People: Weightmans; Paragon Bank; H&H Land and Estates; Clarke Willmott; Eat My Logo; Specsavers; Jackson Lees

Law firm Weightmans has appointed Principal Associate Christine Rishton to its energy and environment team.

She is a commercial solicitor with an extensive range of experience and a particular focus on advising upon long-term energy infrastructure projects aimed at delivering the Government’s Net Zero Strategy. 

Her work includes helping clients with energy performance contracts and decentralised energy schemes as well as advising clients on offtake arrangements as more and more non-fuelled energy power stations come online.

She joins the firm from the Carbon Energy Fund, where she was an in-house solicitor.

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Stewart Good

Stewart Good has been appointed Sales Director for SME Lending at Paragon Bank.

As Sales Director for SME Lending, Stewart will lead Paragon’s provision of specialist asset financing solutions to help UK businesses innovate, adapt and grow. He will report to Paragon Bank Managing Director of SME Lending John Phillipou.

Stewart has over 30 years of experience in asset and equipment finance and joins Paragon from Shawbrook Bank, where he was Head of Indirect Channel. Prior to Shawbrook, Stewart held asset finance-related roles at Propel Finance, Midlands Asset Finance and Aldermore Bank, after starting his career at GE Capital and Key Equipment Finance.

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Jake Moscrop

H&H Land & Estates has made another key appointment in the expansion of its environment and forestry team. Jake Moscrop joins the Carlisle-based company as an environment and conservation adviser.

As government support moves from the BPS to predominantly environment-focused grant schemes, Jake Moscrop will add another major new dimension to the advice that the H&H Land & Estates environment team can offer clients in the critical areas of Biodiversity Net Gain, Nutrient Neutrality and Carbon Net Zero.

With outstanding academic credentials, including a First-Class honours degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Durham and a PhD in Plant Sciences from Cambridge, Jake, nevertheless, describes himself first and foremost as a farmer. He said: “It is currently a challenging time for farming in the UK, and I am very interested in how emerging opportunities for farmers can help agriculture and conservation work better together.”

Tracey Jackson, associate and head of environment and forestry, said: “Jake joins us at a very exciting time. We’re building an environment and forestry team here with the strength in depth to give our clients the best advice across this critical area of farm and land management.”

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Ed Foulkes

National law firm Clarke Willmott has made a raft of internal promotions as part of its commitment to people development, with three Manchester lawyers included in the announcement.

Louise Goodwin, a specialist lawyer in commercial and private client litigation has been made a partner after demonstrating increased management responsibilities alongside running complex and heavyweight cases.

Elsewhere in the office Kelly Rowley, in property litigation, and Christie Johnson, in commercial litigation, have made the transition from solicitor to associate having shown technical legal competence and a strong contribution to financial measures.

The head of Clarke Willmott’s Manchester office, Ed Foulkes, said: It’s very satisfying to see excellent lawyers like Louise, Kelly and Christie developing their careers here and pushing the firm forward. My congratulations to all of them.”

Clarke Willmott has offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.

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Amy Edmondson

Branded baked treats company, Eat My Logo, has appointed Amy Edmondson as its new finance manager.

Amy has more than 25 years of experience in finance, and will play a crucial role in overseeing Chorley-based Eat My Logo’s financial operations. She joins the business at an exciting time, with recent months bringing record sales for the bakery business. Amy will form a key part of the management team, which is realising a 10-year growth plan for the manufacturer.

She said: “I am excited to be joining such a fun family business. I am eager to contribute to the business’s success and with my passion for finance, combined with my experience, I hope to bring a new perspective to help us deliver our growth plans.”

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Kirsty McLardy

A familair face to service users of a Manchester home visiting opticians has been appointed as its new a new optometrist director.

Kirsty McLardy, from Swinton, has joined owner and customer service partner Charlotte McGimpsey to lead Specsavers Manchester Home Visits based in Bolton.

The team supports those who are unable to get out and about, including those who are housebound, in sheltered accommodation, care homes or special care facilities.

Kirsty said: “I’m thrilled to be embarking on the next step in my career journey.”

An optometrist with 13 years’ experience, Kirsty has spent the past six years working with Specsavers Manchester Home Visits as an optometrist and, more recently, enrolled on Specsavers’ ‘Pathway’ programme, which prepares experienced optometrists, optical dispensers and retail managers for practice ownership.

Together with Charlotte, Kirsty will manage the 28-strong mobile optical team. Covering an area from the Lake District to South Manchester and Clitheroe to Blackpool, the team provides free eye tests using the latest computerised equipment, in the home environment for people who qualify for an NHS-funded eye test and are unable to leave their house unaccompanied, due to a physical or mental illness or disability.

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Rebecca Zaidi-Lowe

Liverpool law firm Jackson Lees has unveiled a new appointment to its civil and commercial litigation department.

Rebecca Zaidi-Lowe will be joining the team after a number of years of experience in the field of costs.

Previously she has worked on a variety of civil claims including data breach, dental negligence, personal injury, and financial mis-selling.

Ms Zaidi-Lowe has also managed data breach group actions and had involvement in the Mercedes-Benz NOx Group Emissions Litigation as a member of the Claimant Solicitors Committee.

In her new role the solicitor will be covering a variety of civil and commercial disputes, including contract, inheritance and land disputes.

Rebecca said: “I am excited at the prospect of expanding my knowledge whilst also helping our clients and making a positive difference.”

Andrew Leakey, head of civil and commercial litigation, said: “Rebecca brings a broad experience which will allow us to expand into further areas of law.”