People: Senior partner joins planning team; Law firm makes string of hires and promotions; and more

Cushman & Wakefield has appointed Katrina Hulse as partner to its development and planning team based in Leeds.

Hulse joins from town planning consultancy, Peacock and Smith in Leeds where she spent the last two years as a senior associate, prior to this she was a director at DLP Planning.

She has extensive experience advising on town planning matters across a variety of market sectors including residential, commercial, mixed use, leisure, retail and education, as well as leading on complex development proposals.

Keith Hardman, head of Cushman & Wakefield’s Leeds office, said: “We are delighted to welcome Katrina. She brings a wealth of business experience, planning knowledge and specialist expertise which are an excellent fit to our existing regional strengths. Planning for housing is – and will remain – a national and regional priority and Katrina’s experience will help new and existing clients to address the challenges they continue to face.”

Hulse added: “Cushman & Wakefield has strengthened its planning skill line over the past few years and it’s a very exciting time to be joining the team. I am looking forward to using my residential experience to further grow this sector and also build on relationships with major national clients such as Harworth Estates and Royal Mail.”

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The founder of Yorkshire family business Herbs Unlimited has passed the baton on to her son as the business looks to drive growth and rise to the challenges of Brexit.

Philip Dodd, formerly operations director, takes over as managing director of the speciality grower from his mother Alison Dodd, who founded the company in 1992. Alison will continue in a part-time business development role.

Herbs Unlimited celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and grows herbs, salads and edible flowers on its farm at Sandhutton, near Thirsk. The company supplies the catering, hospitality, food manufacturing and wholesale sectors nationally.

Philip said: “This is an exciting moment and a new chapter for the business. Mum has left some big footsteps to fill but I am delighted to have this opportunity to make my own mark on the company after working alongside her for so long.

“Horticulture is a fast-moving and competitive sector and, with the management appointments we have made over the last year, we are ideally positioned to build on our successes and rise to the challenges presented by Brexit.”

Promoted to the board in 2011, he has been responsible for both the day-to-day activities in the pack house and on the farm since 2012, while Alison focused on marketing and sales. Together they developed Herbs Unlimited into a £4m turnover business and the farm has expanded from 30 to 120 acres, employing 49 permanent staff.

As part of the firm’s development strategy, local farmer and long-time business partner Trevor Bosomworth has been appointed finance director.

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Irwin Mitchell in Yorkshire has announced that 50 of its employees across its legal and group services teams have been promoted to either associate or senior associate.

From Business Legal Services (BLS) division, the newly promoted senior associates are Emma Windle (Criminal & Regulatory Investigations), Jennifer Walton, Padma Tadi (Employment) , Sarah Field-Blesic (Operations) and Clare Davitt( Real Estate).     The senior associates in Personal Injury are Simone Hardy (Workplace Illness) Anna Stacey and Georgina Houston (Medical Negligence), Claire Pilsworth, Lucy Lenehan, David Withers (Serious Injury).

The new Group Services senior associates are Robert Cowling (Sales & Marketing), Jayne Barton (Operations), Eamon Kelly, David Belfield, Karen Noice (Finance), Wayne Neely (IT),  Karen Causier and  Marianne Buckley (Risk & Compliance).

In the Irwin Mitchell Group subsidiary companies, the new senior associates are Christian Driffield ( Ascent), Lewis Giaramita, John Gillies and Jeff Lader (Irwin Mitchell Asset Management).

The new associates are Ruth Butt, Rebecca Denvers (Employment), Sophie Shuttleworth (Insolvency), Emily Sinclair, Daniel Woolnough (Real Estate), Kirstie Williamson (Tax, Trusts and Estates – TTE), Maisie Huynh,  Joanne Warnock (Family), Guy Rust (Court of Protection), Jodie Davis (Costs), Matthew Newbould (Group Actions), David King, Joanne Witherington (Serious Injury), Samuel Hill, Ross McWilliams (Medical Negligence), Samantha Patrick (Public Law) and Katy Bailey (Fast Track).

The new group services associates are Thomas Lindsay, Helen York and Sarah Wilson (IT),  Melanie Bancroft, Christian Betts, Tom Richardson, Natalie Thorpe and Louise Strutt (Sales & Marketing), Ryan Rowland, Nick Rogers, Philippa Latham (Finance) and Jill Henderson (HR).

Group chief executive Andrew Tucker said: “I’m delighted to confirm and congratulate our new associates and senior associates at Irwin Mitchell. Once again, the successful candidates reflect the range and breadth of talent that we have across the group.”