People: Ridley and Hall; Avery Walters/Powell Eddison Solicitors; Stephenson; and more

Adam Leece and Susan Sowden have been appointed partners at Ridley and Hall as part of a number of promotions and training opportunities awarded at the growing Yorkshire law firm.

Leece is based at Ridley and Hall’s Barnsley office, formerly Newman & Bond, where he began his career as a trainee solicitor in 2010.

Over the last four years, he has mainly focused on property transactions, advising on both residential and commercial sales and purchases, leases and business sales and purchases.

He also has experience of working with business clients dealing with debt recovery matters.

After joining the firm’s Huddersfield office three years ago, residential property lawyer Sowden has also been promoted to partner.

She specialises in all forms of residential conveyancing including sales, purchases, re-mortgages, transfers of equity and sales of new build plots on small-scale property developments. She also has a background in commercial property matters and wills and probate matters.

In addition, property solicitor Adam Ali and marketing manager Themer Slimane have both been promoted to associates, based in Huddersfield.

Ali joined the firm in 2020 from Hull and now acts for local businesses in Huddersfield and in Hull.

His areas of expertise include purchases, transfers of equity, personal guarantor advice, leases of residential or commercial property, re-mortgages and refinancing.

Themer started working at Ridley and Hall four years ago as an intern in marketing and business development after completing a degree at University of Huddersfield, and has since completed a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) qualification, supported by the firm.

Having spent 12 months with Ridley and Hall gaining work experience while a law student at University of Huddersfield and then joining the property team in an administrative role in 2019, Corinne Barnett has been awarded a two-year solicitor training contract.

The firm is also nurturing other young talent with Calvin Turton, an administrator in property at the Pontefract office, being awarded support in CiLEX study; Laura Hamilton, an administrator in the care team in Leeds, has been awarded a Solicitor Apprenticeship; and Charlene Sill, an administrator in the Central Services Team (CST) in Huddersfield, has secured a paralegal apprenticeship.

Emma Pearmaine, managing partner, said: “We are fortunate to have brought together so many talented people and it is vital we enable them to progress within the Ridley and Hall family, whether based at our offices in Huddersfield, Leeds, Pontefract or Barnsley.

“It’s extremely satisfying to see senior lawyers like Adam and Susan becoming partners and other talented colleagues rising through the ranks, and also to see the enthusiasm and potential of our lawyers of tomorrow as they embark on their legal careers with us.”

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Sister practices Avery Walters Solicitors and Powell Eddison Solicitors have strengthened their marketing function with the appointment of Garry Shuttleworth as their new marketing manager.

Shuttleworth will work in Leeds with Avery Walters and in Harrogate with Powell Eddison promoting both organisations.

He has worked with a number of major law firms in Yorkshire for over 20 years and has been tasked with driving both firms marketing strategy covering business development, marketing and communications.

Managing director Andrew Parascandolo said: “Both Avery Walters and Powell Eddison have enjoyed impressive growth in the last few years and Garry’s appointment marks the next stage in our development.”

“Garry’s wealth of experience in branding and promotion will help to get the message out about the many highly rated services that both firms offer to individuals and businesses.”

Shuttleworth said: “I’m thrilled to have joined two successful and ambitious firms with a strong reputation for building and maintaining excellent client relationships and we look forward to letting more people hear of the wide variety of legal services our specialist staff offer across both offices.”

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Natural ingredients manufacturer, Stephenson, has appointed its first-ever dedicated sustainability manager.

Marie Maisonnette has been hired for the specially created role as part of the Leeds-based business’s commitment to sustainability in the personal care market.

Maisonnette’s new role will be predominantly based at Stephenson’s manufacturing plant in Horsforth.

She joins from the company’s offshoot business, CO2Sustain, where she was previously a business development specialist, covering Europe and South America.

Prior to this, Maisonnette was a raw materials buyer for Stephenson, sourcing eco-friendly ingredients from across the world. Her direct work with plantation managers and refiners has led to a deep understanding of the issues surrounding palm oil and its widespread usage.

She is a graduate of Kedge International Business School in Paris and brings her experience from raw materials purchasing and innovation capture to focus on a number of core areas – including palm oil sustainability, eco ingredients, packaging and overall production site efficiency.

She said: “I am looking forward to implementing what I’ve learned over the years in a positive and productive way that will benefit the business overall, its customers and ultimately the planet.

“The primary focus is threefold – raw materials, packaging and net zero targets. As a responsible manufacturing business, we have a duty to act in the most eco-friendly way possible in order to effect change.

“Stephenson has always been at the forefront of innovation and sustainability but it’s important to recognise more can always be done.”

James Clews, commercial director, added: “Marie’s appointment as dedicated sustainability manager is another clear demonstration of our commitment to environmental issues.

“It’s also a signal of our sustainability intentions as an innovative and progressive manufacturing business.

“Our range of personal care products has been constantly evolving in line with the explosion of eco demands and changing consumer trends. Sustainability is a key driver at Stephenson as this is a primary concern of many of the global formulators we partner with.”

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A human resources professional with more than 17 years’ experience has been promoted to the board of directors at Yorkshire independent estate agent Dacre, Son & Hartley.

Rebecca Reeves has worked for Dacres for four years as its HR manager.

Before that she worked in both the private and public sector for a range of businesses including Johnson and Johnson, Bupa and the Freight Transport Association.

Last year, she also became the compliance support manager at Dacres. She completed her CIPD qualification at Huddersfield University in 2010 and became a Chartered Member of the CIPD in 2012.

Since then, she completed IOSH Safety for Directors and Executives in 2019 and IOSH Managing Safely in 2021.

She said: “I am incredibly passionate about the role I undertake at Dacres and enjoy supporting all 117 members of our team and working with them to develop their full potential.

“In the four years I have been with Dacres, I have thrived on every challenge put before me and I am incredibly grateful to be offered such a fantastic opportunity. Dacres is a thriving business, with a great team, that is committed to delivering great service to our clients.”

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential, said: “Since Rebecca joined us, she has focused on change management initiatives, including recruitment and retention, policies and procedures, health and safety compliance, learning and development, and employee engagement strategies.

“Rebecca plays a very important part in our business and in her new role, she will ensure we focus on recruiting and retaining the best talent in Yorkshire, as well as supporting our team and board to achieve its commercial objectives.”