People: UHY Hacker Young; IPG; Primas Law; Pannone Corporate; Veritas Solicitors; Waddington and Son Solicitors
Accountancy firm, UHY Hacker Young Manchester, has appointed Elizabeth Potier as its new Chief Operations Officer.
This strategic move is designed to support the ambitious five-year growth plan, to double in size by 2027.
With Elizabeth set to manage and drive consistency within UHY’s core operations functions, the firm anticipates even greater progress in the execution of its strategy. Having already achieved more than 50% team growth and in excess of 200% of organic growth, this move is designed to increase efficiency further and support the ambitious plans.
Elizabeth brings 15 years of experience in the banking sector, with expertise in operations, infrastructure, regulatory and technology project management, and digital product management. Her extensive background in leadership roles will be invaluable as she takes on this significant role.
Elizabeth said: “There’s clear commitment to leverage the latest technologies and practices to seamlessly deliver for clients and significantly advance the lived experience for employees. I’m super excited to spearhead that agenda as COO and facilitate sustainable and responsible growth.”
David Kendrick, Chief Executive, said: “Bringing Elizabeth on board, who has huge operational expertise from her career, is a big move for us as a business. With over 160 team members and growing, having a dedicated COO will assist with focus on processes, efficiency and delivery of the growth across the business. It’s a hugely exciting appointment and I can’t wait to see the impact she has.”
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Luke Gribben
Integritas Property Group (IPG), the Liverpool-based ethical property developer, has appointed Luke Gribben as its new Business Development Manager to help lead its sales and commercial activities.
Joining from Advantage Investment, he spent almost five years as a senior investment consultant, and brings more than a decade’s experience in sales, growth and business development.
He said: “Having worked my way up to a senior investment consultant at a leading property investment consultancy, I was ready for a new challenge.
“Joining a company that prides itself not only on high quality buildings, but also on its ethical and people-first approach to property development, is an exciting next step for me. I’m looking forward to helping IPG realise its ambitious growth targets in the months and years to come.”
CEO, Mitchell Walsh, said: “Our growth trajectory in the past 12 months has solidified our position in the real estate market, and as a result, has led to some ambitious targets being set for the next four years. Bringing Luke in to lead our sales and commercial activities will help ensure these ambitions are realised, and in turn, help us to continue to contribute to the local Northern economy, and create job opportunities within the communities we operate.”
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Alistair Gregory
Corporate and commercial law firm, Primas Law, has appointed Alistair Gregory as Litigation Partner.
Alistair brings with him more than two decades of legal expertise to Primas Law, further enhancing its litigation and dispute resolution capabilities.
With a strong background in commercial disputes and experience in handling high level injunctions, shareholder disputes, and restrictive covenants, Alistair has worked across a range of clients and industries, bringing a direct and accessible approach to his legal practice methods.
Alistair said: “I’m over the moon to be joining Primas Law. The litigation team at Primas already has a fantastic reputation and it’s really exciting for me to become part of such a highly regarded team.”
Daniel Thomas, Partner and Head of Litigation at Primas Law, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Alistair to the Primas team. His extensive experience will be crucial in helping to further strengthen our current, impressive litigation department, allowing us to provide even greater support to our clients – and build on new opportunities, too.
“Alistair’s appointment marks another significant milestone for the firm as we continue to realise our ambitions for growth, and he’s already fit right in with the existing team.”
Primas Law is has offices in Manchester, Cheshire, Liverpool and London.
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New starters
Manchester law firm, Pannone Corporate, has strengthened its team with the appointment of four legal professionals.
Helen Fyles joins the firm as an associate partner in the insolvency and restructuring team, previously having worked at Knights and Mills & Reeve. Helen will support partner Daniel Clarke in helping to develop and grow the team, bringing more than 20 years’ experience advising all stakeholders in the insolvency process, particularly insolvency practitioners in their capacity as liquidators, administrators and trustees in bankruptcy. Helen also has particular expertise in insolvency investigations and pursuing delinquent directors.
