Appointments: Irwin Mitchell; Grant Thornton & more

LAW firm Irwin Mitchell has bolstered its family law team in Manchester  with the appointment of two solicitors.

Jenna Lucas, 28, from Cardiff, has joined Irwin Mitchell with six years’ experience gained at Howells Solicitors and Elliot Mather. She will specialise in complex cases involving children and financial matters at Irwin Mitchell.

The second newcomer is 31-year-old Hannah Saxe, 31, from Manchester, who has six and a half years’ experience gained at Mace & Jones and Weightmans.  She has particular expertise in the law relating to cohabiting couples and complex disputes regarding the arrangements for children.

Ros Bever, partner in the Irwin Mitchell family law team in Manchester, said: “It’s important for our continued growth and success that we keep investing in people with a wide range of expertise.

“They are important additions to the team and no doubt will be an asset to the family department, not just in Manchester but also nationally as our clients benefit from their specialist knowledge.”

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THE Manchester office of Grant Thornton has expanded its expatriate tax team in response to an increase in the number of businesses in the region aiming to build up their international operations.

Davyd Fisher has joined the team, which is part of the employer solutions division at the firm, after spending more than seven years with Deloitte in Birmingham and Manchester.

Mr Fisher said: “Despite the gloomy economy, opportunities for expansion are still to be found right across the globe, and UK companies are being quick to capitalise on this.

“Grant Thornton has long been recognised for its international capability. The mixture of the firm’s global reach and local market skills gives clients a really holistic approach to successfully expanding – it’s great to be working in a team with such vast experience.”

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LIVERPOOL-based Centriforce Products, an  independent plastics recycling company has made a three strategic new senior appointments to boost business and growth.

The newly-created posts reflect Centriforce’s commitment to developing new business opportunities and further boosting production at its Derby Road facility.

The appointments are: technical manager Adrian Davenport, who will focus on a drive for new product development and introduction; Steve Wood, a total productive maintenance manager who has a brief to improve production efficiency and Russell Thomas, business development manager  who will focus on specification sales and new business growth for recycled plastic products. such as boardwalks.

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THE Scott Partnership, based in Cheshire, has appointed Mario Fante as director of client services and business development for North America.

With more than 20 years experience in global communications, and 12 years specialising in life sciences public relations, Mr Fante will support and expand The Scott Partnership’s US client base.

He joins The Scott Partnership following his most recent position at PerkinElmer, where he took a leading role in building and driving its global public relations programme.

Kath Darlington, founder and chief executive of The Scott Partnership, said: “Many of The Scott Partnership’s clients are headquartered in the US, making it a natural choice for us to appoint a US-based team leader. The company is continually growing and expanding its global footprint, with Mario’s appointment being another promising step forward in our global growth strategy.”

The Scott Partnership is based in Holmes Chapel in Cheshire with offices in the US and China.

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EXPERIENCED nursery professional Elaine Kay has been appointed to manage the new £1m Little Rascals children’s nursery and development centre, which is due to open next month.

Roger Bessent, managing director of Little Rascals said: “Elaine is just the person we are looking for to lead the team at Little Rascals nursery, bringing the right amount of qualifications, dedication and experience to her role.”

Little Rascals is a purpose-built facility situated on Bluebell Way, Preston East.

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MANCHESTER-based fashion PR specialist Label PR has appointed  Hannah Park as an account executive at the agency’s Manchester head office.

She joins from international fashion house Temperley London’s press office, where she worked as PR assistant for three years.