Latest appointments: New faces at DWF; Double hire for Sovereign Health Care; and more
LAW firm DWF has made three key appointments at its Leeds office.
Tristan Meears-White joins the litigation team, Mark Ridler enters the pensions team and Amanda Simmonds has been welcomed to the private client team as technical director.
Mr Meears-White has extensive experience in a full range of contentious and non-contentious competition law, complex fraud criminal defence and FSA regulation issues across the North East, Yorkshire and national markets.
He joins the firm from the Newcastle office of Watson Burton where he was a partner.
Mr Ridler is a pensions lawyer with broad experience on all pensions issues having practised for over 20 years, as well as being recommended for outstanding transactional and trusteeship work.
He joins DWF from Hammonds where he was a partner.
Ms Simmonds is an experienced private client solicitor with a strong pedigree in private client work having previously served with London lawyers Boodle Hatfield and a number of firms in the region.
Specialist areas include trust planning for both UK and offshore trusts, representing high net worth individuals and their families and advising entrepreneurs on business sales and transaction matters.
She has been approached to run as chairmwoman for The Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) Leeds branch in 2010.
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BRADFORD-based Sovereign Health Care has appointed Mike Bower as the organisation’s new chairman.
Mr Bower takes over from outgoing chairman Mark Hudson.
In his new role, Mr Bower will help to drive change in the business as it aims to achieve ambitious growth targets.
The three year post is part time and during this period he will continue as a partner at Turner and Wall solicitors in Keighley.
Tom Pratt joins Sovereign as digital marketing manager from Provident Financial.
He will be working with head of marketing Caroline Cundey to develop the company’s digital strategy.
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YORKSHIRE Bank’s Sheffield-based South Yorkshire Financial Solutions Centre (FSC) has appointed a senior partner.
Rob Norton will be responsible for the bank’s business development across the Dearne Valley, including Rotherham, Barnsley and surrounding areas.
His appointment follows Yorkshire Bank’s announcement that it is to lend an additional £2bn to Yorkshire businesses and mortgage applicants in the next two years.
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GILLIAN Hall has been named as the new senior partner of Watson Burton law firm, which has offices in Leeds.
Ms Hall has been a partner at Watson Burton since 1988. She has headed the firm’s corporate department for more than 18 years, building strong teams in corporate finance and business services.
She also plays a leading role in a substantial number of the firm’s key client relationships, including Lloyds Banking Group and New York Stock Exchange listed Federal Signal Corporation.
Patrick Harwood, Watson Burton’s chief executive, said: “The senior partner role is a key market-facing position which requires a highly experienced, credible presence. We know Gillian will fulfil that position exceptionally well. She has a strong reputation as an astute professional with excellent business and client relationships throughout the country.”
