People: DLA Piper; Womble Bond Dickinson; ROCOL; and more

Law firm DLA Piper has further strengthened its Restructuring team in Leeds with the appointment of senior associate Izzie Drylie.

Drylie, originally from Yorkshire, has spent her career to date in London, and joins from Milbank, where she spent the last six years.

She has extensive experience working for stakeholders on a variety of complex cross-border restructuring and insolvency matters.

She also has experience in cross-border banking and finance transactions, including leveraged finance, real estate finance and special situations financings.

Barney Smedley, partner and head of the DLA Piper Restructuring team in Leeds, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome Izzie to the team. Her wide ranging capabilities and extensive experience will ensure we continue to meet the needs of our growing client base.

“2020 was an exceptionally busy year, and it was challenging in so many ways.

“With a strong pipeline of mandates, we have continued to bolster our team to support our clients in these uncertain times. Izzie will be a great addition to our Restructuring practice in Yorkshire and the UK.”

Drylie said: “I am delighted to join the DLA Piper Restructuring team in Leeds, back in my native Yorkshire.

“Against the backdrop of a busy period for restructuring professionals, the strength of the firm’s platform locally, nationally and internationally offers an unparalleled opportunity to support and guide our clients through such unprecedented and challenging times.

“I am excited to draw on my experience and skills gained at my previous firms to contribute to the continued success of the firm, both in Yorkshire and beyond.”

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Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has bolstered its private client team, and particularly its trust and estate disputes offering, with two senior promotions.

The firm recently welcomed back Yorkshire-based Fiona McLaughlin from maternity leave, who has been promoted to managing associate.

She Fiona is based from WBD’s Leeds office and her practice covers both contentious and non-contentious private client work.

Richard Pike, in the private client team in Edinburgh, was also promoted to partner. He advises individuals, professional trustee, insurers and financial institutions on a range of private client issues, particularly disputes about trusts, inheritance and tax.

Neil Long, private client partner at WBD, said: “We have a significant trust and estate disputes offering with teams now based in our London, Newcastle, Leeds and Scottish offices and I am delighted by Richard’s and Fiona’s much deserved promotions which underline the growth we have achieved in this space.

“Whilst COVID-19 has made geography less of a concern for many of our clients, the team’s presence across more parts of the UK is indicative of the growing demand we have seen for advice in this field and the excellent service that our team provides to our clients.”

McLaughlin added: “I am absolutely delighted with my promotion to managing associate, which I was able to achieve whilst on maternity leave.

“This highlights WBD’s commitment to supporting its female staff with their journey through motherhood, without it impacting on career progression.

“Contentious private client work has been a feature of my practice since I joined our private capital team on qualification in 2013 and I am excited to have the opportunity to put even greater focus into helping our clients resolve disputes, whilst continuing my estate planning work.

“I believe the skills I have developed in both areas are mutually beneficial, and will help ensure that WBD’s clients achieve the best possible outcomes.”

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Andrew Hemingway

Two new directors have joined the senior leadership team at Yorkshire-headquartered industrial lubricants, cutting fluids and line marking systems manufacturer, ROCOL.

Andrew Hemingway joins as commercial director from his previous role leading the commercial arm of venture capital-owned specialist engineering business, James Heal, in Halifax.

Gil Woodward takes up the role of operations director, responsible for the ongoing development and implementation of health and safety, operations, and sourcing strategies across the division.

ROCOL manufactures high performance lubricants for some of the most challenging operations and applications in industry.

Its industrial lubricants, cutting fluids and line marking systems are used by engineers in the industrial, food processing, metalworking, aerospace, site safety and heavy industry sectors worldwide.

Hemingway brings a wealth of commercial experience to the business from UK and international positions.

During 13 years with speciality glass business, SCHOTT, he spent nine years in the USA and four years in Germany working in commercial, sales and marketing roles.

At ROCOL, he will lead a combined sales, marketing, and product management function, developing the commercial strategy to increase market share and deliver continued growth across the ITW Fluids Europe business.

Woodward joins from his previous role as operations director at specialty tape manufacturing business Advance Tapes, based in the UK and France.

His previous roles include manufacturing manager at Accolade Wines and CI Expert with GSK.

He will lead the Fluids Europe operations function and will be responsible for the ongoing development and implementation of the health and safety, operations, and sourcing strategies for the division.

ITW Fluids Europe vice president and general manager Filippo Pasquini said: “We have a great business, products and people and, at a time when others are cutting back, we are investing in our customers, innovation, and growth.

“Andrew and Gil will bring real dynamism to the business and help us re-establish our credentials in a global market as a high-performing, innovative and customer-centric company.”

Hemingway said: “From the outset I was impressed by the ambition within ROCOL and the wider ITW Fluids Europe group.

“The business has unique strengths, a strong business model and a proud history, and I look forward to working with the team to execute on the company’s priorities, accelerate growth and enhance value for shareholders and stakeholders.”

Woodward added: “I’m excited by the breadth of technologies and applications I’ve seen so far.

This is a great business, full of great people, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to help shape its future.”

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Harriet Kingston

Law firm Rollits LLP has announced the appointment of newly-qualified solicitor Harriet Kingston to a post in its dispute resolution department, and the recruitment of a new graduate into Harriet’s initial role with the practice.

Kingston joined Rollits in 2017 after securing a distinction in her legal practice course at BPP Law School in Leeds, having already completed a BSc in Biomedical Science at the University of Hull and a Graduate Diploma in Law at the College of Law.

She worked as a property paralegal in the social housing team at Rollits’ York office before starting her Period of Recognised Training with the firm in September 2018.

After returning from maternity leave, she has now qualified and taken up her place with the dispute resolution team in Hull, where her work includes handling disputed debt claims, property disputes, breach of contract claims and probate disputes.

Millie Bird, who progressed from Scarborough Sixth Form College to the University of Law in Leeds to complete a law degree in which she gained First Class Honours, followed by the LPC which she also passed with distinction, has now been appointed as a paralegal with the property team in York.

Bird will be working alongside the highly experienced property lawyer Douglas Oliver in the social housing team, assisting registered social landlord clients with all aspects of property transactions.

Her work will include sales and purchases as well as providing support to the wider property team.

Oliver said: “We are delighted to welcome Millie to our department and to the firm and we are proud to see the progress of Harriet, who has made the most of her opportunities since joining Rollits and has now taken the next exciting step in her legal career as a newly qualified solicitor.”

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