People: Jackson Lees Group; Todd Architects; Altius Group; Vincents Solicitors; Harrison Drury; DM Hall; Slater Heelis
Four trainee solicitors at law firm Jackson Lees Group have become fully qualified following the completion of their final exams.
Erin Sunderland, Zita Kiszko and Emily Hutton joined the group, which has offices in Liverpool and Wirral, as paralegals while Zoe McConville started as a conveyancing assistant.
Managing director, Esther Leach, said: “Developing our people has always been and will remain a priority for us at Jackson Lees Group, and I feel incredibly lucky that we have been able to support these four brilliant lawyers all the way through their training and examinations to now being fully qualified.”
Erin initially joined the group’s Actions Against the Police team and then during her training contract worked in the civil litigation and community care teams. She has now returned to the Actions Against the Police team.
She said: “My journey to becoming a lawyer has helped me grow on both a personal and a professional level. I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. I am so excited for this next chapter.”
Zoe has worked in the Covid Inquiry, wills, trusts and probate and Court of Protection teams since she began her training contract. She has returned to the Covid Inquiry team after qualifying.
She said: “The journey to qualification has been long and at times very challenging, but the hard work feels worth it now. I am excited to begin my career as a qualified solicitor and I am lucky to do that whilst working on such a monumental Inquiry.”
Zita started at Jackson Lees in the Court of Protection team. She also spent time in the clinical negligence team during her training before returning to the Court of Protection team to qualify.
She said: “The support and experience I have gained here has been instrumental in my development and so I am thrilled to be continuing my journey as a Court of Protection solicitor.”
Emily’s career began in the family team and she has qualified with a specialisation in that area of law. She said: “I have been lucky to work closely alongside an incredibly talented and experienced team, and I couldn’t have done it without their endless guidance and support.”
Jackson Lees Group comprises Broudie Jackson Canter, Farrington Law and Jackson Lees and has its headquarters in Liverpool city centre. It also has offices in Wirral and Southport, employing more than 280 people.
Jackson Lees Group 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. The initials stand for Making a Positive Difference.
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Matthew Hird
Manchester-based Matthew Hird has joined AJ100 practice Todd Architects as the new head of healthcare where he will be responsible for leading the practice’s healthcare strategy across the UK and Ireland.
With more than 25 years’ experience in healthcare design and delivery, Matthew has worked on some of the most prestigious and award winning projects in the North West, including Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Clatterbridge Cancer Hospital in Liverpool and The Paterson Laboratory Building at The Christie in Manchester.
Matthew said: “As an established architectural practice, Todd have a wealth of inspirational healthcare designs. My goal is to build on that and continue to deliver exceptional healthcare projects for our clients.”
Director, Andrew Murray, said: “Matthew joining our healthcare team is another positive step for the practice, strengthening our offer to clients across all aspects of design in the sector.
“His wealth of experience will no doubt build on the reputation we have established in recent years within the sector.”
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Gavin Sutton
Altius Group has appointed Gavin Sutton as its new financial controller.
Gavin brings with him an impressive 30 years of experience in finance across multiple sectors, strengthening Preston-based Altius Group’s financial strategy as the company continues to grow.
Gavin joins from Adhan Group, where he served as head of finance for the past four years. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in spearheading the company’s expansion into retail outlets across the UK, complementing its well established industrial unit business.
Prior to his role at Adhan, Gavin spent a decade at GM Group, holding a variety of senior positions including finance director, managing director, and ultimately serving as an executive board member.
Gavin said: “I am looking forward to applying my experience from the last 30 years to assist the board in making decisions to ensure sustainable growth for the group.”
Altius Group chairman, Paul Miller, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Gavin to the Altius Group team. His extensive experience and proven track record in financial leadership will be invaluable as we continue to drive our strategic growth.
“Gavin’s expertise will help strengthen our financial operations, ensuring we remain well positioned for long term success.”
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Nicola Hayes and Lisa Lodge
Lancashire law firm, Vincents Solicitors, has appointed a new Court of Protection (CoP) team.
