20 across the wider international business.

The Manchester team welcomes associate director David Grassby.

He joins with more than eight years of experience, having previously worked at Deloitte. Grassby has transacted a number of deals, originated work and developed relationships with key private equity houses and lenders in the North West region.

The team also welcomes associate director Hertej Rattan. With 10 years’ experience, Rattan has arrived from Lloyds Banking Group, where he originated and delivered transactions in leveraged finance. He will cover the London and Midlands markets.

Mark Taylor, partner and head of debt advisory, Clearwater International said: “Debt advisory can add huge value in structuring finance to meet company strategic goals and has become a core service line for Clearwater. We’re advising on more debt transactions now than ever before.

“The continued investment in our team is representative of the growing opportunity in the market and there’s no doubt that David and Hertej will bring valuable experience and opportunities with them.”

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PR, content and social agency Intelligent Conversation has welcomed senior consultant and B2B specialist Dave Beresford to its 14-strong Manchester-based team.

Beresford’s appointment supports the agency’s rapidly expanding business and industry division, which includes national and international clients.

These include global surveillance solutions business Synectics, a provider of 3D printing software and additive manufacturing solutions Materialise, as well as print and technology specialist Brother International Europe.

A former journalist and TV script editor Beresford has six years’ agency experience, joining Intelligent Conversation from RMS, where his portfolio crossed manufacturing, engineering and professional services.

Libby Howard, Intelligent Conversation’s managing director, said: “Our agency continues to attract the brightest communicators which has helped us grow our reputation as a leading national consultancy with international clout.

“Dave’s credentials are perfectly aligned with our business and industry proposition, which continues to grow alongside our health and social care, and public information divisions.”

Beresford added: “Intelligent Conversation is committed to the delivery of top-level consultancy. It’s an approach that clearly works as the team has grown an impressive portfolio of clients through both reputation and recommendation.

“I’m excited to be working alongside such fantastic clients, joining a high calibre team and to playing my part in winning new business.”