People: Schofield Sweeney; Aon plc; Chadwick Lawrence; and more

Yorkshire-based law firm, Schofield Sweeney, has appointed Stephen Lewis as a partner in its litigation team.

He has over 25 years of experience resolving issues and disputes for all sizes of businesses and private individuals.

Lewis said: “I was instantly attracted to the firm’s ‘people first’ approach to clients and colleagues and I’m looking forward to actively supporting the development of the business and its clients for many years to come.”

His specialisms include commercial and contract disputes, material damage, product liability, professional risks, insurance policy disputes and volume damage recovery programmes (highways infrastructure, buildings and vehicles).

James Wood, partner, added: “It is great to welcome Stephen to the team at the start of the New Year.

“He brings a wealth of experience across several sectors and demonstrates our commitment to continued growth and development into new sectors.”

Lewis has devoted a large part of the last five years to seeking justice and compensation for sub-postmasters affected by the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.

He has overturned criminal convictions and secured several millions of pounds of compensation.

He said he would continue to support those who have not yet claimed compensation for their financial losses or have not sought to clear their name after being prosecuted for theft or false accounting.

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Sue Austen

Global professional services firm, Aon plc, has confirmed the promotion to partner of two of its Leeds-based colleagues.

Sue Austen has had a career in the UK pensions industry spanning over 30 years, the majority of which have been spent with Aon.

She leads a team of over 100 colleagues who support trustees and in-house pensions teams in the management of their pension arrangements.

Austen said: “Having briefly held roles at other consultancies, it was joining Aon that provided me with the opportunities that have shaped my career.

“The mix of continuing to advise clients, developing industry-leading solutions, and holding management responsibilities provides genuine variety which, when combined with working with an inclusive and diverse team, makes this such an exciting role.

“The pensions industry continues to face challenges and with regulatory changes on the horizon, I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with clients and colleagues.”

Andrew Grime is a qualified actuary with over 20 years of pensions industry experience, advising a range of pension schemes, varying in size from £40m to £4bn.

Andrew Grime

With his breadth and depth of expertise, he helps schemes set and execute long-term benefit and financing strategies, with a key emphasis on the risk settlement market, where he has a particular focus on the rapidly developing superfund and capital-backed journey plan market.

He said: “I’ve spent my entire career at Aon and am privileged to be part of such a diverse and highly talented team.

“My role is all about helping clients solve problems, and the pace of change within the pensions industry has provided an enormous opportunity for sponsors and trustees to improve member outcomes, as well as providing exciting opportunities for colleagues looking to broaden their career paths.

“Becoming a partner will enable me not only to shape and influence wider business priorities, but also to focus on further developing the fantastic junior colleagues within the team, so they are equipped to support evolving client needs.”

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Law firm Chadwick Lawrence has promoted three of its employees in recognition of their hard work and dedication in a list of New Year promotions.

Sarah Hemmings (Leeds) has been promoted to salaried partner and Ellie Hirst and Lashana Henderson (Huddersfield) are both promoted to associate.

Hemmings’ promotion reflects her exemplary work on the Corporate and Contracts team.

Her expertise and dedication have contributed to the firm’s success in this practice area.

She said: “Having been at Chadwick Lawrence since 2005, this next step means a great deal to me. I hope to continue to encourage and develop everything within the firm.”

Hirst of the Wills & Probate Team, has been promoted to the role of associate.

Her commitment to providing exceptional client service and her valuable contributions to the team have played a pivotal role in the department’s success.

She said: “I joined Chadwick Lawrence in 2020 when I started my training contract.

“Since then, I have felt and benefited from the culture of continuous growth opportunities and remain thankful for being presented with these opportunities.

“I am extremely proud of the achievement and I look forward to progressing further within the firm.”

Henderson is a conveyancer within the Real Estate Team. Her hard work and talent have been instrumental in the ongoing success of the department.

She said: “I am deeply honoured to assume the role of associate at a thriving law firm. This appointment is a testament to the firm’s acknowledgement of my skills and dedication, reflecting their confidence in my ability to advance in my career.”

Neil Wilson, managing partner, said: “We are immensely proud of the achievements of Sarah, Ellie, and Lashana.

“Their promotions reflect not only their accomplishments but also the collective dedication to excellence that defines Chadwick Lawrence.

“As we enter a new year, we are confident these individuals will continue to contribute significantly to the firm’s success.”

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Bradford Council has thanked the chairman of the Keighley Towns Fund board, after he confirmed he is stepping down from the role.

Ian Hayfield has served as the chairman of the Towns Fund board since its inception in 2020, when Keighley secured a £33.6m package of Government funding, as one of 101 places across the country.

The Keighley Towns Fund board was established as a partnership of public and private sector representatives, to be chaired by a local private sector individual, to oversee a programme of regeneration in the area.

Chartered Surveyor Ian Hayfield, of Hayfield Robinson, was elected as chair of the Towns Fund board and has served ever since.

In the early stages of the programme, the role of the chair was to lead the board in identifying and agreeing the regeneration vision through the creation of an investment plan.

During Hayfield’s tenure, the role of the board shifted into one of monitoring the delivery of projects such as the Providence Park development, the Community Grants programme, the Town Centre Infrastructure project together with the continued success of the Capital Assistance to Business Growth grants.

Hayfield said: “I am stepping down on short term health grounds and feel now is the right time to give someone else the opportunity to deliver some of these incredible projects.

“It has been a privilege to hold the position of chair of the Keighley Towns Fund. I feel very proud of what we have achieved for the town and surrounding area.

“I’d like to thank everyone who I have worked with over the years, through the challenges of Covid and beyond.”

Bradford Council portfolio holder for regeneration, transport and planning, Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said: “Ian has been involved in supporting so many things in and around Keighley over the years it was no surprise when he stepped up to drive our Towns Fund work forward.

“We would like to sincerely thank him for all of his efforts over the last almost four years, overseeing the Towns Fund programme from its inception all the way through to securing funding and delivering the projects.

“A notable success has been the approval of a new health and well-being centre for the town.

“Ian has volunteered a lot of his time, very valuable experience, skills and resources to the Towns Fund programme and we are very grateful to him.”