People: Hawkswell Kilvington; LCF Law; Green Building Renewables; and more

Yorkshire-based niche law firm, Hawkswell Kilvington, has made a series of promotions to its senior team.

The firm of specialist construction and engineering lawyers has promoted Claire Saunders, Matthew Shotton and Rebecca Jackson to their new role as legal director.

The trio of specialist construction lawyers at the firm deal with complex and high value construction disputes in all forms of dispute resolution, including adjudication, litigation, arbitration and mediation.

Thomas Salter, partner, said: “We are incredibly proud to promote Claire, Matthew and Rebecca to the role of legal director.

“All three are exceptionally talented solicitors whose hard work and dedication is reflected not only in the results they achieve for our clients but also acts as an inspiration for others at the firm too.

“Claire is one of our longest serving solicitors, who has been with us since the first day of her training contract. It is therefore an incredibly proud moment to recognise her continued development with the firm in this way.

“Matthew is an outstanding lawyer and has established himself as a key individual both within the team and also for a broad range of clients.

“Since joining the firm, Rebecca has become an integral part of the disputes team and is already a trusted advisor to our clients.”

Saunders said: “I am really looking forward to this next stage of my career and continuing to grow alongside the firm as legal director.”

Shotton said: “I am delighted to have been promoted and working as part of a progressive law firm, which is going from strength-to-strength.

“Hawkswell Kilvington is a well-regarded presence in the legal market and the quality of our work and the clients we advise is testament to this.”

Jackson added: “While I am extremely pleased with the promotion on a personal level, it is a real testament to the expertise, investment, support and ambition within Hawkswell Kilvington more generally.

“I look forward to embarking on the next stage of my career and continuing to contribute in every way I can to support the firm’s continued growth and our longstanding reputation as eminent construction specialists.”

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The appointment of solicitor, Nicole Narey, has further bolstered LCF Law’s Personal Law team in Bradford.

Narey previously spent five years at another Yorkshire law firm, where she completed her training and worked as a private client solicitor.

She said: “I was keen to make the move to LCF Law as the firm has a great reputation for being a good employer and is very supportive when it comes to career progression.

“My role is a varied and interesting one. Within our team of 12 lawyers, we all have our individual disciplines, and mine involves Court of Protection work.

“An application is made to the Court of Protection when someone does not have mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.

“The application can be for a general financial order, a specific decision order, or for the preparation of a Will. In many cases, our lawyers act as Court Appointed Deputy for clients who lack mental capacity, meaning we are responsible for their property and financial affairs.

“We are also instructed by people to make an application to the Court of Protection on behalf of their relative or family member who lacks mental capacity.

“This can be a very complicated and delicate matter, so professionalism and sensitivity to all issues are key.

“Assisting people at a difficult time in their lives is highly rewarding and I’m looking forward to developing this aspect of LCF Law’s legal services throughout Yorkshire.”

Partner and head of personal law at LCF Law, Neil Shaw, said: “Nicole is very personable and professional, and she helps clients ensure their affairs are all in order and safeguarded.

“Her experience working with the Court of Protection, will be an asset to our team and will continue to ensure we secure the best outcomes for our clients.”

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Green Building Renewables, a York-based cleantech business, has welcomed Chris Joubert as its new director of mergers and acquisitions, effective from December 1.

He will lead the expansion of the company’s nationwide network of renewable technology experts.

Joubert’s primary role involves overseeing the acquisition of new businesses to bolster Green Building Renewables’ portfolio, aligning with the company’s ambition to become the UK’s largest renewable installation company by 2025, targeting a turnover of £100m.

Over the past two years, the business has strategically grown from a single York office to 13 regional offices across England, achieving a tenfold increase in turnover from £3m to over £38m.

Joubert, with seven years of experience as a corporate development associate, brings a proven track record in mergers and acquisitions.

He said: “I am thrilled to be joining Green Building Renewables at this critical time in the UK’s strategy to reach net zero.

“The potential for growth and positive impact of the company is immense, and I look forward to contributing to the business’s success as we continue to lead the way in renewable energy installations and to become the UK’s largest installer of domestic renewable technology.”

Managing director Chris Delaney said: “Chris will bring his unique combination of strategic insight and hands-on experience in mergers and acquisitions to our business at a time when we are growing rapidly and the demand for renewables continues to rise.

“Our ambitions and hopes for the company are big and we believe his expertise will be instrumental in accelerating our growth further and positioning us as a market leader in the UK.”

Joubert joins the team at Green Building’s Renewables parent company Efficient Building Solutions and he will also lead on acquisitions for its sister company, Green Building Store.

Efficient Building Solutions chief financial officer, Mark Watford, said: “Chris brings a wealth of experience to our business during this exciting period of growth and his role will be pivotal to the achievement of the business wider vision and business strategy.

“The products and services that we provide across Green Building Renewables and its sister company Green Building Store are so important to the future of UK buildings and I know Chris’s work will play a crucial role our vision to help the UK to achieve create more sustainable buildings.”

Green Building Renewables has been shortlisted for two awards at the Yorkshire Business Desk Awards in February 2024.

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iSource Group (iSG), an IT, digital and change management recruitment specialist based in Leeds, has appointed Shada Abdulla as a delivery consultant working on permanent and contract positions.

Following completion of her law degree, Abdulla joined the property industry as a valuation expert, ensuring that pricing matched market value.

Taking the experience she gained from liaising with customers in her previous role, she is looking forward to starting her career in recruitment. 

As a delivery consultant, she will be responsible for supporting candidates, both permanent and contract, throughout the hiring process to provide them with the most positive recruitment experience. 

She said: “I really wanted to find a role that had the career progression, right team and culture in place.

“Although there is a lot to learn, I believe iSG has that support network and I can already see how people are progressing around me.  

“This is an exciting time, and I can’t wait to start to work with candidates, supporting them as they look for the jobs that will progress their careers and meet with their professional aspirations.”

Managing director, Geoff Shepherd, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Shada to the team. It’s great to have her on board.

“We can already see that she has the right attitude and that she will fit in with our culture here really well. 

“Having the right team in place is really important to us, and we look forward to supporting Shada as she establishes her role and then progresses through the business.”