People on the Move: Ridge and Partners; ASTL; Cammell Laird; SAS Daniels; WHN Solicitors
Craig Wilson has been appointed a partner at the Manchester office of Ridge and Partners as the firm’s strong growth in the North West continues.
The experienced chartered building services engineer joins the Booth Street multi-disciplinary property consultancy from Sweco and will focus on building the consultancy’s diverse portfolio of major schemes.
“We’ve got a very wide range of projects which suits my own background advising on major infrastructure projects around the UK and further afield,” said Craig.
“There’s a very strong team here in the North West and my role is to work with other senior colleagues to help grow and guide it.”
Wilson has a broad spread of engineering experience and throughout his career has delivered complex building projects in a wide range of sectors, including commercial, healthcare, education, retail, life sciences and research and manufacturing facilities.
He recently advised on the redevelopment of Anfield stadium for Liverpool FC, Redrow Homes’ Roehampton scheme in London and the Manchester Airport Group’s T2 expansion.
Ridge in the North West is currently advising on the development of Ask’s 101 Embankment scheme in Manchester, which completes in the first quarter of next year, as well as the refurbishment of Liverpool’s famous India Buildings and the extension of the West Midlands Metro network, among a list of major projects.
The firm recently moved to new offices in Booth Street, Manchester, to accommodate its expansion, following a similar move last year to Exchange Flags in Liverpool. The firm now has more than 100 employees in the North West, and 600 nationwide.
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Steve Barber, managing director of Bridging Finance Solutions, has been voted onto the new board of directors of the Association of Short Term Lenders (ASTL).
The voting process for the executive committee was finalised this week and the new board appointed from September 1. The board includes five lender member representatives and one associate member representative, plus the chief executive.
Steve Barber said: “I am delighted to have been voted onto the executive committee by my fellow professionals in the sector. The national association, based in London, represents the interests of the short term property finance sector, currently worth in excess of £4bn.”
Steve Barber
Directors serve as executive committee members of the ASTL, who act as a guiding influence and provide direction and decision-making to the Association in liaison with the UK regulatory authorities, the press, and the wider UK Property finance sector.
“I hope that my 14 years’ experience in building Bridging Finance Solutions can add value to the members of the trade body in liaison with the wider UK financial community,” said Mr Barber.
He said Wallasey-based Bridging Finance Solutions is one of the sector’s most rapidly growing bridging and development finance lenders focusing on a Northern customer base, sub £1m loan and development loan products.
The firm launched 14 years ago and is one of only a handful of firms to have secured FCA accreditation in the region.
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Birkenhead shipyard and engineering services company Cammell Laird has appointed a new quality assurance manager to forge closer relationships with suppliers and bring best practice from other industries to his new role.
Gordon Maxwell is the new QA manager heading up a team of 19, striving to deliver the company vision of getting it right first time.
He said he is looking to take a more proactive approach to quality assurance as he draws on his experience of working for the likes of television parts manufacturer Philips Components and central heating manufacturer Baxi.
“Our aim is to ensure customer satisfaction by building things on time, at the right quality for the right price,” he said.
“Cammell Laird is going through a transition period, with new orders and new opportunities coming in all the time. We have a good quality team here and we are trying to bring some new ideas to move quality upstream by being proactive.”
Tony Potter, left, and Gordon Maxwell
Gordon comes to Cammell Laird from Precision Polymer Engineering, in Blackburn, which makes specialist O-rings and seals for the aerospace and defence industry, among others.
He has experience of three different foundries working with cast iron, steel, stainless steel and aluminium.
Tony Potter, HSEQ director, said Gordon’s appointment marked Cammell Laird’s commitment to bringing up quality levels across every department in the shipyard.
He said: “Gordon brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience, having worked in the quality control industry in a variety of sectors and he recognised the opportunity to be a part of what we are trying to achieve here at Cammell Laird.
“We have a strong quality team here at the shipyard but we know we could be doing more to get it right first time, so Gordon will help us to achieve that and ensure customer satisfaction every time.”
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Cheshire law firm SAS Daniels has welcomed a trio of new recruits to the firm.
Carly Borne has taken up the role of solicitor in the dispute resolution team, based at the Stockport office.
She joins from DWF and has vast experience in commercial dispute resolution involving contract disputes, partnership disputes and professional negligence.
Matthew Canfield has been appointed as a solicitor in the corporate and commercial team in the Chester office having previously worked at Oliver & Co Solicitors in Chester, while Samantha Ikin joins from Thorneycroft Solicitors in Macclesfield as a solicitor in the private client team in Congleton.
From left: Matthew Cranfield, Samantha Ikin, Carly Borne
Managing partners Jeremy Orrell said: “I am pleased to welcome Carly, Matthew and Samantha to the team as we continue to grow and deliver the highest level of service to our clients.
“They have considerable experience in their specialist sectors that will add real value. A combination of recruitment from outside the firm and developing talent from within will continue to put us in a strong position in the future.”
As well as welcoming new recruits, the firm has promoted Steven Percy to partner in the commercial property team and Warren Moores has become an associate solicitor in the employment law & HR team.
SAS Daniels offers a full range of legal services across four offices in Chester, Congleton, Macclesfield and Stockport, and recently exceeded its £9m billings target. Specialist sector experience also includes education, agriculture, construction and music and media.
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North West law firm WHN Solicitors has promoted assistant solicitor Eleanor Longworth to the role of associate in its commercial property dispute resolution team.
Her appointment is part of WHN’s ongoing strategy of developing its talented solicitors in order to create further business growth across Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
Eleanor’s fresh remit involves taking on management responsibilities, including developing new staff and generating business in the complex legal sphere of commercial property dispute resolution.
Specialising in landlord and tenant dispute work, Eleanor has developed deep expertise in the niche areas of dilapidations, possessions, insolvency-related disputes, arrears recovery and lease renewal matters.
She also has extensive experience of dealing with residential long leasehold dispute resolution.
Eleanor Longworth
Eleanor is based at WHN’s Bury office, where she works closely with Daniel Long, who is director and head of commercial at the firm.
Daniel said: “Eleanor has been an exceptional assistant solicitor in the litigation team over the past seven years as we have developed our niche landlord and tenant dispute team.
“Eleanor is a true specialist in this complex area of law and has also demonstrated a real aptitude for growing this type of work, contributing significantly to the team and the firm as a whole.
“On a personal level, I am very proud to have watched Eleanor progress from a paralegal to an associate. Eleanor has shown that she has the ability to take on extra management and business development responsibilities alongside the specialist landlord and tenant advice she provides. This promotion is a deserved recognition of this, as well as the considerable hard work Eleanor has put in.”
Aged 30, Eleanor joined WHN as a paralegal in 2012 and started her training contract later that year before qualifying as a solicitor in 2014. Previously, she attended Newcastle University where she gained a degree in law.
Eleanor said: “I am absolutely thrilled with my promotion, which will enable me to continue growing personally and professionally within the WHN family. I am very excited about developing fresh business opportunities as well as taking on additional management responsibilities.”
