People on the move: Bromleys; Leigh Day; Country Gates and Barriers; Myerson Solicitors

Olivia Bell

A lawyer who has worked at Bromleys Solicitors since joining as a trainee has been promoted to partner and head of its care proceedings and social services team.

Olivia Bell, who qualified as a solicitor in 2003, succeeds long-serving Keith Platts as the departmental head.

She specialises in childcare matters, representing children, parents and other relatives and guardians where there are disputes within families, involvement with social services or court proceedings.

Olivia is a member of the Law Society’s Children Law Accreditation Scheme and the family lawyers’ association Resolution. She is also a trained mediator.

Keith has been a solicitor since 1976 and joined Bromleys in 1989. He was the first at the Tameside firm to undertake care work and established the team which is now eight-strong. Keith remains at the firm as a consultant.

He is a leading expert in the childcare field. He acts in complex cases instructed by guardians and in care proceedings on behalf of children, parents and other family members.

Bromleys’ senior partner Mark Hirst said: “Olivia’s promotion reflects the high regard in which she is held. She is widely respected at Bromleys, by clients and by professionals working in the field of childcare.

“She is a hugely talented solicitor and is completely committed to the development of the firm and the growth of the care team. We are confident she will be a great success in her new role.”

He added: “Keith has overseen the creation of the department and its progress over a number of years. During this time he has trained and mentored many people, including Olivia, and he remains a vital member of the team.”

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Law firm Leigh Day has announced the appointment of 31-year-old solicitor Colin Murphy to its Central Park, Manchester-based Travel Team.

He will specialise in complex jurisdictional and cross border personal injury cases.

After graduation in 2007 and gaining his Legal Practice Certificate, he completed his training with Trafford-based Coleman’s Solicitors.

He then joined city centre firm Pannone in 2013, subsequently moving to Slater and Gordon when the Australian outfit acquired Pannone’s private client business in 2014.

He gained additional qualification as a Solicitor Advocate in 2013, which enables him to exercise rights of audience in civil proceedings on behalf of clients in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in England and Wales.

Leigh Day’s head of travel law in Manchester, Clare Campbell, said: “Colin’s experience of high value complex cases is a perfect fit for our team, which has acquired a growing reputation for such work since it was formed just over three years ago.

“We deal with complex cross border injury cases which require highly specialised knowledge and expertise. This is exactly what Colin Murphy has, making him a very welcome addition to Leigh Day in Manchester.”

Murphy, who lives in Saddleworth, said: “This is an exciting time to be joining Leigh Day as the firm goes from strength to strength and establishes itself as a leader in the field of travel law.”

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Specialist perimeter protection company Country Gates and Barriers has appointed a new business development manager to spearhead its ambitious expansion plans.

The Stockport-based business has invested £100,000 in a new showroom at its Bredbury base, where it is showcasing a new range of products from premium French gates brand Horizal.

As well as its own expansion plans, Country Gates and Barriers has signed an exclusive deal to become the only distributor for the brand in the UK and Ireland.

This is expected to accelerate its growth, and new business development manager Darren Weatherill will be instrumental in putting these plans into action.
Weatherill, from Burnley in Lancashire, has a wealth of experience in business development, business planning and sales management.

He said: “Country Gates and Barriers is well respected, family-run business that employs skilled craftsmen, and I am proud to be working for them.”

Nick Corbett, managing director at Country Gates and Barriers, said: “We could not be more pleased that Darren has come on board as our new business development manager.

“With this new European deal pushing the business forward it is a crucial time for us, and I know Darren will be able to maximise the success of the brand.”

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Greater Manchester-based Myerson Solicitors has been joined by property litigation expert Seán Hackett from Pannone Corporate.

Hackett, who was a director at Pannone Corporate arrives at the Altrincham firm with more than 15 years’ experience of acting in high-value and complex commercial property disputes acts for a range of clients, from large-scale commercial landlords to landed estates.

He is highly-regarded in the property sector and is recommended by both Chambers and Partners (“very good on the technical side”) and the Legal 500 (“a first-rate litigator with an eye for detail”).

Weatherill’s arrival will boost the size of the commercial litigation department to 15 lawyers, including five property litigators.

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