People: Home Property Law; DF Capital; Sellick Partnership; Agent Academy; Prosperity Law; Bridging Finance Solutions

Home Property Law, residential property practice serving Cheshire, Manchester and London has appointed Rachel Hudson as Associate Partner. Her appointment will further strengthen the practice’s residential property team, as they prepare to expand their presence in Cheshire with the opening of a new office in Alderley Edge in March 2025.

Rachel’s extensive expertise also includes handling complex property transactions for high-net-worth individuals across Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Prestbury and Knutsford, including sports and social media personalities, pension schemes, limited companies and overseas purchasers.

Home Property Law is a specialist practice of Beyond Law Group, which includes Beyond Corporate Law, McAlister Family Law and Home Property Law.

Rachel Hudson said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Home Property Law at such an exciting stage in the practice’s journey, and to be working with Cordelia on the strategic growth and direction of the practice in Cheshire. This is an incredible opportunity to work alongside a team that shares a commitment to delivering high-quality legal services, particularly in the realm of high-net-worth and complex property transactions. I’m looking forward to contributing to the practice’s continued success, leveraging my experience in residential property to further strengthen our offering to clients across Cheshire.”

Cordelia Grassby, Associate Partner and Head of Conveyancing at Home Property Law, adds, “Rachel’s expertise will be invaluable as we continue to grow and strengthen our practice across Cheshire.”

::

DF Capital, a Manchester-based specialist bank, has expanded its Leisure team with the appointment of two new members.

Headed up by Managing Director, Ian Martin, it looks after 45 manufacturers and over 500 dealers and holiday parks.

Richard Kerr has recently been appointed as Relationship Development Manager. He has over eight years of experience in the asset funding industry, having worked with a diverse clientele, ranging from relatively new, small businesses to established, large corporations.

In addition, Rosie Clarke to join the Leisure national client management team. Rosie joins the team from DF Capital’s savings team where she completed an apprenticeship programme, in line with the Group’s focus on career progression and talent development.

Ian Martin, Managing Director of Leisure at DF Capital, commented: “We pride ourselves in delivering outstanding personal service for our existing customers and as we continue to grow as a business. Expanding our Leisure team is a vital part of journey as we move from strength to strength.
“We continue to invest in and develop our existing local talent, providing a progressive environment and fostering social mobility. This enables us to work towards our core business goals in having an engaged team and putting our customer needs first.”

::

Chris Swindell

Recruitment business Sellick Partnership has appointed Chris Swindell as its new Commercial Finance Director.

He will play a pivotal role in shaping the organisation’s commercial and financial strategies, bringing extensive experience in business analysis and growth maximisation, to further strengthen its market-leading position.

Sharing his own thoughts about joining Sellick Partnership, Chris said: “I am pleased to be joining Sellick Partnership at such an exciting time. The company’s reputation for excellence and its commitment to delivering the very best for its clients and candidates are what drew me to this role.

“I look forward to meeting with all the teams in due course and working towards our ambitious growth plans whilst ensuring we remain a trusted partner in the industry.”

::

From L-R – Paul Buxton, Zoe Wallace, Simon Swan, Samantha Quinn, Lorna Davidson, Ben Osu, Caroline Cooper

Agent Academy, the not-for-profit sister enterprise of Agent, the marketing agency, pulled together an advisory board for Agent Academy, promoting its work and
engaging with potential partners and growth opportunities.

The board will review results and drive innovation to maximise employment outcomes and social impact.

Simon Swan, the founder of Hiring Hub, will chair the advisory board. He will be joined by CGI UK’s vice president consulting services, Paul Buxton; redwigwam’s CEO, Lorna Davidson; Everton FC’s head of equity and inclusion, Ben Osu; and Dearbump’s head of brand and community, Kat Jackson.

Agent Academy director Zoe Wallace commented: “Staying true to our purpose, being future-focused and responding to industry needs have been at the heart of Agent Academy’s success for over a decade. We’re committed to making sure our programmes are always industry-designed, equipping young people with the skills, experiences, and confidence to thrive in high-value creative, digital and tech careers.”

Simon Swan said: “Having worked in the digital industry for decades, and most recently as the founder and leader of Hiring Hub, I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it can be for businesses to access diverse future talent. At the same time, many young people in our communities can feel the industry is a locked door with no way to get a foot in.”

::

Jonathan Durkin, Daniel Jones and Ed Smethurst

Prosperity Law has recruited Daniel Jones as a Partner in the Family Law team.

He joined from Knights, and before that was at Gateley. He has experience of advising clients on complex family law matters, often involving global assets, international wealth structures, and cross-border disputes. He will strengthen the firm’s ability to provide strategic and tailored solutions in high-stakes private client cases.

Speaking about joining the team, he said: “They are committed to delivering the very best outcomes for each and every client – a traditional service provided by a progressive, modern
team. As well as being talented lawyers, they are a pleasure to work with, and I am excited to develop our practices together.”

Ed Smethurst, Managing Partner of Prosperity Law, commented: “At Prosperity Law, we are committed to attracting the best talent to enhance our specialist teams. Daniel’s expertise and experience make him an excellent addition and we are delighted to welcome him on board.”

::

Iain Johnson

Bridging Finance Solutions has appointed finance ‘guru’ Iain Johnson, who joins their expanding sales team as a Business Development Manager.

His professional life began as a Chartered Surveyor, working in land acquisition, commercial property management and specialising in residential property. He became Director of a large surveying company, following which he set up his own surveying company. In 2011, Iain was instrumental in starting Gemini Finance and later its sister company Velocity Bridging where he was Head of Lending.

He said: “I’m relishing my move to BFS which I believe will be a great fit, re-establishing contacts out in the field,
rather than from behind a desk’.”

Lee Gilmore, Head of Sales, said: “We’re extremely excited Iain has chosen BFS as part of his next journey. As a highly reputable, regulated lender, we continue to develop and expand our sales team. We position ourselves perfectly to penetrate the development finance sector and sub £3 million loan arena. We’re really pleased to welcome Iain who joins the BFS team at an exciting time.”