People: Hentons Corporate Finance; Civic Earth; Pepperells Solicitors; and more

Hentons Corporate Finance, a joint venture with Hentons Chartered Accountants, has promoted Sheffield-based Harry Bushell to corporate finance manager.

Matthew Milnes, director at Hentons Corporate Finance, said: “Harry has been with the team for a number of years now and has grown both his confidence and experience in managing his own jobs as well as taking the lead on a number of internal projects and supporting the development of new team members.

“He is a great asset to Hentons Corporate Finance, and his promotion is very well deserved.”

Bushell’s experience spans a variety of CF services tailored for SMEs, including, business disposals and acquisitions, valuations, forecasts and transitions to employee ownership trusts.

He said: “Five years of dedication and learning in M&A have taught me that growth is a team effort, not just an individual pursuit.

“I eagerly embrace my new role, ready to continue growing alongside my teammates, helping them develop further as well.”

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Ground engineering consultancy, Civic Earth, has expanded its team in Leeds with the appointment of Alex Petts as senior geotechnical engineer, and Kiera I’Anson as graduate geotechnical engineer.

Petts joins from Fairhurst, where he led multiple projects including site investigations, data analysis and risk assessments, as well as the delivery of Access for All schemes for Northern Trains, Network Rail and the Department for Transport.

He previously worked at Lithos Consulting, where he supported environmental monitoring and geotechnical appraisals for residential and commercial development schemes.

I’Anson also joins from Fairhurst, where she worked on a broad range of geotechnical projects, supporting the delivery of ground investigations, slope stability analysis and geo-environmental reports to support projects across the infrastructure, transport and energy sectors.

The appointments follow a period of growth at Civic Earth.

Recent projects include delivering site investigation for Oldham Council’s Civic Centre, the first step in the plans to transform the town centre; providing geo-environmental engineering consultancy services for the £65m Blackpool Multiversity, a higher education campus; and the Mayfield development in Manchester, home of the city’s first new park in 100 years.

Dan Matthews, director at Civic Earth, said: “Alex and Kiera are hugely talented and collaborative, and it’s great to have them on board as we grow our presence.

“Our focus is to deliver environmental and social value alongside technical excellence, and we’re seeing strong demand for our services as regeneration and development-led projects gather pace across the UK.

“Soil health, biodiversity and embodied carbon are increasingly in the spotlight, and we see a real opportunity to support the industry in its response to the climate crisis with a more holistic, combined approach to engineering specialisms.”

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Pepperells Solicitors has welcomed Rachel Ives as the newest addition to its legal team in Grimsby.

Specialising in Family Law, Ives is passionate about supporting local families through a wide range of legal matters, including adoption and care proceedings, child arrangements, special guardianship, and domestic abuse cases.

Rosemary Houghton, head of family South, director and family law solicitor at Pepperells Solicitors, said: “We are thrilled to have Rachel join the team.

“Her passion for supporting local families, combined with a profound understanding of family law, makes her an invaluable asset to our firm and to the individuals that we support.

“We also take the opportunity to welcome Ben McGeeney who joined us in February 2024 as a paralegal. Ben supports the whole family team and is based between Scunthorpe and Grimsby. Ben aspires to be a solicitor specialising in family law.”

Ives added: “I am excited to join Pepperells Solicitors and to have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of families in our community.

“I am deeply committed to providing swift and thorough guidance to my clients, ensuring their needs are met and their rights protected throughout the legal process.”

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Specialist family law firm, Lake Legal, is supporting its growth plans with the appointment of Isabella O’Donoghue as a litigation executive.

She joins from Barnes Clark Family Law. She will complete her chartered legal executive status at Lake Legal.

Commenting on her new role, O’Donoghue said: “Lake Legal has a fantastic reputation in the region, and the firm has a great track record at developing young lawyers. I look forward to working with the team and supporting clients.”

The Leeds-based practice recently marked 15 years in business with a record turnover and an increase in the number of divorce cases it managed for high-net-worth individuals.

Lake Legal supports clients in a wide range of family law, from advising on pre-nuptial agreements to advising on issues arising from separation and divorce.

It also has a growing arbitration practice, headed by Lyn Ayrton, the founder of Lake Legal.

Claire Glaister, managing partner, said: “Isabella is a talented lawyer, and we’re pleased to welcome her to Lake Legal. The firm continues to go from strength-to-strength thanks to our team’s commitment and hard work.”