People: Five hires at law firm; Eddisons boosts valuation services; and more

LAW firm hlw Keeble Hawson says it is continuing its commitment to developing young talent with the recruitment of five trainee solicitors.

The new roles, based at the firm’s offices in Sheffield, Leeds and Doncaster, brings the total number of trainees appointed by the firm to 12 in the last year.

In Sheffield, Hollie Hemmens is based in the employment team while Syed Islam is working in the litigation and dispute resolution department. In Leeds, Ashley Kiernan-Firth has joined the insolvency team with Shelley Price appointed to the commercial property department, which has also taken on Holly Langman in the firm’s Doncaster office.

Richard Smith, partner and head of hlw Keeble Hawson’s commercial property team, said: “Recruiting, developing and retaining talent at every level is key to sustaining a high quality of client delivery and we continue to place huge importance on investing in committed, young professionals who can thrive in the fast-moving, complex environments we work in.”  

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EDDISONS is building on the acquisition of Midlands-based Taylors business surveyors and valuers, which it completed 12 months ago, by expanding its northern valuation services division with a new promotion.

Further hires are also planned over the coming months across Eddisons’ offices in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield.
 
David Cran, who joined Eddisons in 2011 as a newly qualified surveyor, has been promoted to director in the valuations services team, specialising in valuation work for secured lending clients.

Mr Cran said: “We’re seeing a marked upward trend in the demand for valuation services from clients such as banks, accountants and pension funds with property assets that need to be valued.  With interest rates looking set to remain low for some time to come, the banks are keen to lend, which has resulted in a growing demand for our independent asset valuation services.”

Mr Cran has relocated from Manchester to Eddisons’s Leeds office to take up the role but will carry out work for clients across the whole of the north of England.
“Our client base is largely made up of SMEs with assets worth between £500,000 and £5m, and they can be based anywhere from Derbyshire to the Scottish border,” he said.

Richard Roe, Eddisons’ managing partner, said: “David’s well deserved promotion is one of a raft of initiatives that are building on the acquisition of the Northampton-based Taylors valuation business, completed in December last year, and signals a period of growth in our valuations division, which we expect to continue. Further recruitment is planned over the rest of this year and into 2017 as we step up to meet the upswing in demand.”

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FOUR staff have joined Watson Batty Architects as it celebrates 40 years in practice.

Nick Hewitson has joined the Leeds-based practice as project architect. He brings ten years’ industry experience including time overseas in Poland. At Watson Batty he will initially be assisting the education sector team.

Lauren Perry has joined a business support manager. With a creative industry background and experience working with brands including ASOS and Tesco, she is tasked with managing the Watson Batty brand and image. With experience in architectural practice having worked for Foster and Partners, Ms Perry will manage marketing content as well as bid tender documentation.

Jay Wheeler is a new architectural assistant having graduated from Sheffield University of Architecture. She spent time working for an Ilkley practice specialising in historical architecture and listed buildings, primarily in church architecture. At Watson Batty she will assist the team in completing drawings and supporting planning applications whilst being assisted through her RIBA Part 1 Year in Practice studies.

Robert Sorren is an apprentice at Watson Batty as he completes his final year at Leeds College of Building where he is studying Construction in the Built Environment. Watson Batty has pledged to support Robert through his career development in Architectural Technology.