People: Tyr; Winston Solicitors; ARC Building Solutions; and more

Leeds-based commercial law firm, Tyr, has confirmed its corporate team has grown with its recruitment of Stephanie Watkiss.
She qualified this September after training at a full-service law firm in the south of England but has experience in a respected regional Yorkshire firm.
During her training, she undertook seats in commercial property, private client and family, and corporate and employment, where she found her interest in corporate law.
Her interest in corporate law comes from understanding the commercial side of the transaction and working with clients over a long period of time to see varying transactions within one business setting.
Currently Watkiss is focusing on corporate law in general to gain exposure across all areas.
Partner, Chris Blantern, said: “Seeing our team grow from strength-to-strength has been a real joy. Stephanie joins us at the newly qualified level and has been providing wonderful support to the team.
“We are excited to continue our work alongside other service lines within the firm as we provide collaborative advice for our growing client base.”
Watkiss added: “I am excited to have joined Tyr at such a pivotal time for the corporate team. I look forward to working with such a knowledgeable team to help clients achieve the best outcome whilst gaining insights into our clients’ businesses and broadening my expertise in the field.”
She is also a member of the Leeds Junior Lawyers Division and can be seen at regional Business Desk junior networking events.
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Leeds firm Winston Solicitors has recruited James Urquhart-Burton as head of continuing healthcare claims.
He is an experienced specialist in this field and has set up a new department in the firm.
Winston Solicitors already has a Private Law team consisting of Family, Residential Property and Wills, Trust and Probate.
Urquhart-Burton and the Continuing Healthcare Claims Department will work alongside the Private Law Team.
Jonathan Winston, managing partner, said: “We’ve entered 2025 from a position of strength. Last year saw the firm take on several new hires, and with James joining the firm, we continue in our business growth and to provide legal solutions to our clients.
“James brings specialist legal knowledge along with genuine care to support people, provide effective advocacy and secure lifechanging results for his clients.”
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ARC Building Solutions (ARC), a Leeds-based manufacturer of cavity fire barriers and cavity closers has confirmed Chris Sexton will be taking on the new role of head of sales & specification.
Sexton joined ARC in 2024 as national sales manager and has been responsible for growing ARC’s presence in merchants and distributors.
His new role sees him take on more responsibility for the success of the overall sales strategy, as well as providing greater support to its technical sales teams across the country.
Aaron Sharp, director of sales & specification at ARC, said: “In the short time Chris has been at ARC, he has already had a major impact on our success.
“With almost 20 years’ experience in the building materials sector, his experience and expertise is invaluable and he has had a significant impact on the way we interact with our customers.
“As we look to the future, now is the perfect time for Chris to be making this transition, supporting our ambitious targets and delivering for our customers.
“This is an exciting time for the business and I’m confident Chris is the right person to take us forward and continue to grow ARC’s reputation as a world-class manufacturer.”
Sexton added: “I’m excited to take this next step in my career with ARC. From day one, it’s been clear this is a business with big ambitions, one committed to going above and beyond and delivering truly impactful and innovative products to the construction industry.
“At a time when the industry is calling on suppliers to support them, we’re proud to be at the forefront of the industry.
“With the growing support of the business, I am determined to grow ARC’s market share and drive our strategy forward.”
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Splendid Hospitality Group (SHG) has promoted Yasmine Hammadache to the position of general manager at Hotel Indigo York, owned and operated by The Boghani Family.
Hammadache takes on the role following the imminent departure of Simon Grace, who has held the role for over six years and is set to join Countrywide Hotels as general manager of the Hotel Indigo Leeds which opens later this year.
Hammadache started her journey at Hotel Indigo York in January 2023 as operations manager.
Over the course of her first year, she led the hotel to achieve an all-Green Metric scorecard for 2023 – the only Indigo hotel in the UK to hold the accolade.
Through her involvement in the York & North Yorkshire Hospitality Junior Board, supporting the next generation of hospitality talent, she has built a robust regional profile for Hotel Indigo York as an employer.
Noreen Gregory, regional general manager for SHG in the North, said: “We would like to thank Simon Grace for his commitment to Splendid for the past several years.
“He played a key role in bringing Yasmine into the company and her appointment as general manager is a natural progression given her outstanding contribution to the business during his tenure.
“Her promotion reflects Yasmine’s exceptional leadership and dedication to the SHG business.
“We are confident she will continue to drive the hotel’s growth and uphold the ambitious standards that make Hotel Indigo York an exceptional neighbourhood hotel in Yorkshire. We also wish Simon every success in his new position.”