The Birmingham operation of law firm Shakespeare Martineau has appointed a new head of office.
Real estate partner Clive Read has won the role just a few weeks after being named partner of the year at the 2021 Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards for his work with previous employer VWV.
Mr Read has 30 years of experience advising universities and colleges on the management and development of campuses and has also worked on major redevelopment projects, land sales and acquisitions, large-scale student lease agreements and the management of occupiers.
Previous clients include University of Arts London and University of Derby.
He spent five years as head of the Birmingham office at VWV during which time he took the team from single figures to over 30 staff and grew the office's turnover to more than £3 million.
Mr Read said: "I look forward to growing the teams and collaborating with experts in different fields to better service our clients.
"Education has had a tough year and the pandemic will likely result in major changes for the sector moving forward, it's our job as legal professionals to help protect the best interests of institutions, their staff and students.
"I actually started my career in 1990 with Martineau Johnson and left just before it turned into Shakespeare Martineau, following a merger.
"I'm really pleased to come back and see some familiar faces as well as meet lots of new people."
Going the other way from Shakespeare Martineau are partners Adam McGiveron and Emma Bryant who have moved to Penningtons Manches Cooper.
The pair will be responsible for growing the firm's corporate practice in the Birmingham office which was established in 2019.
Mr McGiveron has more than 20 years of experience across the spectrum of corporate transactions including for mid-market companies advising on mergers, acquisitions and private equity funding.
Ms Bryant has a particular interest in early stage and growth businesses but also acts for large corporates, local authorities, universities and property developers.
In other appointment news, Birmingham-based change consultancy Entec Si has recruited Jack Sixsmith as an assistant consultant.
The business and management graduate will have a particular focus on the healthcare and not-for-profit sectors and work closely with consulting director Sue Johnson Gregory and principal consultant Tim Powlson.
After graduating from Oxford Brookes University, he spent a year-long placement at tech firm IBM where he worked as a development planner.
He has also worked as an assistant buyer for his family's antiques business.
Law firm Weightmans has made four promotions to partner level in its Birmingham office.
They are Andrew Forrest (employment), Sarah Hopwood (healthcare), Katie Price (disease) and Sarah Walker (wills, trusts and estates).
These are the first partner promotions since 2019 and are part of a wider round across the UK practice which has seen 85 members of staff take on new roles.
Andrew Coulson has been re-elected for a second term as president of ICAEW Birmingham and West Midlands.
Mr Coulson said his focus at the trade body, which represents chartered accountants, would be on digital transformation and technology themes.
He is the chief executive and founder of Dolfinblue Chartered Accountants which specialises in flexible finance functions.
Midlands law firm mfg Solicitors has announced the promotions of ten solicitors including five to partner level.
The new partners are Alexandra Phillips (agriculture and rural affairs), Andrew Chandler (contentious probate), Ben Rothery and Rhiannon Clark (both commercial property) and Sally Smith (private client).
Five solicitors have also been promoted to senior associate and associate level.
They are senior associates Sharon Lerry and Nichola Wilson (residential property) and Lisa Morrison (commercial property) and associates Chris Amys (employment) and Becky Husband (residential property).