Experienced solicitor Nicola Hayes will head up the Court of Protection Department with support from legal assistants Rebecca Wilde, Mary Greenway and Susan Coyne.
Nicola will also work closely with director Lisa Lodge, head of the company’s Private Client department and a court-appointed Professional Deputy.
Lisa said: “Nicola, Mary and Rebecca are all highly experienced legal practitioners who bring kindness and warmth to their Court of Protection work. This is a very sensitive area of the law where we are working with extremely vulnerable clients and worried families, so having the right team in place is vital.”
The team, which is based in the Garstang office, has launched a community project working with local care homes to provide free advice to carers and families.
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Amy Wagg and Ros Monk
North West law firm, Harrison Drury, has expanded its land and property dispute resolution team with the appointment of associate solicitor, Amy Wagg.
Amy joins from Irwin Mitchell and will be based in the firm’s Kendal office.
She is experienced in handling a range of complex commercial and residential landlord and tenant disputes, including dilapidations claims, rent arrears recovery, lease renewals, possession proceedings, and forfeiture actions.
Ros Monk, partner in the land and property dispute resolution team at Harrison Drury, said: “We’re thrilled to have Amy joining our team. Her experience working with both landlords and tenants, and specialist knowledge of mortgage repossessions, make her a valuable addition to our team.”
Amy said: “Harrison Drury’s values and strong team spirit really caught my attention. I’m looking forward to being part of such a respected firm.”
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L-R: Suzie Barron, Charles Metcalf, Clare Browne
Scottish Chartered Surveyor, DM Hall, has increased its professional presence in the North West with the appointment of a new associate.
Suzie Barron was born and raised in the area and has an exceptional knowledge of the Cumbrian market. She will operate out of the Kendal office of the firm, which also has premises in Carlisle.
She said: “The firm has a most impressive pedigree, having been a trusted partner of clients for more than 128 years, and the general practice team I will be working with in Kendal have already very much proved that they are on top of their game.”
Charles Metcalf, a partner within the building surveying team in Kendal, said: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Suzie Barron aboard and we are confident that she will be a very valuable addition to the team.”
To help deal with the pace of expansion being experienced by DM Hall in Cumbria, the firm has also recruited Clare Browne as property administrator, providing back-up, support and services to the general practice teams.
DM Hall, now in its 128th year, has an extensive network of offices across Scotland and in 2023 expanded into the North of England with the acquisition of Hyde Harrington, a firm of Chartered Surveyors based in Carlisle and Kendal.
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From left: Emily, Alexandra and Tasneem
Slater Heelis has appointed three new trainee solicitors: Emily Wood, Tasneem Rahman, and Alexandra Breare, who have joined to further enhance legal services and client offerings at the Manchester law firm.
Emily Wood will be working between the private litigation and crime teams, assisting with a diverse range of legal matters. Her areas of experience include wills and probate, contested probate, TOLATA, and small claims.
Emily graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2023 with a First Class Honours in Law. She joins Slater Heelis from Joe Egan Solicitors, where she worked as a trainee solicitor while completing her LPC part-time at The University of Law.
Tasneem Rahman and Alexandra Breare previously worked in the Slater Heelis Court of Protection team as paralegals and have been promoted to trainee solicitors and will continue their work within the team.
Tasneem graduated from Salford University in Law with Criminology and has gained more than two years’ experience within Court of Protection at other well known firms in the North West.
Alexandra Breare has been working in the Court of Protection team as a paralegal since July 2023. She studied psychology at the University of Leeds and completed a MSc in Memory and its Disorders. Alexandra then worked as an assistant psychologist for the NHS and later at the Alzheimer’s Society, where she supported carers and people with dementia, often explaining powers of attorney and wills.
This led her to undertake a Law degree with the Open University, before obtaining a Master’s Degree in Law and completing her LPC in 2019.
Managing partner and criminal defence solicitor at Slater Heelis, Rachel Fletcher, said: “We are excited to see the contributions they will make in their new roles and look forward to supporting their professional growth at Slater Heelis.”
