People: Includes Gateley Legal | SmartSearch | GSC Grays

Gateley Legal has recruited five new hires in its Leeds office.

The five, who have all been with the business previously as trainees or paralegals, are newly qualified lawyers Daisy Stewart, Megan Mitchell, and Emma Worthington, along with trainees Louise Johnson and Fiona Weatherhead.

Stewart is joining the commercial dispute resolution team, which advises both local and national corporate clients on a variety of matters, including commercial and contractual, professional negligence, and property disputes.

Mitchell is joining the construction team advising contractors, developers, and housebuilders on contentious construction matters and dispute resolution, while Worthington is joining the real estate team and will be largely working on property finance matters as well as corporate acquisitions and disposals and all aspects of landlord and tenant work.

Over the next two years, trainees Johnson and Weatherhead will rotate through four six-month seats across a number of practice areas, including property, corporate and contentious units, starting, respectively in the Banking and Restructuring teams.

They join a cohort of 10 training in the Leeds office which includes qualifying paralegals and solicitor apprentices.

They are part of 22 newly qualified solicitor and 27 legal trainee appointments recently made by Gateley Legal across its UK offices.

Roger McCourt, partner and head of the Leeds office, said: “To continue to attract and retain such a high calibre of recruits speaks volumes about our reputation in the marketplace, the quality of our training and development programme and the fantastic young talent we have in the region.

“In Louise and Fiona, I’m pleased that the talent they showed as paralegals can now be nurtured further as trainees with us.

“For Daisy, Megan and Emma, qualification as solicitors is deserved reward for all their hard work, and, as a stellar cohort of young lawyers, they will be brilliant for both our clients and the business for many years to come.”

Worthington said: “Qualifying at Gateley is my greatest achievement yet. It represents years of hard work and determination, and I am looking forward to expanding my legal experience and continuing to work with colleagues both within the Leeds office and beyond.”

Stewart added: “I’m over the moon to be qualifying at Gateley. This is what the hard work throughout your training contract is for, and having the opportunity to work with such a talented and experienced litigation team is the best way to kick-start my career as a solicitor.”

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SmartSearch, a Leeds-based provider of digital compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) solutions, is expanding its Executive Leadership Team to support its next phase of accelerated growth.

It follows significant investment from Triple Private Equity earlier this year and the appointment of industry leader Phil Cotter as CEO.

The new appointments are as follows:

• Stuart Morris joins as chief technology officer. With over two decades of experience in delivering large-scale transformation and software development programs at EY, Barclays, and LSEG, he will lead the technology team to support the next phase of customer-focused innovation.
• Paul Eddie joins as chief revenue officer. He brings extensive experience in software, analytics, and digital transformation from his roles at Thomson Reuters, Oracle, Experian, and D&B. He will lead the company’s sales organisation.

The business has also created new roles for two of its executive team members to further strengthen its leadership:

• Fraser Mitchell becomes chief product officer, transitioning from his role as technical director to focus on the business’s strategic product direction and market-leading innovation.
• Collette Allen transitions to chief transformation officer from her position as chief operating officer. In this role, she will be responsible for ensuring the business’s transformation agenda is delivered in support of its long-term strategy, with a focus on operational and service excellence.

The expanded Executive Leadership Team will focus on assisting businesses in all regulated sectors in the fight against global money laundering and fraud.

Morris said: “Keeping pace with the advanced technology used by today’s financial criminals is a pressing challenge for organisations in regulated industries.

“This is compounded by their obligation to implement the necessary checks to catch fraudsters and ensure regulatory compliance.

“SmartSearch is dedicated to making this process easier for businesses, and it’s an exciting time to be part of this journey.”

Eddie said: “Software, analytics, and digital transformation have been key focus areas throughout my career, and I’m happy to join as a leader in digital compliance.

“Maximising revenue streams will enable us to streamline and enhance our product offerings for customers in regulated sectors, providing them with the right solutions and support to combat the rising tide of financial crime.”

Cotter added: “These strategic appointments mark a pivotal moment for us, significantly bolstering our leadership capabilities.

“The addition of seasoned experts like Stuart Morris and Paul Eddie, together with the change in roles for Fraser Mitchell and Collette Allen, alongside Claire Elcock, chief financial officer, Julie Green, client services director and Rachael Rogers as interim chief people officer creates a leadership team with significant experience of delivering innovative solutions for its customers in a fast changing and complex regulatory environment.”

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GSC Grays, a rural land and property specialist which mainly operates in northern England, has added the talents of Sarah Weston to its team in the key role of agency marketing manager as the company continues to expand.

Her responsibilities will include managing marketing campaigns, engaging with potential clients, and overseeing the communication with sellers, buyers, landlords and tenants.

Guy Coggrave, managing director, said: “Sarah brings a wealth of experience and is a great asset to the GSC Grays team as we continue to focus on providing bespoke, high quality service and hands-on client relationship management.

“With over 11 years of experience working for Croft Residential, we are thrilled to welcome her on board.

“We now employ over 140 people across nine offices, with a geographical spread from Nottingham to the Scottish Borders.

“This is an exciting phase in the company’s expansion, driven by our commitment to exceptional service delivered by local staff who bring energy, drive, and expertise to the communities they live in. Sarah will play a key role in helping us meet that commitment.”

Weston, who studied law at the University of Northumbria, added: “When I was offered a fresh challenge by GSC Grays, I couldn’t turn it down.

“I can’t wait to get started in my new role as agency marketing manager in this highly respected, dynamic and exciting company.”

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Law firm, Blacks Solicitors, is celebrating the growth of its employment law offering thanks to the appointment of 11 new legal professionals, taking the team to a total of 21.

Among the new cohort is solicitor Ellie Broadhurst, who specialises in employment litigation, solicitor Georgia Jeonney, consultant solicitor Andrew Cameron, and paralegals Dev Matharu and Oliver Davies.

Olivia Hunt has bolstered the team further, joining as a legal secretary, alongside apprentices and trainees, Adam Megson, Bella Birkett, Leon Cordero, and Emily Owston.

Additionally, Lana Bamforth joined as a graduate solicitor apprentice as part of the firm’s 2022 scheme and is due to qualify in 2025.

The firm has also confirmed the recent promotion of Anna Schiavetta to associate solicitor within the Employment team.

She specialises in employment litigation, acting for corporate clients and individuals, representing Maxine Lynskey in a recent national discrimination case against Direct Line, which generated significant press coverage.

Schiavetta said: “I am thrilled to be part of a team that continually strives for excellence and growth.

“The strong support from senior staff and the firm’s commitment to work-life balance has been key to my development. I look forward to contributing further to our success and delivering high-quality services to our clients.”

Tom Moyes, partner, who co-heads the Employment Team with Paul Kelly, said: “‘We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Andrew Cameron and develop the Regulatory offering that he’s brought to the team.

“Andrew is very well respected in the market and has significant experience representing clients following regulatory interventions, including in investigations and prosecutions by HMRC, the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, and Local Authorities.

“There is no doubt he adds a new dimension to the team, as we continue to grow and service our clients.”

Kelly, partner and head of the Employment Team, said: “Our expansion reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional service and adapting to our clients’ needs.

“With the addition of new team members and their diverse expertise, we are well-positioned to manage the increased workload and continue providing top-tier legal support.

“Our focus remains on client care and expanding our service offerings to meet the evolving demands of our clientele.

“Looking ahead, we aim to attract top-quality staff, increase turnover, consolidate our expanded team, and work with larger clients, all while maintaining our sharp focus on client service and care.”