People: DWF; Cura Terrae; Urban Splash; and more
DWF, a provider of integrated legal and business services, has made 29 promotions at its Leeds office.
It has promoted, professional indemnity partner, Matthew Reynolds, to a more senior level in the partnership this year, and Ian Cooper has been promoted to partner and UK head of adjusting.
Ian Drew has been promoted to director within the claims management and adjusting business, while insurance lawyer Sarah Baker has also been promoted to the position of director.
Abigail Jennings and Geraldine Bacon, also insurance lawyers, have been promoted to senior associate, alongside finance and restructuring lawyer Eleanor Steele and real estate lawyer Satinder Kainth.
Working across the Newcastle and Leeds offices, Julie Francis has been promoted to senior associate, while Emma McCullen and Amrita Grewal have been promoted to associates.
The firm has made 238 promotions globally. This includes 13 new promotions to partner or partner-equivalent roles.
In addition, 13 existing DWF partners have been promoted to a higher career level within the partnership structure
Managing partner of DWF in Leeds, Andrew Batterton, said: “I’m proud to see so many well-deserved promotions within our Leeds office again this year.
“These individuals have demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication, and their achievements reflect the strength of our team. Congratulations to all those promoted – I look forward to supporting your continued success.”
The full list of promotions is:
Matthew Reynolds, partner
Ian Cooper, partner and UK head of adjusting
Ian Drew, claims director
Sarah Baker, director
Abigail Jennings, senior associate
Eleanor Steele, senior associate
Geraldine Bacon, senior associate
Julie Francis, senior associate
Polly Murray, costs and operations manager
Satinder Kainth, senior associate
Amrita Grewal, associate
Andrew Gittus, software developer
Daniel Ramage, claims manager
Emma McCullen, associate
Jenny Davies, associate
Layo Dawodu, associate
Pippa James, associate
Sabrina Mahmood, associate
Shill Koria, associate
Brandon Hatzer, senior claims adjuster
Cory Serlin, developer
Duncan Cockburn, developer
James Williams, senior claims adjuster
Josh Waite, developer
Zoya Pasha, lead paralegal
Adele Clark, paralegal
Charlotte Clift, paralegal
Luc Southeran, paralegal
Tia Martin, collections specialist
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Sheffield-based environmental services group Cura Terrae has appointed a new chief executive officer and also brought in a new chair.
The group, backed by Palatine’s Impact fund since 2022, said Nick Dilworth will be taking over as CEO, having initially joined in 2024 as chief operating officer.
Co-founder Professor Pete Skipworth is moving to a non-executive role as part of a planned succession and will continue to support the board to shape the group’s future strategy from both an organic perspective and in terms of M&A.
Dilworth has more than 20 years’ experience in CEO and other leadership roles for private equity backed, family-owned and listed businesses.
His experience extends across a range of relevant industries, including renewable energy, aviation, and healthcare.
Cura Terrae has also appointed Colin Stirling as its new chair.
He is a well-established non-executive leader in the environmental sector, having served on the boards of ALcontrol Laboratories, Adler and Allan, and Future Industrial Services, with strategies covering organic and buy-and-build growth, following a career of over 20 years as a private equity investor.
Skipworth said: “We are happy to have teamed up with Colin, who will bring valuable insight from a customer and sector perspective and equally from an investor perspective. He shares our passion for the sector and for being the best at what we do.
“With Nick’s executive leadership experience and attitude to service excellence, we are looking forward to continuing to build the group and our customer offering in the coming period.”
Dilworth said: “It is a real honour to take the reins from Pete to develop the excellent foundations we already have in place.
“The future looks incredibly exciting, driven by the talent and commitment amongst our people that is evident across the group.
“There is a clear plan to grasp the opportunities ahead in each of our businesses and I’m really looking forward to working alongside our teams and engaging with our broader stakeholders.”
James Gregson, partner for Palatine’s Impact Fund, added: “It has been a pleasure to work with Pete for the last three years in establishing Cura Terrae as a leading player in the environmental services market.
“He is an outstanding entrepreneur and leader, and his knowledge and deep technical insight will remain invaluable as we progress into the next stage of Cura Terrae’s growth journey.
