People: Law firm boosts commercial property team; New chairman for LEP; and more

Thursfields Solicitors has recruited a US lawyer to join the commercial property team at its Worcester office.

Katherine Hall has joined the firm after spending the last five years working in the Worcester market having trained at a local firm and qualifying as a UK solicitor in August 2015.

Tony Gibb, a director in Thursfields’ commercial property team, said: “We’re delighted to welcome a lawyer of Katherine’s experience to our Worcester team, and we’re sure she’ll add to our strength in the region.

“It will be really useful to have someone on the team who has a different perspective from her background in the USA, but who’s also fully qualified in UK law as we deal with transactions involving US companies.

“We’re pleased at how Thursfields’ growing reputation is making the firm increasingly attractive to top lawyers like Katherine.”

Hall was born and brought up in the USA and was educated in English and Journalism at the University of Texas and then in Law at the University of Houston.

She gained experience in family law, general civil matters and appeals work in Texas and also lived in New York before moving to the UK in 2013 and qualifying via the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme.

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The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership has announced the appointment of its new chairman.

Alun Rogers, who has been acting chairman since June 2019, is taking on the role. Hehas been a LEP board member for two-and-a-half years.

Rogers has led on the development of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Industrial Strategy working with the area’s business community. The strategy, which sets a framework for productivity growth across Stoke and Staffordshire over the next 10 years, is currently out for consultation. He will now lead the LEP as it looks to deliver this new economic growth strategy and continue to lobby the Government to ensure the area’s business voice is heard at a national level.

Rogers co-founded Stafford-based IT firm risual with business partner Richard Proud in 2005, building on his previous experience as an IT consultant.

Rogers said: “I stepped up my involvement in the LEP work last year, taking on the acting chair’s role. I learnt a great deal during the summer while leading a comprehensive review of the organisation and its work. We have restructured the board and secretariat, increasing our direct engagement with our business base and civic leaders and working together on our challenges, opportunities and priorities for economic growth.

“I now feel ready to take on the role of LEP chairman and am both honoured and excited to be working for the benefit of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire businesses.

“We are taking forward a bold, new strategy for our area. The Local Industrial Strategy is enabling us to deliver transformative work programmes to grow the economy of our city, towns and rural areas and to measurably improve opportunities for our residents and businesses.  As a new and revitalised board, we are just getting started.”

Previous chairman David Frost retired as chairman in September after serving for five years.

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Carter Jonas has added to its commercial property team in Birmingham with the appointment of Sam Cooke.

Cooke joins as an associate from Savills where he advised on office agency instructions in Birmingham city centre, the M42 corridor and wider Midlands region. At Carter Jonas, Cooke will focus on landlord disposal and tenant acquisition, working alongside Caroline Penn-Smith who joined Carter Jonas as a partner in 2018 to launch the firm’s Birmingham commercial property team.

Cooke has more than 10 years’ experience in commercial property ranging from the serviced office industry, auctioneering in both the commercial and residential markets through to lease advisory, strategic asset management, investment and occupier representation.

Penn-Smith said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome Sam to the team, it is a great way to start the new year. He has a huge amount of talent and a strong network of contacts in Birmingham and the wider region. His appointment is as a direct result of the continuing success of our commercial offering and enhances our ability to find tailored and effective solutions for our growing client base.”