Appointments: Law firm invests for future with largest recruitment of newly qualified solicitors; Senior hire for innovative bed maker

LAW firm Walker Morris will appoint 21 solicitors when they qualify in the coming months as part of its investment in the future talent of the firm.  

The firm says it will employ 14 of its current trainees, representing 90%, and have recruited a further seven from national firms in one of largest annual appointments of newly qualified solicitors in its history.

The appointments are spread across key departments including Commercial Contracts, Corporate, Employment, Energy, Finance, Finance Litigation, Infrastructure and Government, Intellectual Property and Trademarks, Litigation and Real Estate.

Graduate partner Duncan Lole said: “Recruiting, developing and retaining talented individuals is one of our core values and is something that we believe is an important investment across the whole organisation.  Unusually for a law firm we have developed a six seat training programme, rather than four.  Having the time in two extra departments means  our trainees have greater exposure to a variety of law and our organisation as a whole, which enables them to make more informed decisions about their future career path.

“We are delighted that 14 of our trainees are being retained as it demonstrates that our trainees enjoy working with us and with our client base and that they envisage a bright future at Walker Morris.”

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BED makers Harrison Spinks has appointed a finance and business expert as head of business change to help achieve its vision to double its turnover within the next five years.

Andrew Salkeld has joined Harrison Spinks with more than 10 years’ experience in finance and business management, allowing him to bring a wealth of knowledge in corporate strategy, financial management and business intelligence to his new role.

Appointed into the newly-developed position, he will work closely with the Harrison Spinks executive team.

Mr Salkeld originally trained as an accountant with PwC in Leeds, specialising in corporate finance working closely with business owners, management teams and private equity houses to help drive growth and create shareholder value.

Since then he has worked with a number of organisations, including another local Yorkshire business, Symingtons, where he led the team in developing and implementing a business intelligence system to provide the executive team with timely and accurate information, allowing them to make more informed strategic and commercial decisions.

Managing director at Harrison Spinks, Simon Spinks, said: “Andrew’s vast and varied business experience means he’s developed a skills set that will be extremely valuable to us in developing and growing Harrison Spinks over the months and years to come.

“It’s our vision to double the company’s turnover during the next five years, and with Andrew’s support, ideas and guidance, we feel we’ll be able to develop a business model that will enable us to meet this objective.”

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LAW firm Weightmans has continued to expand its Leeds offering with the appointment of Dave Shorrock as consultant to the regulatory services team.

Mr Shorrock assists the Regulatory team’s clients nationwide by providing advice and insight to assist them in responding to regulatory challenges.

He has extensive experience leading investigations into fatalities and serious injuries in a wide range of environments, including the manufacturing, refuse and recycling and health care sectors.

David Lewis, partner and head of regulatory services at Weightmans, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dave to the team. His regulatory insight and investigatory expertise is an invaluable addition to our portfolio and we are already benefiting from his advice and support.”