DLA PIper Strengthens its Sheffield Employment and Safety, Health and Environment Teams with Five New Appointed Lawyers

5th May 2016

DLA Piper has announced the expansion of its Employment and Safety, Health & Environment teams with five new appointments to the Sheffield office.

Clare Gregory's Employment team has recruited Germaine Machin-Cowen as associate from Walker Morris LLP. Germaine has a broad range of experience in both contentious and non-contentious employment work, including providing advice and assistance in relation to HR issues, industrial relations, mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing and employment tribunal claims. As part of the team at DLA Piper, Germaine will be involved in providing advice on a range of matters dealing with employment relationships and commercial employment law issues. Teresa Hitchcock's Safety, Health & Environment team has recruited Melissa Darby, Micael Johnstone, Charlotte Gibson and Edward Steele to complement and strengthen the group. Melissa has a broad range of experience in managing SHE compliance and liability issues as they arise in corporate, financial and real estate transactions. Melissa will also be involved in providing regulatory advice across the broad spectrum of SHE matters in the UK and EU, and product compliance. Micael joins DLA Piper as an International Sustainability and Climate Change Consultant. He has 11 years of experience working in management and leadership positions focused on sustainability and climate change across a spectrum of global organisations. He has strong technical and policy knowledge on climate change policy and strategy, corporate sustainability and carbon reduction, energy and environment, sustainable procurement and responsible investment. Charlotte Gibson and Edward Steele will start in the Sheffield office next month. Charlotte joins from John Gaunt & Partners specialising in licensing and entertainment, gambling and regulatory matters. Edward joins from Lupton Fawcett Denison Till Solicitors with over six years' experience in defending against criminal regulatory investigations and prosecutions. In addition there have been a number of internal promotions within the Sheffield office. Lynne Auchterlonie (Construction & Engineering) and Ben Rogers (Real Estate) have been promoted to legal director and Barney Connell (Litigation & Regulatory), Claire Glew (Construction & Engineering) Marc Harvey (Real Estate) and Emma Kenealy (Real Estate), have all been promoted to senior associate with effect from 1 May 2016. Petra Billing, office managing partner for Sheffield, said: "We are pleased to welcome our new recruits and delighted that members of our team in Sheffield have been promoted. This news reinforces our offering as the leading legal advisers in South Yorkshire and demonstrates our commitment to the Sheffield City Region and our clients, locally, nationally and internationally."