People: Hill Dickinson; RMS; Mitchell Charlesworth & more
HILL Dickinson has appointed Tricia Morrison as construction legal director.
The former head of construction at Napthens boasts 20 years’ experience, and has spent more than a decade specialising in construction law.
Disputes, litigation, injunctions, dispute resolution, adjudication, arbitration and mediation are among Tricia’s specialisms.
Hill Dickinson bosses said the appointment comes following growth in the construction team which operates in Manchester and Liverpool.
Alan Pugh, head of construction at Hill Dickinson, said: “This appointment underlines the firm’s ongoing commitment to investing in the best people to help support our growth.
“The construction sector continues to be extremely buoyant following a strong performance during the past 12 months and I see no reason why this momentum will not continue and it is fantastic to welcome a lawyer of Tricia’s calibre on board.
“She adds considerable expertise to our offering to market particularly in relation to her dispute work.
Morrison said: “The team at Hill Dickinson is highly regarded, and its depth and skill is recognised throughout the UK.
“I’m delighted to become a part of ‘it and look forward to working alongside Alan and Head of Business Services, David Chinn to realise its aspirations for growth.”
Morrison, registered as a solicitor in both Scotland and England, will split her time between Hill Dickinson’s Liverpool and Manchester offices.
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PR and marketing agency RMS PR has boosted its senior team with the appointment of Dave Beresford as account director.
A former journalist Beresford has joined the Altrincham-based agency from Marketecture.
He will provide strategic marketing and PR advice to a varied portfolio of clients that includes leading manufacturing, property development and financial services companies.
Having started his career in the script department of TV series Hollyoaks, Dave moved into business journalism before transitioning into media relations and marketing.
Agency boss Ruth Shearn said: “Dave is a great all-rounder. Increasingly, clients want advisers who understand the whole marketing landscape and who they can trust to advise them on the most suitable activity to meet their commercial goals.
“Dave stood out during the hugely competitive recruitment process as someone who had an intimate knowledge of the media combined with a solid commercial understanding. Crucially, he also fits well with our trademark culture.
“He is extremely talented with entrepreneurial flare and will be a huge asset to us and our clients.”
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WIDNES accountancy firm Mitchell Charlesworth is announcing specialist staff appointments and promotions to help guide an ambitious “2020” vision.
Charlesworth is investing in local talent, upskilling staff to future proof the firm and boosting its overall client offering. It is part of a broader vision to drive turnover to £10m by 2020.
The firm has appointed Joanna Greska as an accountant assistant. Her fluent Polish speaking and writing skills will give a big boost to dealing with eastern European clients.
Greska, who lives in Warrington, has a Polish business and taxes degree and will be preparing year-end accounts, plus personal and VAT returns.
She has been a Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (MAAT) since 2011 and previously worked for an independent accountant firm in Warrington.
Newly promoted in the Widnes office is Danny Reid, who has had 24 years’ service with Mitchell Charlesworth and has been an assistant nanager for the last 15 years. Reid, a certified accountant who lives in Runcorn, will have responsibilities for audit work, handling £10m – £20m corporates.
Lucy Buck has also been promoted to assistant manager in the Widnes office after eight years’ service.
Buck, who lives in Widnes, is a fully qualified ACA (Associate of The Institute of Chartered Accountants) and her sector focus is sports/entertainment, OMBs and family run businesses.
Mitchell Charlesworth Widnes partner Lorraine Whittaker said the firm can offer greater value for money in terms of range and depth of services compared to any other regional accountancy practice.
“Mitchell Charlesworth is focusing on delivering locally based, complete financial solutions for businesses and individuals,” she said. “We intend to become a £10m turnover practice by 2020 and become the top SME (small and medium sized enterprise) advisor in North West England.”
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MOORHOUSE’S, the acclaimed ‘Pendle Witches’ cask-ale brewery, has strengthened and reshaped its sales team in a push to grow business with publicans across its northern heartland.
Under sales director Mark Boardman, the Lancashire independent has bolstered the sales team with two new recruits.
Storme Lockwood, from Dewsbury, joins as Yorkshire sales executive for York, Leeds, Huddersfield, Dewsbury and South Yorkshire to complement the sales operation in the Yorkshire Pennines and Dales.
