People: 120 year-old law firm hires duo; civil engineers add trio to the Yorkshire business and accounting director elected president of Society

120 year-old law firm Milners has strengthened its team with the appointment of two solicitors.

The Leeds-based firm, located at Whitehall Waterfront, has hired Oliver Cashman to its commercial litigation department and Reena Sharma to its commercial property division.

Cashman to Milners from Zermansky & Partners, where he acted for clients in a number of high profile cases including the victims of Jimmy Savile anthe phone hacking scandal. He has a background in civil and commercial litigation.

He had previously worked for Brooke North in Leeds as well as the Castleford and Pontefract solicitors, Hartley & Worstenholme.

Sharma has been appointed to support Milners’ commercial property department, joining from the Scunthorpe-based Symes Bains Broomer.

Milners’ managing partner Simon Bass said: “Both Oliver and Reena will inject extra capacity and capability into these two specialist departments, which form one of the cornerstones of the next stage of our growth strategy.”

Britcon trio: Brian French, Tony Mulcrone and Craig Bell

Civil engineering business Britcon has made three new senior appointments at its offices in Wakefield.

Brian French has joined as senior quantity surveyor bringing over 40 years’ experience he has specialised in project cost management for private commercial, local authority and NHS projects, and will be taking over projects for Eddie Stobart and York University.

Tony Mulcrone has also joined the Britcon team as site manager.

Craig Bell has been recruited to the Britcon Engineering Services (BES) division of Britcon as structural steel 3D (Tekla) draftsman. He has worked for a number of Yorkshire steel fabrication firms in draughtsman, buyer and estimator roles.

This brings its total team to 12 at the Yorkshire base which opened in April 2014, doubling its size in the last 12 months.

Paul Clarkson, managing director at Britcon said, “We are delighted to bring Brian, Tony and Craig on to the team at Wakefield where they will be a great asset to the existing structure. This is a result of continuous growth for us in the region and will help to facilitate our plans in the near future. The Wakefield office supports our Lincolnshire office well and also provides a more local base for some of our team.”

Outgoing president Mark Fielding of Simpson Wood and newly-appointed Carolyn Atkinson of Sheards

Director of Sheards Accountancy Carolyn Atkinson has been elected as President of the Huddersfield & District Society of Chartered Accountants.

She will take over from outgoing president Mark Fielding, after being elected at the group’s annual meeting earlier this month.

Atkinson began working for Sheards in 1985 before qualifying as a chartered accountant and rising through the ranks to become a director.

She follows in the footsteps of two Sheards colleagues, Michael Dyson and Frederick Sheard who held presidencies in the late 70’s and 80s.

Atkinson commented: “I’m deeply honoured to have been chosen as the President of the Huddersfield & District Society of Chartered Accountants 2017/18. And as the second lady President to be appointed since the Society began.”

“I intend to build on Mark’s good work by reaching out to the other professionals and business community in Huddersfield, and also to involve the students and younger members of the professions in our events.”

“We are all very loyal to our town, and I want to continue to build on those relationships which currently exist, but also to strengthen them and help our future business leaders along the way.”