“Equally, I am pleased to see Nick step up to CEO and look forward to the group continuing to thrive under his leadership.”
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Regeneration company, Urban Splash, has appointed Sian Stanhope as development manager.
She will play a key role in two major Urban Splash projects in Sheffield.
The first includes the final phases of the Park Hill redevelopment. Urban Splash has transformed the Grade II-listed brutalist landmark into a community with hundreds of new homes, amenities, and thousands of square feet of commercial space.
Two further phases of development at Park Hill received planning approval in 2024, and Stanhope will help deliver this next chapter for the site.
She will also work on the transformation of the former Cole Brothers department store in Sheffield city centre.
The project will see Urban Splash repurpose the historic building into an urban hub, supporting Sheffield’s city centre regeneration.
A Sheffield Hallam University master’s graduate, Stanhope brings a wealth of experience to the role, having held positions at LCR Property and with local authorities, including Barnsley Council, where she contributed to the Principal Towns Project.
She said: “As someone with a deep connection to Sheffield, I’m incredibly proud to be working on these two iconic projects in the city.
“Park Hill and Cole Brothers are landmarks of Sheffield’s past and future, and it’s an honour to contribute to their next chapters.
“These projects represent the best of what Urban Splash does – breathing new life into historic structures and creating vibrant, sustainable spaces for the community.”
Urban Splash CEO, Julian Curnuck, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Sian to the Urban Splash team. Her passion for sustainable development and her extensive experience will be invaluable as we continue our work in Sheffield.
“Sian will help us deliver transformative projects that reflect Urban Splash’s commitment to creating inspiring, inclusive communities.”
Stanhope is also joined by Nicky Harries who re-joins the business in Manchester as commercial lettings manager, helping let Urban Splash space including workspace at Park Hill.
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Two experienced solicitors have joined Sheffield’s MD Law to boost its corporate and commercial property teams.
Kate Beech, known for a broad range of transactional corporate work especially in the healthcare sector, joins as a consultant solicitor working with the six-strong team of partners, and will concentrate on acquisitions and mergers especially dental practices, a new development for the firm.
Senior associate Travis Wood, who has worked on commercial and residential developments, social housing projects, large distribution centre transactions and funding deals, joins experienced legal and property professional Howard Wade, and newly qualified solicitor Abi Johal in the expanding commercial property team.
The Broomhall-based law firm, which was set up 10 years ago by Matthew Dixon and now employs 20 staff, acts for businesses and individuals on corporate law, business recovery, insolvency, litigation, commercial property, healthcare and employment law matters.
Beech has held senior roles at various national law firms, as well as in Sheffield in her near 20 year career, and is one of the very few lawyers in the country to have held both NASDAL (National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers) and ASPD (Association of Specialist Providers to Dentists) accreditation.
She said: “I have been involved hundreds of dental practice transactions. The market is active and there are deals being done all the time, whether that is a first time buyer or a corporate, all looking to build their practices, to those looking to sell the practice they have built over a number of years.
“This is a really good opportunity to bring a new line of work to a quality firm, which has friendly and approachable staff, and to enhance the already successful corporate team’s offering.”
Wood, who has 10 years experience in commercial property law, added: “I love the mechanical and transactional elements of the work. I’m excited to join MD Law at such a dynamic time for the firm and its growing commercial property team.
“The firm has an excellent reputation for delivering practical, client-focused advice, and I look forward to contributing to its continued growth by helping clients achieve their goals.”
MD Law partner, Matthew Dixon, added: “Kate’s appointment reflects our ongoing commitment to driving sustainable growth across the firm. Her arrival further enhances the depth of expertise within our corporate team, bringing new skills and opportunities.
“Travis’s property experience across a range of sectors and project types brings real benefits and will ensure clients are in the best possible position to safeguard themselves and the developments they are involved in.
“Kate and Travis are invaluable assets to our corporate and commercial property teams, and to the firm as a whole. We’re very pleased to have them on board.”
Employment lawyer Lindsey Gaimster joined six months ago to start MD Law’s newest service offering advice on all aspects of employment law, HR and employee management.
