People: GIA; Sydney Mitchell; Shrewsbury Pubwatch

GIA has announced two promotions at its Birmingham office: one individual has been elevated to associate director, while another has been promoted to senior surveyor.

Ellis Smith

Ellis Smith is promoted to associate director after six years with the company. Smith specialises in assisting clients, including design teams made up of architects and planners, to navigate and optimise large-scale developments, particularly when faced with complex Daylight, Sunlight, and Rights of Light challenges.

Edward Portlock has been promoted to senior surveyor. With a diverse background as a building surveyor, land surveyor, and CAD analyst, Portlock uses his broad experience to provide strategic, informed advice to clients.

Michael Beatty, director at GIA, said: “Ellis and Edward have consistently demonstrated outstanding work ethic, commitment to excellence, and innovative thinking. Their dedication to personal development and the growth of the business has been exemplary. I am thrilled to congratulate both on their well-deserved promotions.”

West Midlands law firm Sydney Mitchell has appointed Kiran Athwal as the new head of its personal injury and clinical negligence team.

With over 15 years of experience as a personal injury lawyer, Kiran Athwal joined Sydney Mitchell in February 2023 and has already secured several notable results for clients.

Kiran Athwal

Athwal said: “I feel privileged to lead the ambitious and skilled Personal Injury team. It has an outstanding reputation for excellence, for always working extremely hard to get the best outcome for its clients, and for providing a bespoke, personal, supportive and empathetic service.

“I am genuinely excited about the new role and am looking forward to steering the next stage in the growth of the team, alongside exploring our sector specialisms including the niche area of working for charities. We will continue to deliver exceptional, personal service to every client, ensuring they do not ever feel like just another case, but feel supported by lawyers who understand that they are navigating probably one of the worst possible events in their lives.

Dean Parnell, partner at Sydney Mitchell, said: “Kiran is a very talented lawyer, with huge drive and ambition for the team and the firm. With her at the helm, there is no question the team will go from strength to strength, building on its great work and results for clients.”

Kev Rippard, joint owner of The Salopian in Smithfield Road, has been elected as chair of Shrewsbury Pubwatch, taking the reins from the previous chair, James Hitchin of The Alb.

Kev Rippard

Ripper’s aim as chair will be to build engagement in the Pubwatch network from members, as well as improve attendance at meetings where information can be shared that collectively helps venues contribute to a safe night-time economy in the town.

Rippard said: “I have worked in security myself since 1998, so I like to think I can offer an experienced perspective on safety issues for venues. Shrewsbury quite rightly has a great reputation for its night-time offering and we want to enhance that by making the town centre as safe and inclusive as possible for people enjoying a night out.

“The Pubwatch group is a strong community made up of venues of different shapes, sizes and customer bases, who work together to ensure we provide a safe and enjoyable environment. Along with a background in security, my time running The Salopian also gives me first-hand experience of dealing with flooding issues which is a major challenge for many of us in Shrewsbury.

“Pubwatch has also long recognised the importance of consistent CCTV monitoring for maintaining a safe environment, and I will represent Pubwatch members’ concerns on this matter to partners.”