People: Fieldfisher; DLA Piper; WHN Solicitors; Countryside Partnerships; Eddisons; World Options
Construction partner Jahanara Hussain has joined Fieldfisher Manchester’s property team
A transactional expert with particular expertise in development and engineering projects, Jahanara joins Fieldfisher’s highly regarded UK construction practice to strengthen its capabilities in the North of England.
Jahanara joins Fieldfisher from TLT, where she specialised in advising public and private sector clients from the UK and abroad, including public bodies, local authorities, developers, contractors, consultants, funders, end users and private individuals.
She is a transactional specialist working primarily with developer clients on residential, commercial and mixed-use projects.
Her work includes advising on procurement strategies and the most appropriate form of contract for individual projects, as well as advising on risk profiles under contracts.
Jahanara joins Fieldfisher’s 22-strong UK construction practice, which is spread across the firm’s London and Manchester offices, and serves clients throughout the UK and internationally.
Fieldfisher’s head of construction and projects, Dan Preston, said: “Bringing Jahanara on board will significantly strengthen our construction capabilities in the North of England. We have been looking to grow our Manchester offering and Jahanara is a great strategic hire.”
Jahanara Hussain said: “Joining Fieldfisher provides an excellent opportunity for me to further build my practice with the backing of a top construction team within a highly respected European law firm. I am eager to promote our construction expertise in Manchester and grow the firm’s already impressive client portfolio.”
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Noori Goffar
Following on from Charlie Weems and David Cook being promoted to partner, DLA Piper announce a number of non-partner promotions across its North West offices.
Three lawyers have been promoted to legal director and five to senior associate. These promotions are effective as of July 1, 2023.
Legal directors: Alexander Yeramian – finance; Benjamin Fellows – litigation and regulatory; Tony Potts – restructuring. Senior associates: Ben Wilson – corporate; Abigail Walton – employment; Noori Goffar – finance; Naomi Ross – intellectual property and technology; Danielle Carter – litigation and regulatory.
Mark Beardwood, DLA Piper’s North West office managing partner, said: “DLA Piper in the North West is able to offer clients access to an unparalleled global network whilst at the same time offering both UK and international clients first class advice in the region and beyond.
“To do that we need outstanding lawyers and I am delighted that we are able to recognise and reward the hard work of so many talented individuals.”
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Stephen Pinnington
Greater Manchester and Lancashire law firm, Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall (WHN) Solicitors, has strengthened its growing family law team with the appointment of Stephen Pinnington.
Stephen joins the firm as senior associate from Bury and Bolton law firm, Latimer Lee Solicitors, where he was head of its family department. He will be based at WHN’s Bury office.
Prior to that, Stephen ran his own practice in Salford called Pinnington Law, representing clients across Salford, Manchester and Bury.
Family law expert Stephen has 30 years’ experience in all areas of family law including divorce, financial remedies and settlements, child arrangement orders, adoption, and domestic abuse. He also specialises in advising on cohabitation, civil partnerships and nuptial agreements.
Stephen said: “I look forward to helping deliver the best possible service to our clients across the North West and in particular Salford, a community I know very well.”
Michael Shroot, CEO of WHN Solicitors, said: “Stephen is a quality addition to our strong family law team. Every element of family law needs to be handled with care and consideration and Stephen not only brings compassion but specialist knowledge gained from leading hundreds of very emotional and complex cases.”
WHN Solicitors has eight offices across Lancashire and Greater Manchester. The firm employs around 110 staff.
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Gemma Hardy
Countryside Partnerships, the mixed-tenure developer, has confirmed the promotions of two new managing directors in its North West and Midlands regions.
Gemma Hardy becomes managing director of Merseyside & Cheshire West, having served as sales director since 2021.
With more than 20 years of residential sales experience, she will be leading the integration of the region following Vistry Group’s acquisition of Countryside last year.
At the same time, she will be working closely with the neighbouring Manchester and Cheshire East region, maximising opportunities across the North West.
Meanwhile, Adam Sharpe has been promoted to managing director of South West Midlands.
Gemma said: “I’m really excited to be taking on the leadership in Merseyside and Cheshire West, building on the brilliant work the team has done. We’re delivering many significant and high-quality mixed-tenure developments for a wide range of clients and partners, and I’m looking forward to building on that and helping to drive housing delivery across the region.”
Chief executive, Stephen Teagle, said: “Both Gemma and Adam have been with our business for a number of years and promoting them to managing directorships is testament to the skills they’ve demonstrated over that period.”
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From left: Mike Coogan, Jack Cunningham, Genna Woods
Property group Eddisons has made three promotions within its 15-strong transport planning and highways design team, based in Manchester.
Mike Coogan, who joined the team in 2012, has become a director, while Jack Cunningham has been promoted from senior highways technician to senior highways engineer. Recent graduate Genna Woods, who joined Eddisons in 2022, moves from trainee technician to graduate transport planner.
Eddisons transport planning and highway design team was founded in 2011 as Croft and acquired by Eddisons in 2019.
Partner, Phil Wooliscroft, who heads the transport planning team, said: “Eddisons is committed to our team’s career development and to nurturing people and enabling them to fulfil their potential, which is also critical to the success of the firm. Congratulations to my inspiring colleagues, who all richly deserve these promotions.”
He added: “This latest round of promotions is an indication of the breadth and depth of expertise and service that we are able to offer our clients and we expect to be making further new hires over the coming months.”
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Richard Ormerod and Katie Salisbury
Accrington-based World Options has appointed Richard Ormerod as learning and development director and Katie Salisbury as people manager as part of its commitment to keeping culture at the core of its growth plans.
World Options Holdings manages three brands in the UK: Mail Boxes Etc, PACK & SEND and World Options, providing ecommerce, fulfilment, shipping, virtual office, marketing and print solutions to SMEs and consumers. Companies within the group now maintain and support more than 260 franchisees, generating combined annual revenues of £80m.
Previously a World Options franchisee for more than 12 years, Ormerod’s new role will focus on ensuring franchisees across the group’s three brands are fully supported with the knowledge they need to provide the highest level of customer service to the accounts they manage.
World Options managing director, Mike Gratton, said: “Culture is key to our growth strategy, which currently sees us on target to double the size of the business in the next three years, having won over one thousand new customers in the first four months of this year.
“Appointing Richard and Katie to these roles is part our total belief in the power of effective relationships between customers, franchisees, employees and leadership to drive the company forward with an ongoing relentless passion that will help us achieve our growth ambitions together.”
World Options Holdings is part of MBE Worldwide, which, in 2022, served more than one million business customers globally, generating Euro 1.3bn of system-wide gross revenue through its network of in excess of 3,150 business solution centres in 52 countries, and Euro 22bn of gross merchandise value traded through its PrestaShop ecommerce solutions.
