People: Newton LDP; FBC Manby Bowdler; Contechs

Newton LDP based in Warwickshire has further expanded its team with the key appointment of George Fox as a director of the business.

Fox specialises in strategic development land, development land agency and associated professional work acting for a wide range of clients.

He completed his MSc in Real Estate at the Royal Agricultural University and arrives after eight years with Strutt & Parker, where he was director in charge of the Oxford Development Team.

The move sees him teaming up with former colleagues Richard Foxon and Piers Beeton who founded land, development and property agency Newton in July 2021 and have already clocked up more than £153m worth of land transactions over the past 12 months.

Fox said: “Newton has already carved a very good reputation and has achieved considerable success to date.

“I previously worked with Richard and Piers for almost a decade and they are very good operators. They have applied their experience and contacts to establish an agile company which is really making waves within the land and property sector.

“I am really looking forward to being a part of their future growth plans and believe I can add to the momentum that the company has established to date. It is a very exciting prospect and one I am very much looking forward to.”

Foxon said: “George is a very accomplished and reliable operator with a strong network of contacts in the land and development sector, which makes him a great addition to the Newton team.

“We are building a team of highly respected and experienced operators with an entrepreneurial mindset and an appetite to grow the company by servicing clients to the highest possible standard, and George very much fits that bill.”

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Law firm FBC Manby Bowdler has appointed seven new legal experts in response to growing demand for its private client services.

Managing director Neil Lloyd is spearheading the investment in new talent and says the firm is seeing a sustained rise in enquiries in 2022 for estate planning, probate and Court of Protection work.

He said: “In 2022, we have been the top ranked law firm for our private client services in the areas  in which we operate and these quality appointments allow us to continue to deliver the stellar service and excellent legal advice we’re known for.”

The Wolverhampton office has welcomed two new solicitors to the ranks, Jessica Hubble and Chris Bate. Liverpool University graduate Jessica joins from a regional law firm and Associate Chris will take on a Court of Protection executive role.

FBC Manby Bowdler’s Shropshire private client team expands with the appointment of Associate Jonathan Edwards, specialising in estate administration, inheritance tax, wills, Lasting Power of Attorney, trusts and lifetime estate planning.

The Telford team also welcoming solicitor Adam Hawkes, who will be advising clients on all private client matters as well as specialising in contentious trusts and probate.

Three of the new faces – solicitors Victoria Upton, Nazia Riaz and Charlotte Todd – have joined the private client team in FBC Manby Bowdler’s Redditch office.

Lloyd added: “I look forward to all of them developing and progressing their careers in the law in the supportive environment that FBC Manby Bowdler offers to all employees.”

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Design and engineering consultancy Contechs has made an appointment aimed at boosting its global automotive design capabilities.

Warwick-headquartered Contechs has appointed former Ford of Europe chief designer  Chris Hamilton to head up its vehicle design studio team.

His appointment is aimed at strengthening Contechs’ design studio capabilities and further enhancing the services Contechs provides to its OEM clients worldwide.

Hamilton was chief designer for Ford of Europe and head of the manufacturer’s strategic design team. During his 20-year career at Ford he was responsible for delivering multiple award-winning advanced and production design programmes. His projects included Kuga, Fiesta, Mondeo, Transit and Puma.

An industrial design graduate of Coventry University, he has worked for other global brands including Nissan and Phillips and has led design teams in the UK, Europe, Asia and North America.

He said: “I am delighted to be joining the Contechs team at this exciting time.  As the company continues to grow and strengthen its core engineering business, I see a lot of opportunity for us to develop new and innovative design services for our global clients.

“I look forward to bringing my experience in the design and automotive industry to the team and being part of the Contechs family.”

Contechs group managing director Peter Jarvis said the appointment would enhance the company’s services to its growing global portfolio of vehicle makers.

“It is a significant coup to get a design expert of Chris’s stature onto our books.  He will take responsibility for delivering our design services to key automotive clients around the world and will lead the integration of our new technology, software and cloud resources to ensure that we stay at the front of design studio service providers around the globe.”