Page 6 - Messenger Sep 2017

6
Top of the Property Ladder:
Lawyer Linda lands leading role at Slater
Movers & Shakers
Bright future for Slater Heelis Corporate team
Experienced corporate lawyer Simon Wallwork has been appointed head of the Slater Heelis Corpo- rate team. Simon has nearly 30 years’ experi- ence in corporate law and has been repeatedly ranked by Experian as one of the most active deal- makers in the North West.
The Corporate team is
going from strength to
strength after seeing signif-
icant growth since 2015 and
a strong first half of 2017.
The team has seen fee in-
come more than double,
completing 34 transactions
in 2016, with the rate of
transaction completions ris-
ing again in 2017, with 17
deals completed since Janu-
ary. personal service. When
and Gordon
A woman who studied for her law degree while working full time and rais- ing two children has been appointed as the new head of residential prop- erty at Slater and Gordon.
Linda Kirk left school aged 15 to work as a typist before landing a job as a legal sec- retary at a high street law firm.
After impressing bosses with her drive and determi- nation she was promoted to personal assistant to one of the partners – before decid- ing that she would much rather become a partner herself.
She said: “I don’t know what it is, I’ve just always been very driven and if you want to do something badly enough then you’ll find a way.
“My son was four, my daughter had just been born and I was working full- time. I suppose in hindsight it was a lot to take on, but thankfully it paid off and I like to think it’s shown my children, who are now grown up and following their own careers, what can be achieved through hard work.”
Linda, now 53, took a course with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) before enrolling to do a de- gree at what is now the Uni- versity of Central
Simon Wallwork
pose threats that many in the industry are wary about.
Simon added: “It’s a very ac- tive market in the North West at the moment. We’re seeing a large number of foreign companies invest- ing in or buying UK compa- nies.”
“Uncertainty over Brexit and the wider economy could serve to destabilise the mar- ket in the coming months but having the best people, with a range of diverse ex- periences and backgrounds, enables us to guide our clients through any chal- lenges.”
Slater Heelis is a leading law firm with offices in Man- chester City Centre, Sale and Timperley.
Lancashire. Because of her CILEx qualification, she was exempt from certain mod- ules and managed to com- plete the three-year course in 12 months.
She studied her Legal Prac- tice Course, a requirement for all aspiring lawyers be- fore they can begin a train- ing contract with a law firm, in the evenings to fit around her other commitments.
In 2008 – just three years after qualifying – Linda achieved her dream and was made partner at Stephensons Solicitors where she remained until moving to Slater and Gor- don earlier this year.
Linda, who was born and brought up in Preston and now lives in Cottam with husband Tony, will head up the firm’s residential prop- erty operation based out of the firm’s flagship office in Manchester city centre. Teams handle everything from sales and purchases to transfers of equity, remort- gages and lease extensions. She added: “I was at Stephensons for 11 years so I felt it was time for a new challenge.
“I’ve worked in property for more than 20 years and have a lot of experience and ideas which I’m really look- ing forward to putting into practice.”
Since Simon joined in 2014, the team has grown from two partners and one assis- tant operating from the firm’s Sale office, to three partners and four assistants operating from city centre Manchester and from Sale. A key part of this growth was the appointment of Nicky Collins as a partner in 2016.
The team now consistently ranks in the Top 10 Deal- makers by Experian.
Simon said:“I believe there is a gap in the market for an energetic, high quality cor- porate law team that puts
clients engage a senior member of our team, the re- lationship remains with them throughout, ensuring we always deliver the renowned levels of service that have become synony- mous with Slater Heelis.”
“Our successes over the past year give us a strong plat- form to build on and my vi- sion is to continue to develop our offering to ce- ment our place in the mar- ket as a proactive team for entrepreneurial clients.”
The North West corporate market has boomed in re- cent years; however, Brexit and economic instability
Linda Kirk
“We pride ourselves on our
clients’ interests at the fore- front of the work they do.”
Carol takes on Treasurer’s role as Bromleys supports Ashton Town team
Browne Jacobson strengthens real estate practice in Manchester
Bromleys Solicitors is backing a campaign to make Ashton-under-Lyne a better place in which to live and shop.
Marketing associate Carol Parker has joined the Ash- ton Town Team’s executive committee as its treasurer.
The Ashton Town Team is a not-for-profit organisation which promotes the town’s social, economic, cultural and environmental regener- ation and seeks to help local people improve their skills.
The committee, which meets monthly, also in- cludes representatives from business and banking, re- tailers and market traders, community and faith groups, Tameside Council, the office of Ashton MP An- gela Rayner, and Ashton Sixth Form College.
Councillor Bill Fairfoull, chairman of Ashton Town Team, said: “Ashton town centre is home to more than 600 independent busi- nesses and the team is com- mitted to supporting them and to make Ashton a bet- ter place in which to live and shop.
“Bromleys has been an inte- gral part of the town for many years so it’s a pleasure to welcome Carol to the Ashton Town Team in her role as treasurer. We wel- come her commitment and future input to help us achieve our goals.”
Carol said: “I’m delighted to be involved with the Ashton Town Team, whose sole aim is to build a better and more prosperous future for the town. It’s also a further ex- ample of Bromleys’ commit- ment to working with the
Carol Parker
local community.”
You can follow the Ashton Town Team on Twitter via @ashtontownteam or via the www.shopatashton.com website.
Browne Jacobson’s real es- tate practice continues to go from strength to strength in the North West with the appointment of lawyer Camille Stephen- son into its Manchester base. Camille joins from FieldFisher in Manchester where she worked as a commercial property so- licitor.
The appointment further supports the firm’s develop- ment of its work in the prop- erty sector and its commitment to grow its Manchester office. Camille joins a 50 strong national property practice which has extensive experience in complex transactional work and delivering major proj- ects across the country, in- cluding ground breaking regeneration projects and major mixed use schemes.
Camille’s real estate experi- ence cuts across:
· landlord and tenant / asset management
· sales and purchases
· finance
· corporate transactions.
The firm’s Manchester real estate practice, headed by partners Dominic Buckley and Victoria Thourgood, has recently advised YHA (Eng- land and Wales), the Homes and Communities Agency and various Academy chains on a number of re- cent and ongoing property matters.
Dominic commented on the appointment: “I am de- lighted to welcome Camille to our thriving Manchester team.
“She is a very talented junior lawyer with some already fantastic, broad real estate experience under her belt. Her appointment will be a great addition to the prac- tice and to our both our clients and prospective clients in the region and throughout the UK.”
Camille Stephenson
Since opening in February 2012, the firm’s Manchester office has seen significant growth with total head- count growing by over 40% in the last twelve months alone.
To accommodate its future expansion strategy in the North West the firm will be re-locating to No.1 Spin- ningfields later this year which will see it quadruple its existing office accommo- dation.