People: Gateley; Countryside Partnerships; Anthony Collins; Auriga Services
Legal and professional services group Gateley has announced a number of promotions at its Birmingham headquarters.
A total of 24 promotions have been made at Gateley’s Edmund Street office, led by residential development lawyer Sarbjeet Gill, who has been made a partner, and James Baty of the complex international recovery work team (CIRW), who has been promoted to Of Counsel. William Strickland of Gateley Hamer has been made a principal surveyor.
There are five new legal directors appointed, with real estate lawyer Helen Pitt, commercial dispute resolution’s Kate Canning and Safeea Shafiq, and private client lawyers Andrew McManus and Hannah Turner completing the line-up. Ben Caldwell from specialist property consultancy Gateley Hamer is now a technical director.
In addition, six new senior associate promotions have been made in Birmingham with residential development lawyers Charlotte Hickman and Elaine Ip, Nicki Roskell from real estate, Emma Styles from construction, tax lawyer David Williams and pension specialist Paul Wild.
Promoted to associate are residential development lawyers Ketna Patel, Sarbjit Pooni, Will Hudson, and Joanne Warde. Tammi Broad, who is a tax lawyer, Jack Elms and Janai Parker from the corporate team, real estate lawyer Daniel Parker and Pardeep Lagha from the commercial, technology and data team complete the line-up of new associates.
Rebecca Sherwin, partner and head of the Birmingham office, said: “Congratulations to all those within the Birmingham office who have received a promotion. Our annual promotions process is part of our commitment to developing our emerging talent. This recognition of their efforts will provide the inspiration and impetus to set them on course for success in the next phase of their legal careers.
“Each promotion is very well deserved with everyone demonstrating a strong desire to deliver results that delight our clients while achieving success for themselves and our business.”
Photo caption – Back row (left to right): William Strickland (principal surveyor), James Baty (Of Counsel), Andrew McManus (legal director), Sarbjeet Gill (partner), Hannah Turner (legal director)
Front row (left to right): Kate Canning (legal director), Rebecca Sherwin (partner and head of Birmingham office), Helen Pitt (legal director)
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Countryside Partnerships, the mixed-tenure developer, has confirmed the promotions of two new managing directors in its North West and Midlands regions.
Gemma Hardy becomes managing director of Merseyside & Cheshire West, having served a sales director since 2021.
Adam Sharpe has been promoted to managing director of South West Midlands. He joined what was originally Galliford Try Partnerships in 2018, progressing through the Land and Preconstruction department, where he most recently served as pre-construction director.
Sharpe said: “I’m extremely proud to be taking the reins for South West Midlands. I’m fortunate to be inheriting a great team and look forward to continuing to grow the business, whilst developing our teams. My focus is firmly on ensuring a positive experience for our employees, customers and partners.”
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Law firm Anthony Collins (AC) has announced the appointment of Matt Wort to senior partner, following nearly two decades at the company.
Since joining AC in 2005, he has specialised in employment law for the firm’s health and social care clients and has played an integral role in the company’s journey to becoming a leading social purpose law firm.
In his new role, he will continue to support AC’s work as a sector specialist national law firm and the first firm with a Midlands head office to become B Corp accredited, recognising the social purpose and environmental values of the company.
His appointment follows the promotion of four senior associates, four associates and one legal director across AC’s specialist sectors of local government, housing, health and social care, charities and social business, in the May promotions round.
Peter Hubbard, who has served as senior partner since 2014, has moved to take on the role of managing partner for the firm.
Wort said: “The journey Anthony Collins has been on over the last 50 years to become a leading social purpose law firm has been built on our team’s dedication to going above and beyond for our clients in the important work they do to improve lives, communities and society.
“Since joining AC in 2005, I’ve seen first-hand the fantastic teamwork and commitment of all the staff and partners here to social purpose which has been essential in our success. As we continue to grow as a firm, we are focused on becoming the firm that people aspire to work for because of the great work that we do for our clients and the way that we do it.
“Our recent B Corp accreditation is a good metric for measuring the impact of this social purpose work, and the positive wider impact AC has for clients and the communities they serve as well as our environmental impact.
“In my new role, I am focused on continuing to build on AC’s goals of putting social purpose at the forefront of everything we do, and supporting our clients in their work across our key sectors including the private client team, social business, health and social care, charities, social housing and local government.”
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Auriga has announced the appointment of a new non-executive chair at a significant time for the organisation that has seen a 90% increase in the amount of charitable grants it has administered due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
A qualified HR professional, Tracey Orr brings considerable transformational experience to the Midlands-based public benefit organisation having worked for the Central England Co-operative for 37 years and at board level for more than a decade.
She brings expertise in strategy development and implementation, change management, financial and performance appraisal, oversight of digital and technology strategies, as well as with people and culture.
Auriga Services chief executive, Jill Wheeler said: “We are absolutely delighted that Tracey has been appointed as Chair at such an exceptional time for Auriga and its partner organisations.
“Auriga administers more than £30 million in charitable grants and supports around 420,000 people each year on behalf of the water, energy, local authority, social housing, and charity sectors that, now more than ever, are accountable to their customers and communities to do the right thing.
“Having originally joined in 2021 as a non-executive director, Tracey will continue to support the rapid growth of Auriga as it continues to assist its partners and hundreds of thousands of people that are facing economically challenging times.”
Orr said: “With the cost of living crisis affecting so many, Auriga needs to be in a position to support more people as costs continue to spiral. I intend to use my operational and HR knowledge to help guide the organisation through this period of rapid growth and significant change. Ultimately, it’s about adding value where I can whilst also focussing on the relationships that really matter.”
