People: National law firm launches dedicated public law team; Life sciences group appoints non-exec; and more

National law firm Simpson Millar has announced the launch of a dedicated public law team in Leeds, which will be led by Patricia Cannon who joins the firm as Partner.

Cannon brings more than 15 years’ experience from her background as a specialist in public law children cases. Joining from Henry Hyams Solicitors, she has been tasked with creating a specialised national care team at Simpson Millar dedicated to the representation of children and other family members in child protection matters.

The firm has also announced the appointment of Lidia Foster, who joins as an Assistant Solicitor from Ison Harrison, where she worked predominantly on public law children cases. She will be supporting Cannon at Simpson Millar to set up the specialised team in Leeds.

Imogen Jolley, Simpson Millar’s National Head of Public Law, said: “This is a very exciting period of growth for the Public Law team at Simpson Millar, and for the firm as a whole, which has invested heavily in ensuring that we are best placed to meet the growing and ever changing needs of our clients.

“Patricia and Lidia, in their own ways, bring a wealth of experience to the table – both through their educational journey, and their careers to date – and they are exactly the calibre of legal professionals we are looking to add to our team at this time.

“Appointing a stellar team is a key facet of our growth strategy, and we are pleased to be able to expand our client offering across the country to provide specialist support to more people who need it; and particularly the establishment of a new public law team in Leeds which will provide specialised support for families involved in child protection matters in the region.”

Cannon added: “I am excited to join the team at such a pivotal period, and am looking forward to being a part of strengthening the firm’s reputation in the Public Law division to enable Simpson Millar to continue on its growth trajectory.”

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Avacta Group, the Wetherby-based life sciences firm, has appointed Dr Sam Williams as Non-Executive Director to the Board.

Williams is currently Managing Partner and Head of Life Sciences at IP Group, the FTSE 250 investor in Life Sciences and Technology.

He was previously a biotechnology analyst in the City whilst at Lehman Brothers and, subsequently, as a Director and CEO, in which capacity he has overseen the development of novel therapeutics through early-stage clinical testing and successfully negotiated global alliances with major pharmaceutical companies.

Williams was awarded a PhD in Molecular Biology by Cambridge University, earned while working in the laboratory of Sir Greg Winter, Nobel Laureate, and has a degree in Biology from Oxford University.

Dr Eliot Forster, Chairman of Avacta Group, said: “I am delighted that Dr Williams is joining Avacta and very much look forward to working with him. Sam has extensive experience of the Biotech industry both as an investor and operator which he will bring to the Board.”

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Harrogate law firm Raworths has boosted its Private Client team with the appointment of Caroline Hedges, who joins the firm as Partner.

Hedges joins from Womble Bond Dickinson where she led their Private Client team in Yorkshire for ten years.

Hedges is a experienced Private Client lawyer, who is recognised for her strong technical expertise and intuitive manner, which has enabled her to build and retain a strong client base.

Her areas of specialism include providing long term advice to families and their trusts on wealth devolution and capital tax mitigation, often acting as executor/trustee to provide an objective view.  

Rachel Tunnicliffe, Head of the Trusts Wills and Estates Unit, said: “Caroline will be a huge asset to our department and will greatly complement the skills of the existing team. Her reputation in the area is tremendous and she is hugely respected for her knowledge and expertise in Private Client work. I’m delighted to welcome her on board.”

Hedges added: “This move represents an exciting new chapter for me professionally. It’s a pleasure to be working with such an established and knowledgeable team and in a firm which focuses on the personal and business affairs of individuals.”

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The Marketing Centre has expanded its Yorkshire team with the appointment of Michael Greenhalgh and David Pemberton.

With Ged Leigh leading the regional team, Pemberton and Greenhalgh will be supporting local businesses who are seeking access to professional, experienced marketing advice through their roles as part-time marketing directors

The Marketing Centre has a team of more than 85 part-time marketing directors covering nine regions across England and Wales.

Both Pemberton and Greenhalgh have over 25 years experience each achieving business goals in challenging and varied environments; from B2C to B2B, as well as private companies and FTSE 100 plc‘ s.

Ged Leigh, regional director for Lancashire and Yorkshire comments: “I am delighted to have Michael and David joining the The Marketing Centre.

“As a team we are expanding rapidly and we are looking forward to working with more businesses in the region to help build growth and profitability for their shareholders.”

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Wake Smith Solicitors in Sheffield has appointed Kelly Pashley-Handford as a new HR manager.

Pashley-Handford has worked within professional legal services for more than 22 years, having previously been employed at a Chesterfield law firm providing in-house HR and external HR support services to other local businesses.

Her role will be to undertake all aspects of HR at Wake Smith including managing recruitment and selection processes; facilitating training and development; coordinating provision of benefits and continuously reviewing and improving HR practices.

In addition, Pashley-Handford’s role includes assisting on operational compliance issues including maintaining Lexcel standards and facilitating the firm’s CQS accreditation scheme.

Pashley-Handford, who qualified in 2015 and attained chartered membership status (Chartered MCIPD) in 2016, said: “This is a very exciting move for me. Wake Smith is a law firm which has employee engagement rooted into its culture and brand values, which is something I am very passionate about.

“If you focus on getting the experience right for your own employees, the rest including engagement, growth and success should follow.

“Wake Smith has already made great strides in the development of staff offering rewarding, long term careers with regular training and a happy, progressive work environment with a realistic and strong set of goals and values.”

Nick Lambert, chairman at Wake Smith, said: “We already have a fantastic workplace culture, but we are committed to continued improvement. It is this which will allow us to maximise the effectiveness of our people, our work and our impact on our clients and our community.

“Kelly, who has worked within fee earning and management roles, has more than 10 years’ experience heading up HR within a busy legal environment and brings with her a wealth of ideas and considerable expertise that will help us take our workplace culture to the next level.”

Wake Smith has approximately 100 staff, including 20 directors, with more than 44 experienced legal professionals specialising in advice for both businesses and individuals.