Caroline Neadley has joined law firm Wilkin Chapman as a partner and will be based at its Grimsby office, where she will work closely with head of employment Oliver Tasker. She has 22 years’ experience in law in a wide range of sectors, including food, education and public sector employment. She said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the team at Wilkin Chapman. Having worked in both the private and public sectors, I have a unique employment law skillset which will complement the wide range of experience within the team. My private sector experience is primarily a varied client base across sectors such as manufacturing, motor, food, and charities. I also have extensive experience in the education sector. “These specialisms align very well with Wilkin Chapman’s client base. My expertise will further develop the employment teams’ experience and ability to support existing clients, and secure new clients during a time of varied legislative reform.” Oliver Tasker added: “Caroline’s appointment is a great asset to our highly-regarded employment team, and demonstrates our ability to attract the very best legal talent in the region. She brings incredible experience and a diverse sector knowledge which will benefit our clients across Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire, and nationally. “As well as having led legal teams in her past positions, Caroline is recognised as a leading individual in employment law in the Legal 500, an independent legal guide ranking individuals and firms on feedback from clients and peers. She is also the chair of Women in Business Hull, a highly successful women’s networking organisation aimed at supporting and inspiring women in the region.” Caroline has a degree in law from Sheffield Hallam University and undertook her Legal Practice Course at the York College of Law.

Leeds and London based property investment and development company Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), has appointed Jacob Ziff as associate director of investment. Jacob, who joins from investment brokerage firm Clifton Agency, will focus on creating a strategy for property investment and to assist managing the existing TCS property portfolio.

After graduating from the University of Leeds in 2019, Jacob joined West End based CWM, where he worked in retail agency and lease restructuring, gaining invaluable experience predominantly acting for various occupier clients.

Following his tenure in retail agency, Jacob moved across to Clifton Agency, where he focused on UK-wide commercial real estate capital markets. Last year, Jacob also completed a Master’s degree in Real Estate Investment & Finance and the IPF Diploma at the University of Reading.

Jacob said: “I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of my family by joining TCS. It’s a tremendous opportunity to continue the growth and success of the business and I am eager to leverage my skills and experience to create a new investment strategy and enhance the existing property portfolio.”

Edward Ziff, chairman and Chief Executive of TCS, said: “Together with all my colleagues, we are thrilled to welcome Jacob into the business. He has a strong background in real estate investment and agency, and coupled with his dedication to professional development, I am confident that he will play a key role in managing and enhancing our property portfolio.

“Welcoming Jacob into the business, who joins my oldest son Ben and daughter Charlotte-Daisy, marks the next phase in taking TCS forward. Sixty-five years ago, my father laid the foundation for a business that has since become a stalwart in the property industry. With Jacob’s arrival and his experience, we are confident that he will contribute significantly to the ongoing success of TCS and help shape the future of the company.”

Leeds-based Kyle Newton has been appointed as Azets’ employment tax director to lead its National Minimum Wage service line. He’ll be helping clients nationwide to implement NMW processes and controls to manage compliance and navigate complex HMRC enquiries. Kyle, who is a qualified chartered accountant, brings a wealth of experience over 15 years from a variety of roles at BDO, Deloitte and PwC. With his experience including internal audit, one of Kyle’s focuses is supporting businesses with implementing robust controls in a practical manner to reduce impact on day-to-day business. He has joined Azets’ as new NMW rate changes, including increases and an extension of the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over, came into force at the start of April. He said: “The National Minimum Wage is commonly misunderstood. It is much more complex than a simple hourly rate and is made up of a number of components. “With an unprecedented increase to the NMW age rates and business budgets stretched, many businesses are faced with a difficult challenge of balancing cost and maintaining day to day business. HMRC enforcement activity continues to increase, for example with its most recent regional enforcement campaign targeting 10 geographic regions and the most recent naming and shaming round (round 20) highlighting HMRC’s continued focus to enforce to the full extent of the law. “Many employers remain unaware of the potential pitfalls where they could be underpaying workers and with the likelihood of HMRC knocking at their door increasing, they could be faced with a 200% penalty and public naming and shaming, on top of paying the arrears, additional employer pension contributions and additional employer National Insurance Contributions. “Now more than ever it’s really important to consider taking proactive steps. With Azets accelerated growth and the firm supporting more and more SMEs, which is HMRC’s current enforcement focus, this is a perfect time to join Azets and I am looking forward to supporting clients across Yorkshire and the UK.” Partner Richard Whitelock, who heads up employer solutions services for Azets in Yorkshire, said: “Kyle has a proven track record in both employment taxes and NMW advisory matters. He comes with impressive experience and a deep technical understanding of the NMW regulations and employment tax legislation. “He will be a valuable addition to our team providing employment tax advice support in Yorkshire and leading on our newly launched National Minimum Wage service line nationwide.”

Leeds-based construction consultancy Walker Sime has apppointed Gareth Robertson as the UK Director of Quantity Surveying. He joins from CBRE where he was Senior Director and Head of Cost Management for the North of England. It was in this role that he led and grew the cost management team over his four-year tenure. Having collaborated with Walker Sime on various projects during his time at CBRE, Gareth shared his admiration for the consultancy’s reputation, track record and approach, citing a strong alignment with the company’s vision and his own personal values as his reasons for joining. MD Duncan Firth said “Gareth’s appointment marks another pivotal moment in our growth. With his wealth of experience, growth mindset and alignment with our values and culture, we are confident his leadership, personality, and skills will increase the rate of our growth.” Gareth says he will be picking up the baton with the already strong QS team, continuing the great work already being done and collectively moving the service line forward. “I will be rolling up my sleeves immediately and leading our team on several high-profile instructions,” he said. Alongside his responsibilities as the UK Director of Quantity Surveying, Gareth also joins the new-look Executive Leadership Team at the firm. Gareth will extend his expertise over Walker Sime’s offices in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. The company has provided quantity surveying and project management services to several prominent projects including The Barnum and the University of York’s Institute for Safe Autonomy, New Victoria and Civic Heat Network in Manchester, Dock Branch Park in Birkenhead and Liverpool Waters.