DWF has strengthened its insurance offerings by appointing Ruth Graham, a major injury expert with extensive experience in transport sector injuries, as a new partner.
Ruth Graham joins DWF from Clyde & Co, where she led their transport team with more than 35 years of experience, including motor, bus, coach, rail, and tram accident claims, alongside multi-party road traffic accidents in foreign jurisdictions. Her particular interest in the insurance implications of driverless vehicles and electric scooters further complements DWF’s forward-thinking approach. Claire Bowler, Head of Major Injury and Casualty, stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Ruth to the complex and major injury team. She has built a strong reputation in the industry, and her invaluable experience and understanding of complex cases will significantly enhance our capabilities and strengthen our offering to clients.” Ruth Graham remarked, “DWF is a global leader in insurance services and has ambitious plans for the future – I am really looking forward to getting started.”
Meanwhile, Preston City Council has responded to the recent ‘Nurturing Preston’s Innovation Ecosystem’ report by appointing Shirah Bamber as Innovation Ambassador. This newly created role aims to foster collaboration within the technology and digital sectors, especially in light of the National Cyber Force’s imminent arrival in Salmesbury. Councillor Valerie Wise expressed enthusiasm for the report’s recommendations, recognizing Preston’s burgeoning opportunities in the cyber, technology, and digital sectors. Shirah Bamber, who co-founded Alma, a Preston-based consultancy, articulated her excitement about the project, stating, “Preston has so much potential, and I am looking forward to working with the different businesses, agencies, and organisations who are already fostering innovation, community building, and promoting this sector across the city and region.”
Quantuma has also made significant strides by appointing Tracey Pye as a managing director within its Restructuring & Insolvency team. With a comprehensive background in restructuring and insolvency, Tracey will be based in Manchester but will also spend time in the firm’s Leeds office. Her extensive experience spans across retail, hospitality, automotive, and professional financial services sectors. Tracey’s arrival is part of Quantuma’s strategic expansion in the North West region. Managing Director Jeremy Woodside said, “Her arrival adds further senior expertise to our team, enabling us to further support even more business clients.”
Fletchers Solicitors has appointed Margaret Ryan as a Partner to its clinical negligence team. Margaret, who joins from Irwin Mitchell, brings substantial experience in representing clients with birth injury, paediatric brain injury, wrongful birth, and spinal injury cases. Peter Rigby, Director of Clinical Negligence, lauded her as “a tenacious litigator with an outstanding track record of success for her clients.” Margaret said, “Fletchers’ reputation in clinical negligence speaks for itself. I’m very happy to be in this new role and look forward to playing my part in helping the team deliver its long term ambitions.”
In other significant appointments, Gateley Legal hired Adam West to its private client team in Manchester. Adam, a Manchester-native, joins from Knights and will lead a diverse portfolio of private client engagements. His expertise in guiding clients through regulatory changes in the private client space will be invaluable. Sean Williams, partner and head of Gateley Legal’s private client team, commented on Adam’s appointment, noting his significant achievements and how they align with the firm’s goals. Adam West added, “In the coming months much of my focus will be on guiding clients through the raft of changes on the horizon in the private client space, including the likelihood of changes to the non-dom regime, inheritance tax and capital gains tax in the upcoming Budget.”
The Insights Family has made strategic appointments to its Manchester team following significant investment, adding key figures such as Adam Woodgate, Stephen Finch, Sophie Tanner, Andrew Roocroft, and Victoria Cookson to enhance their capabilities. CEO Tom Williams highlighted the commitment to attracting top talent in the region, stating, “Together with the great team we already have in place here, they will enable us to enhance our product development capabilities, drive business growth and further recruit the best talent.”
These appointments across various sectors in Manchester and beyond underscore the region’s commitment to growth and innovation, positioning it as a hub for industry advancements.