Property people: MD Law; Unity Homes and Enterprise; and more
Sheffield’s MD Law continues to build its new commercial property arm with the appointment of a new partner to the team.
Solicitor Wendy Martin joins and brings two decades of commercial property experience to the boutique law firm.
She will work with consultant solicitor Howard Wade, who joined the firm last December, to support existing and new clients on commercial property issues and also with commercial partner James Burdekin, when corporate deals involve property aspects.
Martin, an experienced commercial property professional, has worked at South Yorkshire and Derby law firms since 2000 and brings with her specialisms of freehold and leasehold sales and acquisitions, landlord and tenant advice and leasework. She will also help grow the commercial property team.
She said: “Having worked at larger firms more recently, I am looking forward to being involved in a team environment and playing more of a hands-on role in developing and expanding the team, its offering and its workload.
“People deal with people, and it was the people here that swung it for me, it feels like the right place to be.”
MD Law partner Matthew Dixon set up the business eight years ago acting for, and advising professionals, businesses and individuals across the country on corporate law, insolvency, litigation and commercial property matters.
He said: “I am happy to welcome Wendy and her considerable high-level commercial property experience, to the firm.
“We are privileged to attract such talent who will help to drive further growth, and continue to deliver strong results for all our clients.
“Wendy’s addition also takes us another step in the right direction towards meeting our long-term growth goals, with the firm now boasting six partners.”
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Four new members have joined the board of housing association Unity Homes and Enterprise which manages almost 1,400 affordable properties for around 5,000 tenants in Leeds and Kirklees.
Mahara Haque has worked as a community development specialist for more than a decade and has a wide range of board experience including with housing associations and in the NHS.
Moreen Pascal has had a career in business support services, local government and the voluntary and community sectors mainly in London and Hertfordshire, where her focus has been on social justice initiatives in the community, leadership performance and workforce development.
Nasim Qureshi has been the chief executive officer at Inspired Neighbourhoods Group for 14 years, and brings considerable experience in the housing, health and social care and enterprise sectors.
Abdul Ravat has previously served on the board of Unity’s not for profit subsidiary company, Unity Enterprise, and has accumulated three decades of experience in housing and regeneration.
Abdul Hamied, Unity Homes and Enterprise interim chair, said: “I am excited to welcome our four new members who will each bring their own unique skillsets and experiences to the board table together with a shared commitment to Unity’s social purpose.
“We are proud of the work we do, not just as a provider of first class affordable homes but also in supporting local entrepreneurial activity and providing bridges to employment and training.
“Unity has exciting plans in place and in development which my new colleagues will have key roles in advancing in the months and years ahead.”
Cedric Boston, chief executive, said: “One of Unity’s great strengths as a community-based organisation is our eagerness to listen to different voices and implement innovative ideas in the quest to improve people’s lives.
“The new board members will make significant strategic contributions to what we do and how we do it for the betterment of local neighbourhoods.
“They are excellent appointments and, on behalf of the senior management team, I look forward to working closely with them all.”
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Building consultancy Fourth Wall, which has bases in Leeds and Sheffield, has welcomed three new members of staff to its team across the operations and surveying factions of the business.
New arrivals include professional footballer Scott Boden and recent graduate Luke Davidson. Boden joins as a trainee building surveyor and has previously played for football teams such as Chesterfield, Wrexham and most recently for Buxton before making the move to Fourth Wall.
Having completed his degree in May 2023, Davidson joins the business as a graduate building surveyor.
Previously he worked as an architectural technician at a design and build practice in Manchester where he rose through the ranks from apprentice to project lead on a residential refurbishment in Newcastle.
Bolstering the operations team is Abigayle Hill, who joins the business from Sheffield City Council as operations administrator.
Boden said: “I am absolutely buzzing to be a part of the Fourth Wall team.
“As I near the end of my training course, I’m now looking forward to getting my teeth into the role. Football will always be hard to replace but I’m thankful to find something that gives me that interest and really intrigues me.”
Davidson said: “I’m really excited for my new role within Fourth Wall. The young and ambitious leadership drew me in, as well as being able to grow alongside the business.
“I love heritage buildings, especially those that are listed, so the opportunity to work on these kinds of sites, both commercial and residential is fantastic.”
Hill said: “I’m looking forward to working with and getting to know my colleagues more and seeing where my career path takes me. It’s been a very interesting job, and every day is different.”
