People: Blacks Solicitors; First Event; EnviroVent; and more

Yorkshire law firm, Blacks Solicitors, is marking the start of 2024 with the promotion of 21 people across multiple specialist teams.

Seven teams have confirmed promotion of colleagues; Real Estate, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Residential Property, Employment, IT, Real Estate Litigation and Private Wealth & Succession.

Paul Sagar (Real Estate Litigation) who joined in 2022 and Marcus Kaye (Real Estate) who joined in 2017 have both been promoted to partners. Sagar has been instrumental in the team’s growth in the Real Estate sector, leading the way in his national telecoms specialism, acting exclusively for site providers.

Kaye said: “I’m dedicated to continuing to deliver highly valued and quality services in my new role.

“It’s been a pleasure to have helped develop our Real Estate specialism whilst being supported by the firm, focusing on Real Estate Finance transactions.”

Anna Schiavetta (Employment), Danielle Swainston (Commercial Dispute Resolution) and Claire Cooper (Residential Property) have all been promoted to associate solicitor.

Annie Beaumont (Private Wealth & Succession), Samantha Simpson (Residential Property), Andrew Morgan (Commercial Dispute Resolution), Yat Wong (Commercial Dispute Resolution) and Ben Finley (Real Estate) have been promoted to senior associate solicitor.

After joining in 2022, Schiavetta has shown continued dedication to the success of the firm and its Employment team.

In 2023, she worked with barrister Rachel Senior of the Kings Chamber to successfully represent a Direct Line employee in a discrimination case, which is believed to have been the highest award in the UK, for a claim of disability discrimination relating to menopause.

Schiavetta said: “I’m pleased my commitment and dedication has been recognised. Over the last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several leading specialists in the Employment law sector and I’m excited for what 2024 and beyond will bring.”

Jack Parkinson, Will Ashton, Shamaila Mughalm, Faye Parkinson, Abbie Spence, Helen Carter, Eleanor Firth and Gulfraz Ahmed (Residential Property) and Andy Manns and Gavin Peer (IT) have all been promoted to non-qualified associates.

Dawn Atkinson (Residential Property) has also been promoted to associate chartered legal executive.

Tom Moyes, training partner, said: “We remain fully committed to investing in our team and are happy to have started off the new year by acknowledging the hard work and dedication of our colleagues.

“Their teamwork, collaboration and communication has been crucial in the continued success of the firm.”

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Adele Woods has been promoted to the role of chief operating officer at Leeds-based event management agency, First Event.

With a career spanning 23 years and roles including head of brand events and regional marketing at Marks & Spencer, she joined First Event in 2021.

Since then, the agency has been through a significant period of growth and she will now oversee the team as it further expands its client offering, ensuring creativity and innovation are at the heart of the business.

Woods said: “The industry is changing and our clients’ needs are changing along with it.

“This has led to the need to evolve our proposition, incorporating new services to better meet the needs of both new and existing clients.

“I’m so excited to continue the next phase of our journey. I’m honoured to be working alongside a brilliant team, and we’re looking forward to bringing in new skills and talents from across the industry in order to enhance our offering to clients.”

Woods will continue to report to managing director, Richard Murphy, who will drive tangible growth while maintaining a thriving company culture.

Murphy said: “I am thrilled that Adele will be working alongside me to set a clear vision for the future direction of First Event.

“As we lead our team through this period of change, Adele is infinitely qualified to provide the kind of stability and organisational structure that will make us thrive both now and in the future.

“I have every faith that she’ll build on our existing culture to ensure our brilliant team continues to feel supported, with ample opportunities for both personal and professional development.”

Woods’ promotion follows other recent appointments to the First Event team, including Marc Allot as creative director, Alex Stonall as client development director, and Louise Gee as head of sales.

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Harrogate-based ventilation manufacturer, EnviroVent, has appointed James Kane as head of sales – Social Housing.

He has been promoted to the role after being EnviroVent’s regional sales manager for London and the South East for the past two years.

Kane has almost 20 years’ experience in the social housing sector, having worked for many leading brands including Electrolux and Mira Showers, before moving into the ventilation sector seven years ago.

In his new role, he will manage a team of 22 people including EnviroVent’s social housing surveyors and ventilation specialists and will report to customer experience director Ed Simms.

Simms said: “James is passionate about serving the social housing sector and will be looking to drive through many product and service enhancements to customers.

“Working closely with our marketing, product development, technical and installation team, he will be aiming to collaborate even more closely to solve condensation and mould issues, with ventilation solutions for existing and new customers across the whole of the UK.”

EnviroVent’s social housing team’s role involves working with many different partners, including social landlords, retrofit and planned maintenance departments, supporting them in carrying out day-to-day repairs and disrepairs where condensation and mould are causing or could potentially cause a problem.

Kane said: “I’m really excited to be embarking on this new role. It is fantastic be working for a brand like EnviroVent which really understands social housing and invests in products and services that help solve customer problems.

“I’m looking forward to bringing some exciting new developments to housing associations and social landlords over the coming months and to helping our whole team to address even more customers’ ventilation issues.”

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Huddersfield-based architectural practice, France+Associates, has grown its team with a duo of key appointments as the company chases growth plans.

The practice, which specialises in designing bespoke homes for individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries, has welcomed Richard Grota as chartered architectural technologist, and Martin Bird as business manager.

Grota joins following eight years working with UK-wide law firms to help locate suitable homes for injured clients and then create home design solutions to meet their needs.

Jonathan France, managing director, said: “Richard is a well-known and highly regarded chartered architectural technologist, and his appointment at F+A marks a key milestone in our next phase of growth.

“Richard’s skills and extensive industry expertise gives us strength in depth as a company, bolstering our commitment to excellent design solutions and exceptional service for clients who are often dealing with very sensitive matters and personal trauma.

“We are excited to see where working with Richard will take us.”

Joining as business manager, Bird brings extensive experience in management and director roles covering finance, procedure, and business structure, and will support the further development of F+A’s client onboarding, account management process, and business structure as the firm grows.

France added: “Martin’s role is an important move for F+A and will streamline specific areas of the business and allow it to continue moving in the right direction.

“Our focus has always been on providing our clients with a high level of service, and Martin’s appointment will allow the team to focus on what we do best.”