People: Clarion; NorthCap; Exchange Chambers; and more

Law firm, Clarion, has welcomed 12 new team members across the business in the first quarter of 2024, as it looks to bolster its core service offering.

Geraldine Wharton joins the business recovery and insolvency team, with 10 years’ experience in commercial and financial litigation, supporting on contractual disputes, defamation claims, and regulatory reviews against banks and other financial institutions.

Legal director, Katie Bullock, joins the Court of Protection and Personal Injury Trust team.

With more than 12 years’ experience dealing with high value and complex Court of Protection (COP) matters, she is well placed to handle client sensitivities and offer support to vulnerable clients, dealing with personal injury and clinical negligence claims.

Elsewhere senior associate, Sandeep Sandhu, joined the family team with over 18 years of experience in the field, focusing on intervener issues, as well as divorce and financial remedy, pre and post nuptial agreements and child arrangements.

The firm has also made four associate appointments across practice areas, including Emma Jones in real estate, Uzair Zafar in employment, Georgia Samardzija in private wealth and Jeremy Bristow in contentious private client, with a further five new starters in support teams across the business.

Clarion is a single-site Leeds-based law firm, which supports a range of corporate and private clients both nationally and internationally.

Roger Hutton, joint managing partner, said: “We’ve had a really exciting start to the year already as we welcome a number of talented individuals to the business.

“These appointments are an integral part of our national growth strategy, alongside our plans to create an entrepreneurial environment and attract the best legal talent across the region.

“I know that our latest recruits will play a key role in delivering these plans and helping our wider team in continuing to deliver outstanding service and guidance to our clients.”

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Experienced investment agent, Richard Wright, has joined Leeds-based real estate advisor NorthCap.

Wright, who brings over 14 years’ transactional experience, leaves his role as head of capital markets at Commercial Property Partners to join NorthCap, which was established by Luke Symonds and Ben Hall in 2021.

In this time the firm has advised on over £200m of investment deals, including the acquisition of a 130-bed Premier Inn in Leeds for Mayfair Capital and the record-setting sale of Kitwave, a prime distribution unit in Wakefield on behalf of HBD. 

With a strong track record in the industrial and logistics sector, Wright’s diverse experience covers land acquisition, investment brokerage, development fundings, portfolio sales and sale and leaseback transactions.

His clients range from institutional funds, REITs, property companies, family trusts as well as private and overseas investors. 

He said: “NorthCap’s ethos and approach to investment brokerage is aligned with my own, with the emphasis on providing detailed-focused, partner-led advice.

“I will be covering the national investment market from London as well as working directly with Ben and Luke at our Leeds headquarters.

“Our combined knowledge and successes in the industry along with our geographical coverage will enable us to offer our clients best in class service.”

Hall and Symonds added: “We are thrilled to have Richard joining the team. He brings a wealth of knowledge, a proven track record and another dynamic to NorthCap’s shared vision of honest, market leading advice, commitment to sustainability and a focus on proptech.”

NorthCap’s main office is at Platform, in central Leeds. In his new role Wright will continue to focus on the London market, where he worked across prior roles at Strutt & Parker and BNP Paribas before establishing the London office for Commercial Property Partners.

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Exchange Chambers has two new barristers in Leeds after Jordan Millican and Hateema Zia successfully completed pupillage and became full members of the set.

Zia undertook a commercial pupillage under the supervision of Steven Fennell while Millican undertook a criminal pupillage under the supervision of Alex Menary.

Welcoming Exchange’s latest new members, chief executive Jonathan I’Anson said: “We welcome Jordan and Hateema as full members of Exchange in Leeds and wish them every success at the Bar.”

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Harron Homes Yorkshire recently saw Beth Gillott join its Morley office team as a sales manager, for its Yorkshire developments – The Hawthornes, York Vale Gardens and forthcoming Ilbert’s Castle in Pontefract.

Gillott moves to Harron Homes with over 10 years of experience working in the housing industry to share with the team.

She said: “I found my calling when I visited a new homes development and was inspired by the sales advisor; they made me feel welcomed and supported and I wanted to make people feel the same way. I value being able to help make customer dreams a reality and I haven’t looked back.”

Starting her career as a sale advisor with other housebuilders, she progressed to the role of sales manager.

Gillott added: “Choosing Harron was an easy decision to make. I’ve found such a close-knit team here who look out for each other. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and taking on the new responsibilities, seeing the community grow and supporting my team.

“I really enjoy my role and relish a challenge. The appeal for me was it not being a regular nine to five job. No two days are the same, it’s fast paced and a pleasure to meet so many people from different backgrounds.”

Alison Taylor-Shaw, sales and marketing director for Harron Homes Yorkshire, said: “We are pleased to welcome Beth to our sales team.

“Her wealth of experience is a real asset to the team and is fantastic for our customers. We look forward to seeing Beth go from strength-to-strength.”