People: Gordons; C Hoare & Co; Bed Kingdom; and more

Law firm Gordons has appointed a senior lawyer to lead its property disputes practice.

Paul Joyce joins from the Leeds office of law firm Womble Bond Dickinson and has specialised in property litigation for 13 years.

He has expertise in advising commercial tenants including large retail, logistics and manufacturing clients alongside large residential landlords regarding their property portfolios.

This includes arbitration and mediation and acting on behalf of clients before various courts and tribunals.

Gordons’ property disputes clients include retailers AO, Card Factory, Iceland Foods, The Original Factory Shop and Wren Kitchens. Other property disputes clients include Evri and Yorkshire Building Society.

Joyce said: “Gordons has established a great reputation regionally and nationally for the capability of its commercial property team, and its continued high profile growth within the retail sector.

“I am looking forward to working with my talented property disputes colleagues to further expand our remit with existing clients by providing practical, effective advice to solve complex issues. I will also lead on securing new clients for the firm as part of a wider strategy to grow the practice area.”

He also has experience with property-related professional negligence disputes and sits on the committee of the Property Litigation Association North.

Gordons commercial property partner, Sarah Ratcliffe, said: “Paul is a great hire for Gordons and we are pleased to welcome him to the team. He has an ideal combination of technical expertise and sector experience.

“As a firm that focuses on providing excellent client service and building strong and lasting client relationships, Paul and his property disputes team will play a crucial role in making that happen.”

Gordons has offices in Leeds and Bradford and employs 170 people.

:::

C Hoare & Co, the UK’s oldest privately-owned bank, has appointed Oliver Dean as a senior relationship manager.

Dean will be based in Yorkshire and will work with Carl Brian, who joined the bank in 2021 to increase its presence in the North East.

Dean has 25 years of banking experience, most recently leading a team of private and corporate banking managers for Handelsbanken, where he was Sheffield branch manager.

He previously held roles at Yorkshire Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland and has significant expertise in providing bespoke banking services to wealthy customers in a wide variety of sectors.

Venetia Hoare said: “We recognise the importance of local expertise and look forward to working with Oliver as we deepen our relationships and presence in the region.”

:::

Bed Kingdom, a retailer in the furniture and home decor industry, has appointed Josh Branigan as its new buyer.

With a background in retail buying and visual merchandising, he brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the Heckmondwike-based team.

Branigan joins Bed Kingdom following five years as a buyer at BuyItDirect, where he was responsible for curating a diverse range of upholstery and office furniture.

Prior to this, he worked as a visual merchandiser in the menswear department at fashion retailer New Look.

He is a graduate of Batley School of Art and Design, holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design, Production, and Promotion.

In his new role, he will be expanding and refining the company’s product offerings, overseeing and managing product categories, and ensuring Bed Kingdom continues to meet its customers’ evolving needs and preferences.

He will also focus on identifying and sourcing new products to grow the business’s range of bedroom and home furniture products.

Branigan said: “What first attracted me to the job was the impressive growth trajectory of the business.

“I’m most looking forward to contributing to expanding the product range, particularly in the kids and adult beds segments.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to use my experience in trend analysis and product selection to introduce innovative, high-quality products that resonate with customers.

“Additionally, I’m eager to implement streamlined processes that will enhance efficiency and ensure we consistently meet market demands.”

The e-commerce retailer recently acquired assets from Cuckooland and expanded its physical premises by purchasing a 70,000 sq ft facility in Liversedge to house stock and become the main distribution site for its brands.

:::

Guernsey Finance, the promotional agency for the island’s financial services industry, has appointed its first business development representative for the north of England.

Bringing more than two and a half decades’ experience as a strategic brand marketer to the role, Rowan Stone’s extensive expertise will see him promote and develop the profile of Guernsey in the north of England and increase the understanding of key products and services across the sectors of investment funds, private wealth, insurance and pensions.

Stone has worked with international clients across numerous sectors in the advertising and marketing services industries and has developed excellent problem-solving skills, complemented by a wealth of industry connections across Northern England including Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds.

His role as Northern England Representative will see him act as a business ambassador for Guernsey to further the island’s presence and reputation in the region.

This includes expanding the awareness of Guernsey’s finance offering, identifying new opportunities, and sharing the story of Guernsey’s world-class financial services industry, particularly to the rapidly growing property and tech sectors.

He said: “I am thrilled in joining Guernsey Finance and being involved in establishing Guernsey’s profile in the region and developing new connections, partnerships and business opportunities.”

Born and raised in Guernsey, Rowan was educated at Elizabeth College and the Lancaster University Management School.

Guernsey Finance chief executive, Rupert Pleasant, said: “Rowan’s experience will help strengthen our connection with the north of England, which is a growing focus for us as business continues to grow in this region.

“More than two thirds of the UK’s financial services industry is housed outside of the City of London, and Guernsey is proud to have a symbiotic relationship with all regions of the UK.

“We hope this partnership will continue to grow as we strengthen our connections as a leading international finance centre.”