People: Clarke Willmott; Graftongate; Covatic

Law firm Clarke Willmott has announced a series of appointments and internal promotions at its Birmingham office.

The firm’s commercial property team has been strengthened with the appointment of new partner Andrew Stokes and associate Amanda Whatmore.

They both specialise in the banking and finance sector and their appointments add to the depth and breadth of the firm’s offering in the Birmingham market.

In addition, the Birmingham corporate team has also been bolstered with the appointment of associate Aiden Clucas who joins under partner Kim Klahn and demonstrates the continued growth of that team since Klahn’s arrival just over 12 months ago.

Clarke Willmott Birmingham has also seen a double promotion in the insolvency team with Lara Saunders being promoted to senior associate and Alex Jones making the transition from solicitor to associate in a continuation of the firm’s commitment to people development.

Rayner Grice, partner and head of the Birmingham office, said: “The latest promotions and appointments at our office are a fitting demonstration of the growth we have seen in the last 12 months.

“Bringing on board strong lawyers who are experts in their field while at the same time retaining and developing our own people means we can offer the best possible full service to our clients.

“Birmingham is an exciting city to be working in and the appointment of Andrew, Amanda and Aiden demonstrates the commitment we have to our clients in being truly full service.”

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Commercial real estate investor and developer Graftongate has been strengthened by a senior promotion.

Alex Thomason has been made a director of the industrial and logistics specialist, with responsibility for the acquisition of new site opportunities.

He will also forge new investor relations and oversee the day-to-day management of Graftongate’s existing industrial and logistics development pipeline.

Thomason joined Graftongate in 2018 as development manager, having previously been portfolio manager at Abrdn, where he helped handle fund acquisitions, disposals and asset management initiatives on behalf of a FTSE-listed real estate investment trust.

He has acquired several schemes on behalf of Graftongate and its joint venture partners in the last five years, including Paloma Capital, Bridges Fund Management, DTZ Investors, Oxenwood Real Estate and Legal & General.

Phil Silk, principal – managing director of Graftongate, said: “Alex has played an integral role in Graftongate’s success since joining the business more than four years ago. His promotion is well merited and a natural step in his progression, adding further depth to our senior team.

“It’s an exciting time for Graftongate with a fantastic range of projects in the pipeline and Alex’s knowledge and proven ability will be an important asset as we seek further opportunities for growth.”

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Software company Covatic has announced two new appointments to strengthen its leadership team.

Sarah Lawson Johnston has joined the company as chief revenue officer (CRO), while Sarah Whitfield has been appointed chief marketing officer (CMO).

Covatic CEO Nick Pinks said: “I’m delighted to welcome both Sarahs on board as we embark on the next stage of our business journey, having just completed our Series A funding round.

“I’m looking forward to seeing both our clients and the wider Covatic team benefit from their experience and knowledge of the digital advertising landscape.”