Greater Manchester law firm SAS Daniels LLP is announcing a raft of new appointments to its commercial and residential property teams following a surge in property transactions in the region.

The ten appointments are spread across the firm’s four offices and include two in the Stockport office. Germaine Peters joins the firm as a senior associate in the commercial property team while Janine Murphy has been hired as senior conveyancing solicitor and head of the residential team in Stockport. Tim Jordan has also been appointed director of conveyancing for the residential property team across SAS Daniels’ four offices.

In the Chester office, in the residential property team, Jessica Feely, Shirley Vels and Rio Rogers have been hired as conveyancing assistants while Colin McWilliams has joined as a solicitor. Meanwhile, Rob Hughes has been appointed as a senior associate in the commercial property team.

In the Congleton office, Laura Bushell has been appointed conveyancer in the residential property team and Hannah Johnson joins as a solicitor in the commercial property team based in Macclesfield.

Nigel Read, head of the residential property department at SAS Daniels LLP, said:

“Despite the continuing effect of the pandemic, both the residential and commercial property markets have been very busy in 2020 and we are delighted to welcome these fantastic additions to all of our offices. They bring a wealth of experience and local knowledge to our teams.”

SAS Daniels LLP provides a full range of legal services and has four offices located in Chester, Congleton, Macclesfield and Stockport.

SoMo, a UK specialist lender based in Manchester, has appointed Jamie Jolly as Managing Director to drive forward the businesses evolution following its recent rebrand from The BridgeCrowd.

Jolly, who has over 20 years’ experience in the lending sector, has joined from Revverbank, where he was Head of Real Estate. He was previously Head of the Commercial Specialist team at Together and had been with the business for nearly 15 years.

Having worked across many different areas of the lending sector, from sales and underwriting to working with developers, broker partners, solicitors and valuers, Jamie brings with him extensive experience and understanding of the industry.

The appointment comes as SoMo looks to build on eight years of successful growth for the company. It has recently announced a significant funding line that will complement its crowd funding offering, allowing the company to expand and continue its sustainable growth trajectory.

As Managing Director Jamie will build on the company’s recent achievement of lending £132m, using his in-depth knowledge and understanding of the market to support brokers and borrowers to navigate the dynamic business environment and unlock opportunities for growth.

In his new role, Jamie will focus on utilising the teams experience, offering comprehensive advice and insight for clients, as well as continuing to build on excellent broker relationships. He will also focus on harnessing growth opportunities in specialist lending with market-leading products and working hand-in-hand with brokers to offer alternative solutions to help people and businesses grow.

Louis Alexander, CEO of SoMo, commented: “Jamie’s experience will be invaluable as we look to grow in 2021. His focus on the personal touch aligns with my vision for SoMo, and alongside his breadth of knowledge of the sector makes him a great fit to not only support the businesses evolution but our customers through the important year ahead.

We pride ourselves on being a safe, sensible and secure lender and I know that with Jamie leading the team we will continue to lend this way.”

Jamie Jolly, Managing Director of SoMo, commented: “SoMo already has a fabulous team with over 150 years of combined experience in specialist lending and has achieved £132m in loans in just eight years.

It was this bold ambition combined with a culture and mindset of truly understanding clients that attracted me to the role. With market leading products and the use of innovative technology that is ahead of the curve, SoMo brings something to the industry that’s been missing.

“The last twelve months have been challenging for the industry, but I’m optimistic about the possibilities of 2021 and I want us to be known as the relationship-focused lender which truly reflects the market we represent.

“It is crucial that we rally together as an industry, remaining open, transparent and collaborative. At SoMo we want to advocate for and lead with a culture of unity.

“With this in mind, I’m enjoying meeting more of the brilliant brokers and lenders who are seeking alternative specialist loans and working alongside them to harness new opportunities.”

Bury and Bolton based law firm Clough & Willis has promoted long-term employee Caroline Rimmer. Caroline is now the newest conveyancing assistant in the firm’s Residential Property team.

Caroline joined Clough & Willis in 1990. Over the past three decades she has held various support and fee earning roles. After she had her son in 2007, Caroline stepped back and worked part time, but she has decided that now is the time for her to resume her career and focus on fee earning and growing her technical knowledge.

Caroline will be working alongside the seven strong property team, including Lorraine Stratton-Webb who heads up the department. She will be assisting in all areas of residential conveyancing; from sales and purchases, to re-mortgage work, advising landlords and tenants, sales and purchases at auction as well as the purchases of freeholds.

Lorraine commented: “Caroline is hugely respected within the firm. She knows the business inside out and her promotion is thoroughly deserved.”

Whilst Caroline said of her appointment: “I’ve spent my working life at Clough & Willis and I’ve never wanted to work anywhere else. I’m incredibly grateful to the senior team for giving me this opportunity as I know it will be a great steppingstone on which to build my future career.”

TiE UK North has appointed a new President, with Tony Walker replacing the outgoing Vikas Shah MBE.

Established for almost a decade TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) UK North each year works with hundreds of businesses and some of the most influential CEOs and founders across the North of England. Tony, a TiE UK North board member since May 2019, is Deputy Director at The University of Manchester Masood Entrepreneurship Centre.

He said: “I feel very proud to have become President of TiE UK North, a chapter of TiE Global, which is one of the world’s largest entrepreneurs networks.

“TiE UK North is a highly respected organisation that has a global reach and I am looking forward to continuing the fantastic work of the chapter and giving back as much as I can during my tenure.”

TiE, a nonprofit venture devoted to entrepreneurs in all industries, at all stages, from incubation throughout the entrepreneurial life cycle, was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region.

