News
Law firm announces expansion of its membership Growing law firm Shakespeare Martineau has announced several new additions to its membership. The firm has made several new appointments and promotions within the membership, including managing director of the life and business unit, Victoria Tester, who stepped away from practising law in 2012 when she moved into the executive office for the firm. Senior legal professionals Jayne Gardner, Neil Gosling and Louise Ingram move into a new level of membership after being promoted from preferred to ordinary members and represent the firm’s debt recovery, residential and commercial development teams. Town planner Brian Mullin and head of managed legal services Emma Porter have also been promoted to ordinary member status.
MTC installs state-of-theart waterjet guided laser The Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre has made a six-figure investment in its industryleading laser processing capability, with the installation of a Synova LCS305 waterjet guided laser. The five-axis system, the only one currently in operation in the UK, allows engineers to cut, drill or machine complex shapes without the drawbacks associated with traditional laser machining such as heat build-up or tapers. It can machine a range of materials including ceramics, hard-to-machine alloys and composites among others. Bethan Smith, technology manager at the MTC, said the waterjet guided laser would allow the MTC to develop and use the latest technology to support industries across the UK with their manufacturing challenges. She said: “For example, we will be helping to develop production solutions for the machining of lightweight, high performance, hard-to-machine
Gary Stephens, an expert in town planning, becomes the firm’s newest salaried partner following an internal promotion. CEO Sarah Walker-Smith said: “I’d like to first of all congratulate those who have been promoted and thank the entire membership for their passion and commitment to our growth ambitions and their dedication to excellent client service. “At Shakespeare Martineau the most important thing for us is to ensure the right person is in the right role. We aspire to be a leading example in the sector by adopting a more inclusive mindset, opening the opportunity for inclusion in the membership to all of our people.” For more information visit www.shma.co.uk
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The Synova waterjet guided laser
The MTC was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI. The MTC’s industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers. For further information visit www.the-mtc.org
Lockdown success for IT services firm
Those promoted to preferred member or joining the multidisciplinary firm’s membership for the first time include family law specialist Helen Bowns, corporate lawyer Emma Bryant, property disputes specialist James Fownes, social housing expert Rachel Gwynne and private client lawyer Hannah Tait. New partners joining the firm include Tom Ansell taking the role of team leader for residential conveyancing; Daniel Jennings, a commercial litigation specialist who will be leading the litigation team in Leicester; and Amal Kaur, a dualqualified English and Scots law real estate lawyer.
materials that will be crucial in helping manufacturing businesses hit the UK’s upcoming net zero targets. As Synova is a tier two member of the MTC, we also look forward to working with the company to bring the latest machine developments and innovations for this technology to our customers.” Bernold Richerzhagen, chief executive at Synova, said: “We are excited about the partnership with the MTC which is known to be the innovation and technology hub for the manufacturing industry in the UK. We look forward to participating in joint research projects, learning about new industrial applications and benefiting from the organisation’s vast know-how and network. “Together with our expertise in wet laser machining, we believe we can be a competent partner for the MTC to advance manufacturing solutions for aeronautics and other sectors among others on super-alloys, ceramics and CMC.”
Coventry-based managed IT services firm Syscomm has reported success during the UK lockdown, with high employee retention rates, no pay cuts for its 20 staff and new clients coming on board. The company is also well positioned for future growth,
having secured a place on a major government procurement framework. As a managed IT services firm that has been providing high-end network solutions to UK businesses for decades, Syscomm cites having a healthy workbook before lockdown, as well as recording its most successful year to date in 2019, as the main reasons it has been able to navigate lockdown with minimal disruption. It means the company, which celebrated its 35th anniversary this year, looks to the future with confidence and stability. The company has also secured a spot on the GCloud 12 government
procurement platform. From October, any UK public sector organisation, including agencies and arm’s length bodies, can now benefit from Syscomm’s network and cloud expertise, using the government’s digital marketplace. This achievement is testimony to Syscomm’s reputation as a trusted provider of quality network solutions that connect clouds, applications, users, staff, customers, multiple types of devices and their data. Chris Tyler, managing director of Syscomm, said: “I am pleased to report that we have come through this period unscathed. We have retained all staff during this
period and have been actively recruiting throughout the past six months. “As we are coming out of the lockdown, we can now focus on the future with confidence and stability. To be appointed onto the GCloud procurement framework is also fantastic news and is thanks to Syscomm’s team of skilled IT professionals who deliver for our clients day in, day out. Being accepted onto the GCloud makes it easier for us to work with our public sector customers in delivering modern network infrastructure solutions tailored to the specific needs of these professionals.” For more information visit www.syscomm.co.uk
The Chace Hotel completes major rebrand The Chace Hotel has changed its name to Laura Ashley Hotel The Iliffe, Coventry. The new boutique Laura Ashley Hotel underwent a thorough refurbishment which brought it in line with Laura Ashley brand standards and showcased the British brand’s signature style and fabrics. Laura Ashley Hotel The Iliffe, Coventry will be only the second Laura Ashley branded hotel. The portfolio also includes The Belsfield Hotel, Windermere, and is soon to include Burnham Beeches Hotel in Buckinghamshire. The hotel is already home to the Laura Ashley The Tea Room, which opened in October 2018.
Laura Ashley Hotel The Iliffe, Coventry is named after the family the property was constructed for in the late 1890s: Dr Charles Webb Iliffe, a well-respected figure in the local medical community, and his wife, a young debutante by the name of Mary Ann Soden. The hotel’s 17 bedrooms have been redesigned with Laura Ashley Glenmore chairs in marine velvet, statement lighting and Laura Ashley constellation champagne and gold Constance mirrors. Kay Cullen, commercial designer for Laura Ashley, said: “I was charmed by the beautiful building which was once a grand manor house of late Victorian origin.
The beautiful sweeping staircase takes you on a journey through the owner’s past with a portrait of the glamorous lady Mary Ann Soden as a debutante in the mid-1800s. “To pay homage to the decadence that this image portrays, I decided to bring back a sense of the past and to embrace the beautiful detail within this magnificent old building.”
www.cw-chamber.co.uk