People: Napthens; Foot Anstey; Downing; Slater and Gordon; Kelmore; MCI Developments; Bermans; Ward Hadaway
North west law firm, Napthens, has made 12 promotions across its employment law, wills, estate planning, commercial property, litigation, rural, residential conveyancing and corporate teams.
Chris King
Eight of the promotions are to legal director – Jennifer Rogers and Charlotte Barron in litigation, Farida Isaji and Victoria Cross in wills and estate planning, Matt Parr, Nicola Ciraolo and Stephanie Marshall in commercial property, and Chris King of employment law, HR and health and safety firm AfterAthena, part of Napthens Group.
Alongside these are promotions to senior associate solicitor for Uzma Begum in residential conveyancing and James Stocker in rural, with Ben Mayson in corporate and Gareth Jones in residential conveyancing promoted to associate solicitor.
Nicola Mason, head of people and operations at Napthens Group, said: “Watching careers flourish amongst our Napthens colleagues is always rewarding. It’s so important to support and encourage the positive development of our colleagues and to show appreciation for their continued hard work, delivering on our values and promises, time and time again.”
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Jan Levinson
National law firm, Foot Anstey, has appointed dispute resolution lawyer, Jan Levinson, as Partner in its Manchester office, making it eight new partner hires for the firm in 2024.
Prior to joining Foot Anstey, Jan was a Partner in the Commercial Dispute Resolution team at law firm DAC Beachcroft for 21 years where he worked on well-publicised cases with a particular focus on technology, media and sports disputes.
Jan will assist in spearheading Foot Anstey’s key expansion plans in growing the Manchester office and cementing the firm’s presence in the North West.
He said: “I’m excited to be part of Foot Anstey’s expansion in Manchester, a city I’m deeply connected to having been born, educated and had the majority of my career here.
“I look forward to continuing to build out the Manchester office to cement our place on the North West map.”
Jonathan Grigg, Partner and Head of Commercial Dispute Resolution, said: “Jan will be a tremendous asset to our Dispute Resolution practice. His appointment is a significant step in our continued investment in the Manchester market as a core component of our national growth strategy.
“Jan’s established reputation as a leading figure in Manchester will bring invaluable strength to our team and bolster our capacity to handle complex, high stakes disputes. With his expertise, we’re positioned to better serve our clients both nationally and on a global scale.”
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Daniel Donnelly
Property investment developer, Downing, has brought on board a new Head of Interior Design. Daniel Donnelly will lead the delivery of quality interiors across Downing’s expanding £1.6bn development pipeline, which encompasses a comprehensive portfolio of landmark projects planned to start on site in 2025.
The key cities for these transformative schemes include Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle, Brighton and London.
Based at the developer’s recently expanded Liverpool headquarters, Daniel will work with the development and construction teams to ensure brand standards and sustainability are maintained, helping to streamline design processes.
A member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), he brings significant experience from previous roles within leading architectural firms such as Corstorphine & Wright, Veretec, and Marchese Partners International.
Daniel said: “Joining Downing is an incredible opportunity – the company’s ambition, combined with its significant growth opportunities, makes this a fantastic team to join at an incredibly exciting time.”
Among the first projects that Daniel will be leading is the next phase of Square Gardens in Manchester, plus forthcoming landmark developments in Leeds, Newcastle and London.
Sally O’Brien, Downing CEO, said: “We’re thrilled to have Daniel join Downing at such a pivotal time in our expansion. As we cement our position as a market leader in sustainable urban development, we’re making strategic investments in both our portfolio and our team.”
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Andrew Ormrod
The family law team at Slater and Gordon has made a new senior appointment to further strengthen its presence in Liverpool.
Andrew Ormrod has worked in family law since 2004 and adds significant experience to the specialist family team. He joins as a senior associate and has 20 years of experience in supporting families through divorce and separation matters, with particular expertise in cases involving children and custody arrangements.
In addition to its flagship base in Liverpool, the law firm also has an office in Wirral, which is home to a number of its specialist family lawyers – with Andrew’s appointment strengthening its offering across Merseyside even further.
He said: “I am very pleased to join Slater and Gordon, a firm with an excellent track record for its work in family law.”
Georgina Chase, head of family law at Slater and Gordon, said: “Andrew is rightly known as a key name in family law in Merseyside and, over the course of the past 20 years, has earned the reputation he has today.”
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Usman Rasul and Alistair Sharp
Kelmore, a new Chorley-based manufacturer specialising in high performance solutions for the flooring and tiling industries, has announced two significant additions to its laboratory team.
Alistair Sharp joined the business in August to head up the Research and Development team as R&D Manager, while Usman Rasul started in October as Senior Development Chemist.
Both Alistair and Usman bring a wealth of industry experience and expertise, adding huge value to Kelmore’s capabilities in product innovation, technical excellence and quality assurance.
These new roles come at an exciting time for Kelmore. Founded in 2020, the family business launched its products to market in February 2024.
