People: Gordons; NG Bailey; Langleys Solicitors; and more
Leeds and Bradford-based Gordons has welcomed a further five new solicitors to the firm, which marks a total of 16 new fee-earner appointments since the start of the year.
Laura Walton has joined as a dispute resolution specialist, while Erica Jones and Melissa Cook have been hired as commercial property solicitors.
Newly qualified solicitors Kate Imeson and Harvey Blake have joined as corporate and regulatory specialists respectively.
The five new hires follow several senior appointments earlier in the year. These included Peter Hampson as head of regulatory, property disputes solicitor Sarah Coates-Madden and former HSBC Yorkshire and North East head of corporate banking, Martin Lunt, as a consultant.
Gordons partner, Victoria Davey, said: “We are continuing to grow our business at pace due to the outstanding work we do for our clients, the strong relationships we build with them and our highly effective business strategy.
“Finding and hiring the right people who share Gordons’ distinct ethos and values is essential for us and key to our continued success.
“All our new starters are a great cultural fit and they will play important roles in further improving the momentum we have built up since the start of the year.”
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Matthew Towner
Independent engineering and services business, NG Bailey, has appointed Matthew Towner as regional director for London and Andrew French as director of ICT.
Towner has enjoyed a successful career in engineering and joins Ilkley-headquartered NG Bailey from SES Engineering Services, where for the past three and a half years he has worked as operations director for the London region.
He has also previously held senior operational roles at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services and Lorne Stuart.
He said: “NG Bailey is a leader in its sector with a fantastic heritage across the UK. I’m excited to be joining the team in London after admiring the work they’ve done on projects such as Wood Wharf and London Bridge Station.
I look forward to supporting the team on their future projects and the wider company during its continued growth and development.”
Andrew French has also joined the NG Bailey team after spending the past three years as technology and IT director at MWH Treatment.
Andrew French
His role will see him overseeing the continued development and modernisation of the company’s ICT systems and infrastructure to maintain its position as an industry leader.
French said: “I’m delighted to be joining NG Bailey as it celebrates its centenary year and look forward to working with its established ICT team to continue their innovative work, further develop the company’s systems and infrastructure, and ultimately enhance the working environment for its ICT users.”
These significant appointments are designed to strengthen NG Bailey’s growth strategy and will support the company as it delivers a series of large-scale innovative projects across diverse sectors including battery technology, education and transport.
Chief executive, David Hurcomb, added: “We’re really pleased to be welcoming both Matthew and Andrew to the business.
“Both bring valuable experience along with a wealth of knowledge to their respective roles and will play key parts in cementing our market leading position and maximising opportunities for sustainable growth.”
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Yorkshire and Lincolnshire-based law firm, Langleys Solicitors, has appointed Marie Horner as a partner in its employment team, as it continues to invest in its core practices.
Horner is an experienced specialist solicitor who will lead Langleys’ York practice.
She will advise clients on all aspects of employment law, from pursuit and defence of employment tribunal claims, business restructures, TUPE obligations, redundancy, data protection, executive terminations, discrimination and whistleblowing, through to day-to-day HR issues including performance management, disciplinary processes and handling absenteeism.
She will work alongside Kate Hindmarch, head of employment law, to grow the team and its client base across the wider Yorkshire area, including York, Beverley, Scarborough and East Yorkshire.
Horner has spent the past 20 years at Harrowells Solicitors, most recently as a partner and successfully leading a team of solicitors as head of its employment law practice for the last 10 years.
As a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and qualified in CIPD level 7 HR Management, she has an abundance of knowledge in employment law and a wider understanding of practical HR challenges.
She is also a regular speaker at events and an in-house trainer for management workshops.
Horner said: “The prospect of a new challenge at a bigger firm is extremely exciting. Langleys has a fantastic reputation and I’m looking forward to upholding and advancing it in the coming months and years.
“I’m pleased to be working alongside Kate Hindmarch and Langleys’ existing roster of clients, as well as attracting new clients to the firm.
“The work that Langleys has done to refine its vision and strategy, alongside the cultural investment in things like values, wellbeing and flexible working were really attractive to me. With the new leadership there is a real sense of opportunity to build something exciting.”
Tim Cross, senior partner at Langleys, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Marie to the employment law team.
“Her wealth of experience working with a multitude of clients across all aspects of employment law will be an asset to the firm, as will her significant qualifications and skills within HR, management and training.
“The pandemic has borne a huge number of new employment issues, with many organisations requiring support in navigating new rules and working patterns.
“Marie will be key in helping new and existing clients to navigate the changes to employment and the workforce that have developed in such a short time.”
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Sheffield-based Dionne Redpath has been appointed chief operating officer for logistics provider Europa Worldwide Group.
Redpath has been sales director at Europa Worldwide Group since 2013. She has spent her whole career in the logistics industry and has a broad range of experience from sales team management to contract logistics, and large-scale European and domestic road freight operations.
Having worked in transport and logistics since the age of 18, she started her career in the steel industry in Sheffield as a transport buyer.
Redpath works mainly at Europa’s Sheffield branch office on Broadfield Close – which was opened in 2018, as part of Europa’s strategic growth plan, expanding its Northern network and ensuring it had a presence in all UK regions.
From an operation with 450 staff and a turnover of £76m when Andrew Baxter acquired the company in 2013, Europa now has over 1,150 staff, six divisions and last financial year showed another 16.5 per cent growth with a record turnover of £205m.
In her new role, Redpath will focus on consistency of approach across the whole of Europa’s six divisions – Europa Road, Europa Air & Sea, Europa Warehouse, Europa Showfreight, Europa Contact Centre and Continental Cargo Carriers.
Andrew Baxter, chief executive officer at Europa Worldwide Group, said: “Having worked with Dionne at Europa (and previously at RH Freight) she has great insight on how to translate our broader strategy into the more detailed reality on the ground.
“She understands how we operate inside and out and brings a wealth of enthusiasm, talent and real passion for logistics.”
Redpath added: “This is a really exciting position and I’m delighted to be working closely with Andrew to ensure every part of Europa is on track and delivering effectively for our customers.
“The pandemic has highlighted and demonstrated the importance and value of logistics and the supply chain and I’m delighted to work in a business within this sector which also promotes equality.”