Tony, an experienced director having worked in the higher education industry for the majority of his career, said TiE’s mission of fostering entrepreneurship through mentoring, networking, education, funding and incubation is now more important than ever.

“Entrepreneurship is so vital in every region throughout the world,” said Tony.

“The more we can educate younger people about entrepreneurial solutions to the economic recovery, health care, medicines and more, the better. It’s also about making sure that the younger generation have opportunities when they are leaving school, college and university and people practicing that entrepreneurial mindset is a solution to this.”

He added: “What I really like is how TiE has committed itself to be part of the recovery from coronavirus. Because it’s entrepreneurial it needs more entrepreneurs so we’re going to support more entrepreneurs and help grow our way out of it.

“We need to unleash powerhouses all over the UK. I think the pandemic has shown that relying on one centre, London, is risky. We need to spread that opportunity out, which is something I’m hoping to do through TiE UK North.”

With a global reach and a local focus, the heart of TiE efforts lies in its five foundational programs – Mentoring, Networking, Education, Funding, and Incubation.

The TiE UK North chapter will soon announce its events programme for the next 12 months, with keynote speakers, roundtable discussions, mentor sessions and more.

More links are expected to be forged with other TiE chapters in the UK and Europe.

Tony added: “I will be looking to build on what other presidents have done in the past and adding my own flavour to that too of course as we continue to build on the growth of the chapter.

“With a focus of giving back to the community, our focus will firmly remain on generating and nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

Mark Turner will join the Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution team, and John Lomax, as Commercial Property Partner

Corporate, commercial and private law firm, MLP Law, is preparing for a prosperous new year with the appointment of two new senior lawyers.

The boutique law firm has appointed John Lomax as Commercial Property Partner and Mark Turner as Legal Director in the Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution team. The new additions bolster MLP’s full-service capability and expand its areas of specialism into private client work, complementing its already strong corporate and commercial B2B offering.
John Lomax has more than 30 years’ experience in commercial property law, and specialises in a variety of commercial property and land matters, including acting on commercial sales and purchases, landlord and tenant matters, all aspects of commercial leases, acquisitions and disposals for landlord and tenants, extensions, surrenders of leases, reversionary leases, and overriding leases.

Mark Turner has 25 years’ experience specialising in litigation and disputes after training in the Birmingham office of international firm, DLA Piper. He has been based in the North West since 2004 and practised at commercial firms in Manchester, Cheshire and Staffordshire. His role will involve advising and assisting clients in a variety of disputes ranging from debt collection claims to complex high value construction and probate claims.

MLP Law owner and director, Stephen Attree, said: “We’re pleased to be in a position to add to our senior team as we enter the new year, with two new hires that will add almost 60 years’ worth of legal expertise to the team. This will enable us to provide our clients with even more value and access to senior legal support – something which many other firms do not provide.

“John is a fantastic lawyer with a real variety of experience which will be invaluable to the team, including finance work for borrowers and lenders in retail and care industries. Mark is an extremely experienced and talented solicitor and taking him on as a Legal Director will make an excellent addition to our expanding Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution team, boosting our full-service capability, and growing our areas of specialism into private client work, as well as our existing corporate and commercial B2B offering.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mark Turner said: “MLP already offers high quality practical and commercial advice to its clients and I am excited to be joining the firm as it continues to grow the commercial litigation offering. As part of my role within the practice, I hope to continue to establish MLP as a leading dispute resolution advisor in the area.”

Mark’s appointment will continue to bolster the firm’s reputation which has been built on committed advice for growing and entrepreneurial businesses in the region.

Commenting on his appointment, John Lomax said: “It’s an exciting time to be starting in this role, as the commercial property market experiences a big change. The pandemic provides an opportunity for many to diversify and pivot their property portfolio. While many businesses question their high street and commercial office footprint, a significant number are growing their logistics channels requiring large properties and spaces out of town to support the move to online.”

MLP’s Altrincham HQ is supported by further offices in Liverpool, Lymm and Media City. It is a full-service firm that provides a range of legal services to commercial and private clients in the North West.

The firm has also taken the downtime of lockdown restrictions to refurbish its Lymm office in preparation to welcome staff and clients back for face-to-face meetings, when restrictions allow.

Make Events’ further growth and investment sees the company hire their first Managing Director, former TRO Board Director, Nick Burrows. This is a fundamental decision to ensure the continued growth and success of the company.

Make Events has seen their virtual event offering increase in demand and the company respond to their client needs with the creation of new revenue streams requiring new hires and recognising growing talent within their existing team.

Holly Moore, Founder and CEO comments: “At the start of 2020 it was my goal to make enough profit to be able to employ a Managing Director for Make Events. When sat at home contemplating how I would get us through COVID-19 there had to be something at the end to motivate me and that was to carry on and find an MD. A brave move and financial investment at this time.

“We decided to search beyond the events industry, and this is becoming clear that was exactly what we needed. We have started to shape the business to create the ultimate experience live, virtually and tangibly and develop into a marketing and experience agency.

“The team and I are very excited for this injection into the business.”

In his new role Nick will be responsible for the operational running of the agency and ensuring the team achieve their individual goals. He is passionate about helping companies and individuals succeed by creating clear objectives and measuring success.

Nick said: “I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to continue driving growth within Make Events in a Post COVID-19 world. The agency has great clients, great people and a great set of products and services backed up by a positive culture. The future is what we make it, and Make Events are positioned to support organisations recover in 2021 and beyond”.

Over the last six months, Make Events has added virtual events, a content studio offering graphic design, branded printing, video creation and photography, expanded their prop shop, created a bespoke gift box solution and re-branded its sister company, HM Events, offering private parties.