Since then, the company’s team now exceeds 45 members across production, engineering, R&D, operations, customer services, sales, marketing, and accounts.
Managing Director, Mark Kelly, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Alistair and Usman to Kelmore. Their contributions to our laboratory team will strengthen our ability to innovate and exceed customer expectations whilst ensuring all our products are of the highest quality.”
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Mark Hadfield, Peter Farnworth, Jamie Irving
MCI Developments, a subsidiary of national housebuilder, Keepmoat, has unveiled two new senior appointments and an internal promotion at its Wigan office.
Peter Farnworth has been promoted from Head of Commercial to Commercial Director, while Mark Hadfield has joined the business as Technical Director alongside Jamie Irving as Land & Partnerships Director.
Both Peter and Jamie have extensive experience within the sector and will work with the wider specialist team in land acquisition to drive the delivery of a diverse range of residential opportunities, from small, high value schemes to large, mixed-use projects.
Peter said: “I have a strong track record in managing surveying teams and will be streamlining processes at MCI within an already high performing team.’’
Mark said: “I chose to join the business because of its excellent reputation and impressive work portfolio. I’m looking forward to getting started and building a team that will help us drive forward our ambitious plans for business growth.”
Craig Murphy, Regional Managing Director, said: “The need for high quality homes delivered in partnership with local authorities and housing associations has never been greater, and we’re proud to bring a fantastic, highly experienced team together to create homes for the people of the North West.”
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Paul Edels, left, and Paul Rabbette
Two lawyers who specialise in advising clients in the healthcare sector have joined the corporate team at North West practice, Bermans.
Partner Paul Edels and senior paralegal Paul Rabbette are based in Bermans’ Liverpool office after both moved from Prosperity Law.
Paul Edels, who was head of corporate and commercial and head of healthcare at his previous firm, has acted for buyers and sellers of dental practices on more than 100 transactions across England and Wales over the past five years.
Before Prosperity Law, Paul worked at Goodman Grant Solicitors and then Acuity Law, which acquired the practice in 2022.
Paul said: “Bermans has a great reputation in the corporate field and I think of the firm as a regional powerhouse.”
Paul Rabbette joined Goodman Grant Solicitors in 2013 as an apprentice business administrator then switched to become a paralegal. He moved to Prosperity Law in June 2023.
He said: “Bermans is a well known and highly reputable law firm. I’m extremely excited to join the practice.”
Bermans is part of MAPD Group, which was founded by Brian Cullen and Joanna Kingston-Davies in 2020 to power the growth of local law firms nationally through acquisition.
Jon Davage, managing director of Bermans and the firm’s head of corporate, said: “The arrival of Paul Edels and Paul Rabbette bolsters our corporate offering in Liverpool, where we continue to work closely with the business and professional community. With their extensive experience and knowledge of the region, we are confident our new recruits will fit into the Bermans culture and provide the high standard of service which our clients are used to.
“We are looking forward to welcoming further significant new arrivals over the next few months as we continue to grow all of our commercial teams with the backing of the MAPD Group.”
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From left: Richard Burton, Carlyn Weale, Daniyal Malik, Melissa Munday, Chris Prossor, Nick Wells
Ward Hadaway has invested significantly in its commercial litigation offering in Manchester to create a new flagship team, with the arrival of two new partners, Carlyn Weale and Nick Wells, along with Managing Associate Richard Burton.
These new hires strengthen services across the North West, expanding the team to six dedicated commercial litigation lawyers.
Carlyn Weale joined Ward Hadaway in the summer from Kennedys, where she led the North West litigation team.
Nick Wells, formerly head of the commercial litigation team at Flint Bishop in the East Midlands, also joined as Partner in early 2024.
Most recently, Managing Associate Richard Burton, formerly of Anthony Collins in Birmingham and in-house at Derby City Council, has also come on board, bringing specialist knowledge of public sector litigation and Private Finance Initiative (PFI) disputes.
Liz Bottrill, Executive Partner for Ward Hadaway’s Manchester office, said: “Our latest appointments in Manchester mark an exciting phase of growth for Ward Hadaway. Carlyn and Nick’s combined experience and leadership will drive our commercial litigation practice forward, ensuring we remain a trusted partner for businesses across the North West and creates a team to rival the established Manchester practices with big names from several regions joining forces.”
Together with Managing Associate, Melissa Munday, Associate Daniyal, Malik and a trainee solicitor, they form a strong team of experts offering practical solutions across a wide spectrum of commercial litigation matters.
Carlyn Weale said: “Joining Ward Hadaway’s Manchester team is an incredible opportunity. I’m looking forward to working alongside such talented colleagues as we continue to build a strong commercial litigation practice to support our clients in the North West.”
Nick Wells said: “Ward Hadaway’s focus on creative, innovative legal solutions and teamwork aligns with my own approach to dealing with major litigation cases.”
