Legal news: Bermans; Ward Hadaway; Slater Heelis & more

LAW firm Bermans has added commercial as a new practice area to further expand its operation.
 
The department will be headed up Chris McDonough who has joined Bermans from Hill Dickinson as a partner in the Liverpool office where he will oversee the development of the commercial services offering.

He will cover a wide range of company and commercial work including commercial contracts, intellectual property contracts, joint ventures, partnerships and limited liability partnerships.
 
Bermans senior partner Fergal O’Cleirigh, said:  “We have grown the firm considerably over the last 18 months by adding a private client and intellectual property offering.
 
“The addition of a commercial practice area is key to our further growth and we are delighted to welcome someone of Chris’s calibre on board.
 
“His experience in industry and commerce nationally and internationally fits well with our own client base and we believe that his appointment will help us attract new clients to the firm.”

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CORPORATE lawyers at the Manchester office of Ward Hadaway have advised an international recruitment group on its latest acquisition.

Ward Hadaway provided legal advice to Antal International on its purchase of office personnel specialist Smart Moves for an undisclosed sum.

Established in 2000, Smart Moves places office-based personnel into a variety of temporary and contract roles across a number of business sectors.

The acquisition of the company will help Antal International’s plans to further expand its UK operations. Smart Moves is based in Milton Keynes with Antal International a global group based in London with more than 120 offices spread across more than 30 countries.

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MANCHESTER law firm, Slater Heelis LLP, struck a new deal to act as the preferred provider of commercial property legal services to Unite the Union – the largest trade union in Great Britain and Ireland.
 
The contract serves as a continuation of the existing relationship between Mohindra Maini – one of Slater Heelis’ recently-acquired firms – and Unite the Union, for which it provided legal services for many years.
 
The appointment provides Unite the Union with complete legal support in respect on all its commercial property matters.

Slater Heelis advised, and continues to advise, Unite the Union on its exciting and seminal £35m conference centre, hotel and office development in Birmingham.
 
Will Henson, partner and head of commercial property at Slater Heelis, said: “The retention of such a high profile client simply confirms the level of expertise and value that Slater Heelis is able to provide. We look forward to continuing our work with the Union.”

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PAUL Nazzari di Calabiana Willan, the founding partner of Athena Law, has been appointed as head of the advisory board on the Manchester Italian Chamber of Commerce.

The recently opened Manchester office is the fourth branch of the Chamber – alongside London, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Created to strengthen bilateral relationships between Italy and Britain, Mr Willan will lead the Manchester advisory board as it helps to facilitate business opportunities across the North of England.

The Manchester Italian Chamber of Commerce will operate from the Athena Law offices.

In addition to his appointment as head of the advisory board on the Manchester Italian Chamber of Commerce, Mr Willan will also be invited to represent the North of England on the Chamber’s Honorary Council.

Mr Willan said: “Manchester has established itself as an increasingly popular destination for internationally-minded students and professionals, with Italians representing the fastest-growing community of EU nationals in the UK.

“With more than 50,000 Italians living and working in the Greater Manchester area, the branch will provide a bricks and mortar presence to support members and facilitate the wider aims of the Chamber.”

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BOLTON-based Asons Solicitors has launched a new website dedicated to supporting sufferers that have been affected by the deadly substance.

The site, www.asbestosawareuk.com, goes into great detail about the various industrial diseases that can be contracted through exposure to asbestos, including asbestosis, mesothelioma, pleural thickening and lung cancer.