This week's North East appointments

Julie Dalzell, Square One Law

Square One Law has appointed senior associate, Julie Dalzell, who joins the firm’s employment team.

Julie’s arrival coincides with the team achieving tremendous turnover growth of 45 percent and the recent opening of the firm’s office in Tees Valley, where she will be based.

Julie has almost 20 years of experience in both contentious and non-contentious employment law and has gained expertise in settling claims via alternative dispute resolution methods and is an experienced mediator in employment disputes.

Jean-Pierre van Zyl, head of Square One Law’s employment team, said: “There are increasing demands being placed on our clients due to recent significant developments, and because of the uncertainty caused by the Brexit negotiations, businesses are seeking advice on the exporting of goods and services to new markets [and] immigration.

“We need to attract lawyers who provide our clients with judgment-based advice and a high quality, priority service and Julie makes a great addition to our team.”

Laura McIver, Westray Recruitment Consultants

Westray Recruitment Consultants have recently welcomed a new recruitment consultant to their team.

Laura McIver joins during a period of growth for Westray. Having recently opened a new office in Stockton-On-Tees, Westray is now able to provide greater geographical reach to clients and candidates across the North East, further enhancing its recruitment service.

Laura said: “I am delighted to join Westray. The development opportunities within the business are fantastic, and I am really keen to see what the future holds.”

Laura will be working at the Stockton office alongside the company’s commercial director, Ashleigh Wright.

Ashleigh added: “We are over the moon to have Laura join the Westray family. She brings a wealth of industry experience that can only improve our capabilities moving forward and we are very excited to see what she can bring.”

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Gary Shaw, University of Sunderland

Decorated former investigator, Gary Shaw MBE has joined the University of Sunderland on a permanent basis as professor of investigative practice.

A former Northumbria Police detective, who was honoured for his services to policing in 2009, Gary Shaw assumes his full-time role as programme lead on the university’s Bachelor’s degree in applied investigation this week.

Sunderland-born Gary has had a prominent role in the professional development of investigators, introducing the PEACE interview training programme to his force before helping oversee its nationwide release.

Not only will he be teaching on the degree programme, he will also assist with the university’s full investigative portfolio, including a Masters and an array of short courses.

Speaking on his new position, Gary Shaw said: “I have been involved with the University of Sunderland for well over 10 years, assisting in the development of the Bachelor’s degree and also the Masters in investigative practice.

“Concentrating full-time on the development of investigators will be the obvious way to conclude my professional career, and the value of education and research to ensure investigators provide the best possible service to the public cannot be overstated.”

David Bootle, Troocost

David Bootle has joined Troocost as marketing manager after a period sub-editing on one of the UK’s leading national daily newspapers.

Troocost is an energy benchmark specialist supporting small and medium-sized businesses source the best energy deals.

David said: “After leaving Nomad Digital in the summer this year an opportunity presented itself to work on the news desk of a national, daily newspaper, which I couldn’t resist.

“The Troocost opportunity came along though and hugely appealed. This is a dynamic, disruptor in the energy market; a true start-up based in Newcastle city centre, championing the SME market.

“Its customer base is growing around the region and wider country. I’m delighted to join Troocost and help them support many more small and medium businesses save money, grow and ultimately… prosper.”

Jonathan Rodger, Trinity Chambers

Senior business and property barrister, Jonathan Rodger has joined Trinity Chambers.

A recognised specialist in the business and property courts in the region and across England and Wales, Jonathan will be based at Trinity’s Custom House on Newcastle’s Quayside.

Home to nearly 80 barristers, Legal 500 Tier One Trinity, also has a Chambers in Middlesbrough supporting its clients across the North and beyond.

The BPC consolidates the specialist business and commercial Courts under one umbrella. The recent appointment of His Honour Judge Philip Kramer as a full-time Specialist Civil Circuit Judge means that Newcastle now becomes a regional BPC centre, making the timing of Jonathan’s move to Trinity ideal.

At the Newcastle BPC launch event held in March, Vice Chancellor Mr Justice Barling made it clear that “no case is too big for Newcastle to hear”.

Kevin Alderson, Barker and Stonehouse

Newly appointed marketer, Kevin Alderson has every intention of becoming part of the furniture at Barker and Stonehouse.

Kevin has joined the team at the North East/Middlesbrough success story to drive forward its push into new ways of doing business in the digital age.

As well as looking at multi-channel marketing he will be responsible for managing and developing Barker and Stonehouse’s ecommerce activity - with a key focus on delivering the best customer experience online and in store.