She has several years’ sales experience in the region’s catering and drinks industry, including with Hungryhouse in Leeds, covering Bradford for JUST EAT and with Carlsberg UK.
Former publican Dan Yates has been appointed to take on the Ribble Valley area from Glynn Wright, who moves to the Lakes & Fylde.
Yates has a family history in the licensed trade and was formerly general manager at the CAMRA praised Shoulder of Mutton at Holcombe, Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester.
Rhys Foster moves from the Lakes & Fylde area to develop the potential of Greater Manchester – seen as a substantial growth market for the Burnley brewer’s fastest growing Blond Witch, White Witch and Pride of Pendle brands.
Managing director David Grant said: “In recent years we have built business nationally. Now we have enhanced our talented team to tackle the challenges we face in today’s highly competitive market and further raise our profile as a leading cask brewery for the North.”
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CLAIMS management business Stanton Fisher, based in Sale, Greater Manchester, has appointed a new chief executive to steer the company through continued long-term expansion.
James Boyd, former chief executive at law firm Birchall Blackburn, has joined the company and will immediately focus on the company’s rebrand.
With more than 20 years’ experience as part of an executive management team and working at board level Boyd’s experience in developing the business and its people will be vital to the future plans of growth, according to Chairman, Brady Collins.
He said: “James has a strong track record of working at a strategic level and using his communication and influencing skills to lead very effective and long term working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
“His record of creating a high-performing team culture, achieving best practice and delivering exceptional customer satisfaction, will be fundamental to Stanton Fisher achieving its ambitious growth plans.”
Stanton Fisher handles claims for PPI, flight delays and packaged bank accounts, and continues to see a growth in the number of people with valid claims against banks and financial institutions for mis-selling.
Boyd, is currently finalising Stanton Fisher’s rebrand, which includes a new website, brand identity and internal communications.
He said: “The recent growth of Stanton Fisher and its plans for expanding into different markets, demonstrates clearly that this is an exciting time for the future of the business.”
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COLLIERS International has hired Alastair Grindey as a senior surveyor to join its Business Space Lease Advisory team in Manchester.
Grindey has 15 years’ experience in the provision of business space leasing advice and joins Colliers from DTZ. Prior to that he was with Donaldsons and he began his career with GVA in Birmingham.
He will provide clients with a comprehensive range of services from rent reviews to lease renewals and lease surrenders, regearing and restructuring as well as expert witness representation.
Based at Colliers’ new Manchester office at Chancery Place, Grindey will join the team covering the Northern region, working closely with London-based Chris Ridgway, head of Business Space Lease Advisory, to support the growth of the team’s market share in the office and industrial sectors.
Ridgway said: “Alastair brings extensive experience in all areas of business space leasing advice. His expertise will be invaluable to our team, as we strive for increased market share across the Northern region.”
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REGIONAL law firm Aaron & Partners has strengthened its Dispute Resolution and Insolvency team further with the appointment of insolvency expert Mark Davies as a partner in its Chester office.
Davies, who has spent most of the last 20 years working for Manchester based firms, has more than 26 years’ experience of servicing a national client base and is an acknowledged expert in personal insolvency.
Head of the Dispute Resolution and Insolvency team at Aaron & Partners, Nick Clarke, said: “We are extremely pleased that a partner of Mark’s calibre and national reputation has joined us. His appointment adds significant depth to our well-established Insolvency team.”
Davies said: “I have always been aware of Aaron & Partners’ excellent reputation so I’m delighted to have joined the firm and I’m looking forward to working with the great team here.”
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MARC Appleton, Solicitor in the Commercial Property team at North West law firm Napthens, has been promoted to partner.
Appleton, of Bolton, joined Napthens in 2013. Formerly of Addleshaw Goddard, he advises clients on matters including investment sales and purchases, new build commercial development work, auctions and commercial leases.
Meanwhile, Marc’s colleague, Stephen Bell, has been promoted to the position of senior associate solicitor, also within the Commercial Property team.
Bell, who joined Napthens in 2014 and lives near Chorley, works with clients on a range of commercial property legal work including site acquisitions, lending work and landlord and tenant issues.
Both Appleton and Bell are based in the law firm’s Preston office.
James Allison, head of Napthens’ Real Estate Division, said: “Marc and Stephen are well respected members of the team at Napthens and within the commercial property sector in Lancashire and Cumbria.