Helen is joined at the firm by Jessica Boswell, who has been appointed as an associate in the dispute resolution team. Joining from JMW, Jessica will assist the team across a wide range of disputes covering general commercial contracts and professional negligence. She brings experience in breach of contract claims, misrepresentation issues and disputes with insurers in both an individual and business capacity.
Imogen Eastwood has been appointed as a solicitor in the commercial team. Joining from Deloitte, Imogen will be responsible for advising clients on a wide range of commercial agreements across various sectors, ranging from trading agreements through to major projects.
Bradley Davies completes the current round of appointments, joining Pannone as a solicitor in the dispute resolution team. Bradley will support the team in advising on a wide range of areas, including real estate litigation, disputes concerning general commercial contracts, estates and trusts, intellectual property, IT and professional negligence.
Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone, said: “As a firm, we’re committed to hiring and investing in the brightest talent – people who possess technical excellence but also emotional intelligence.
“We recognise the value they can bring to the firm in helping us to deliver a personal, collaborative and client-focused service. I’m confident Helen, Jessica, Imogen and Bradley will be a real asset in our commercial, insolvency and dispute resolution teams as we look to build on our success in our 10th year of business.”
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Beatriz Garcia, Sean Humphries, Irene Nakedi, Samrah Rahim, Mia McBrearty
A Manchester law firm has welcomed its newest group of budding solicitors as part of a pioneering legal apprenticeship scheme.
Reflecting the firm’s commitment to nurturing tomorrow’s legal minds, Veritas Solicitors has taken five successful trainees onto the Level 7 Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship scheme.
Sean Humphries, a 2020 LLB graduate from Lancaster University, has been with the firm for four years. He initially worked in the RTA team and now sits in the Clinical Negligence team. He said: “I’m over the moon. This is a profession I’ve always wanted to be in, having been inspired by a family member who is a solicitor.”
Beatriz Garcia, who graduated from the University of Manchester in 2021 with a degree in Law and Politics, joined the firm in February 2022. Originally from Madrid, Beatriz has progressed significantly within the housing disrepair department, recently joining the firm’s pathway to litigation scheme. She said: “I am really excited to become a qualified solicitor. The support from the firm makes this journey more feasible than a traditional training contract.”
Irene Nakedi, originally from Botswana, began her career as a nurse in Southampton before transitioning to law. She graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with an LLB in 2016 and LLM in 2018, before joining the firm in June 2023. “I was elated and very excited when I secured the apprenticeship,” she said.
“For me it’s all about making a difference to people’s lives – that’s why I got into the law and that’s what I want to continue doing as a solicitor.”
Samrah Rahim, is a 2020 graduate of the University of Salford with a degree in Law with Criminology, who joined the firm in January 2023. She said: “The SQE is a challenging route to qualification, but the support at Veritas makes it manageable. I know my family, including my grandma, are very proud of me.”
The final member of the cohort is Mia McBrearty, a 2021 Law graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University. She joined the firm two years ago and currently works in the Housing Disrepair litigation team. She said: “I have learned so much since coming here, and it is great to have seen the firm’s growth in that time. I hope to make the firm proud by qualifying as a solicitor in 30 months.”
Managing Partner Faraz Fazal, said: “This apprenticeship programme underscores our commitment to nurturing the next generation of legal professionals. We are proud to support these talented individuals on their journey to becoming qualified solicitors.”
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Waddingham and Sons Solicitors directors
Waddington and Son Solicitors has appointed two new directors, effective immediately.
Charlotte Fitzpatrick and Nicola Mawson will join their fellow directors, Colin Warner and Trish Hassell, in helping shape the firm’s future moving forward.
Qualifying as a Solicitor in 2009, Nicola joined in November 2021, and has extensive experience in several areas of law but specialises in Court of Protection Deputyship matters.
Charlotte joined in July 2012, after qualifying in 2011, and working at her previous firm of solicitors for seven years. In June 2022, Charlotte became Head of the Family department and specialises in proceedings brought by the Local Authority, representing parents, grandparents and children.
Colin Warner welcomed the new appointments, saying: “They have both made a substantial contribution to making Waddington and Son the firm it is today and I look forward to working closely with both of them as the firm continues to grow from strength to strength.”