Kevin said: “I’m very lucky to work for such a creative and dynamic brand. I’ve joined a great team of people who are very passionate about what they do.

“The rise of online retail continues to present great opportunities for bringing the in-store and online experience ever closer together.

“New technologies such as augmented reality, and the increasing use of highly visual social media channels, provide us with many new and exciting ways to present our products.

“We are aiming to offer a truly personal service to our customers, whether they are ardent online shoppers or prefer to come and visit us in our stores.”

Barker and Stonehouse now has 11 stores across the UK in Stockton - where the company HQ is based - Newcastle, Gateshead, Darlington, Knaresborough, Hull, Leeds and Nottingham.

Kevin joined Barker and Stonehouse from global company Sage, where he was paid media director.

Liam Anderson; Sophie Townes; Saffron Sinclair; Caitilin Hepworth; Jay Balmer, Sintons

Sintons has continued its commitment to young legal talent through giving opportunities to a new cohort of trainees and a legal apprentice.

The Newcastle firm, which each year awards two-year training contracts to graduates with outstanding potential, has taken on four new trainees, who will be given placements throughout the firm during their traineeship.

Liam Anderson begins his legal career in Sintons’ highly-esteemed employment team; Jay Balmer joins the specialist neurotrauma team, which acts for seriously injured people across the UK; whilst Caitilin Hepworth joins the healthcare team. Sophie Townes has taken a role in dispute resolution, which works nationally on a range of dispute work.

Saffron Sinclair has also joined Sintons as a solicitor apprentice. This is the second year that solicitor apprenticeships have been offered, with Sintons, in 2017, being one of the founder firms of the North East Solicitor Apprentice programme, which offers a six-year route into law without the need to go to university full-time.

Sonal Kang; Jonny Pearson; Lydia Armstrong; Ian Waldish, Womble Bond Dickinson

The Newcastle office of Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has been recruiting into its real estate team with four new appointments.

Sonal Kang joined as a solicitor from Addleshaw Goddard in Leeds. She has a broad range of commercial property experience and has previously acted on behalf of investors and owner/occupiers in acquisitions and sales of commercial properties in both the public and private sector.

She is joined by Jonny Pearson, a graduate paralegal, who is supporting a range of real estate finance and asset management workstreams. Jonny has joined from a local North East firm.

Lydia Armstrong recently qualified as a solicitor into the real estate team having obtained twelve months’ property experience during her training contract at the firm. She has a range of commercial property experience and regularly deals with a variety of landlord and tenant matters including the grant of leases and estate management work.

Finally, WBD’s Newcastle real estate team also welcomes a solicitor apprentice, Ian Wildish. Ian joins having just completed his A-level studies with an outstanding set of results.

John Ralph, partner and head of the real estate sector at WBD, said: “Real Estate is one of our key sectors. We continue to be very busy and are delighted to welcome all our new recruits to the team.”

Stuart Hall, Aspire Technology Solutions

Gateshead-based technology firm Aspire Technology Solutions has appointed Stuart Hall as finance director.

Stuart joined the firm in April 2016 as Finance Manager, with responsibility for overseeing all aspects of financial reporting and compliance.

In the last two years, Aspire has recorded a 59 per cent growth in revenue from £10.2m in the year ending February 2016, to £16.1m in the year ending February 2018.

Stuart’s previous credentials are no less impressive, having joined the firm from KPMG where he spent three years studying to become ACA qualified before spending a further two years as an assistant manager.

Elizabeth Earle, Muckle LLP

Muckle LLP has appointed one of the region’s leading solicitors to its agriculture, estates and rural property team.

Elizabeth Earle has joined the North East independent law firm for businesses, Muckle LLP, as a senior associate. Her appointment to the team, led by the nationally-renowned David Towns, will enhance Muckle LLP’s services in the agriculture sector.

Elizabeth, who lives in Hexham, Northumberland, joins Muckle from Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP and has over 13 years of experience in the field of agriculture, farms and rural estates work.

She has experience acting for private trusts and individuals, as well as charities and institutions, and her work includes commercial residential sales and purchases, rural estate management, planning and development.

Elizabeth said: “The opportunity to be part of the new dedicated team at Muckle LLP, helping the firm’s agricultural, landed estate and rural property clients grow and develop their businesses, is very exciting.

“The firm already has an established reputation for providing excellent client service and going ‘above and beyond’ and I’m looking forward to building on that reputation across the region and further afield.”

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