People: Shoosmiths; Sellick Partnership; and more

Law firm Shoosmiths has confirmed partner Tom Hall as head of office for Sheffield.

Hall, a real estate specialist who joined Shoosmiths in 2017, spearheaded the firm’s efforts with fellow real estate partner Kellie Hatton to establish a presence in the city which has now expanded into an office based at City Estates’ Speedwell Works development.

The busineess has operated in Sheffield since 2017, recently celebrating five years of significant growth and client wins in the region and nationwide.

The real estate team act on strategic land, development, occupier, local authority and investment real estate matters – with notable clients including Henry Boot PLC, Buccleuch Property, Taylor Wimpey PLC and Harworth Group PLC.

Shoosmiths’ Sheffield office has also seen recruitment and promotion in its real estate team, including the appointment of Stacy Dawes as an associate joining from Bolt Burdon. Holly Gerard has been promoted to senior associate.

Hall said: “Shoosmiths has a wonderful, cohesive team with strong knowledge of the market and landscape in Yorkshire and beyond.

“I am proud to take on the position of head of office for Sheffield, where I aim to build on the success of the past five years.

“As an office, we are proud of our reputation and work within the real estate market, and our focus will be on providing the very best standard of client excellence in the years to come, and expanding with client demand.”

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Sellick Partnership, a Leeds-based professional services recruitment specialist, has promoted Mark Bailey to its Board of Directors.

He will continue in his efforts to develop strong client relationships, as well as work on projects to benefit the wider business in its next stages of growth.

Bailey joined Sellick Partnership in 2015 to head the Leeds-based locum Private Practice Legal team. He quickly progressed to become leader of the permanent recruitment team, overseeing a period of considerable growth in terms of headcount and revenue.

Thanks to his leadership, the Leeds office has now grown into a business unit surpassing £1m in annual gross margins for the first time.

Following a landmark performance in 2021, the division is on track to achieve another record year, with gross margins in excess of £1.2m.

Bailey said: “At a crucial time in the employment market, the ability for businesses to recruit effectively has become integral to their ability to succeed.

“We have worked hard to create and develop some incredible relationships with both clients and candidates, and in my new role, I’m excited to continue building on these efforts, as well as getting involved in the fantastic work the Board of Directors and the rest of the team has undertaken, and help to drive Sellick Partnership on to further success.

“It has been my ambition to work towards becoming a Sellick Partnership Board member since I joined the team in 2015.

“Achieving this is a clear example of the progression opportunities available to everyone within our business, and I look forward to contributing further to the development of our market presence and culture of excellence.”

Jo Sellick, managing director, added: “Mark is an individual within the business that many of us call and source advice from in areas where we are looking for a winning edge, some wisdom and some guidance that gets a scenario over the line.

“The Board of Sellick Partnership could not be happier to have Mark’s involvement in our next stages of growth.”

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Ernest Wilson, a Leeds-based agency that buys and sells businesses across the UK, has appointed care homes specialist Jason Payne as a valuer.

He joins from a national care homes adviser where he was a senior valuer and managed the sale of numerous care homes.

Payne has worked across residential care and nursing homes as well as those for people with learning difficulties, mental health and complex care needs.

In his new role he will assist Ernest Wilson to expand its activity in the sector, which is a growth area for the business.

Managing director Paul Williamson said: “We are really pleased to welcome Jason to our team.

“Ernest Wilson is already regularly involved in the sale of care homes, which by its nature is a complex process that has to be fully approved by the Care Quality Commission and he will be an asset to the business as we increase our activity to meet the growing demand in this highly regulated sector.

“Finding a buyer for a care home is only part of the sales process; helping to secure finance for prospective purchasers is also vital and that’s an area in which Ernest Wilson also has a hugely successful track record.”

Payne added: “Buying and selling care homes is naturally on the rise as the sector expands to accommodate and care for our aging population.

“Needless to say, it is essential that owners or potential buyers of a care home seek the very best advice in order to navigate the highly complex process and ensure everything is carried out with the utmost professionalism.”