Movers & Shakers: Agricultural lawyer Emma Coke joins Birkett Long

Digital Marketing Manager, Farah Tahsin, of Banbury Howard (Image: Archant)

Emma Coke has joined the firm’s rural and residential real estate team, but she is more than just a lawyer.

Emma has a Masters degree in European Law so is ideally placed to know the intricacies and impact the Common Agricultural Policy has on farmers in the region.

As the wife of a Norfolk farmer, she also has a great understanding of all aspects of farming and the difficulties farmers face.

She said: “Being married to a farmer gives me a great insight into the lives of farmers. I also have a long association with the farming and equine industry and I strongly believe in supporting the local farming community.

“This gives me the edge on someone who is perhaps just an agricultural lawyer and I am able to bring a very strong commercial approach.”

She also sits on the committee of the Hadleigh Farmers’ Agricultural Association, is a member of the Agricultural Law Association, the National Farmers’ Union, Country Land and Business Association and the National Sheep Association.

She has built up a strong client base and a loyal following of clients.

Of working with Birkett Long she said: “It is a huge advantage to me, and clients, that the firm has such a strong team and the ability to provide all forms of legal support for its agricultural clients.”

David Wybar, Head of Rural and Residential Real Estate at Birkett Long said: “Appointing Emma is a real feather in our cap. We are proud that someone of her calibre and background has joined our team and we are looking forward to a long history with her.”

Birkett Long is a full service law firm with offices in Chelmsford, Colchester and Basildon.

Colchester estate agents and chartered surveyors Nicholas Percival has appointed Carl Eastwood as head of the residential sales department. Carl was formerly head of Strutt and Parker’s country house department in Ipswich and has a wide knowledge of the local market and has handled the sale of many landmark houses in the region.

An agent for over 20 years, Carl is married with two young sons. He started his career selling prime London property in Kensington and Chelsea before working for national agents in Hampshire, Oxfordshire and East Anglia.

Carl said: “I am thrilled to be joining the team at Nicholas Percival, the firm has an excellent reputation, and I am looking forward to growing our residential portfolio in the area and meeting lots of new clients and purchasers. The economy is showing very positive signs and 2014 is likely to be the best year for sales that we have seen since the start of the recession. If you are thinking of selling this spring I would start making preparations now.”

Nicholas Percival, managing director said: “I am delighted that Carl has joined us to strengthen our position in the country house market. My family has lived in the Colne Valley for generations, and it will be great to see a person of Carl’s calibre helping clients market properties in the area I know so well.”

Petra Sharp has joined the business law team at Gotelee Solicitors’ Ipswich office.

Petra first came to Gotelee solicitors early in her career and is returning after a period at a regional law firm. She has experience in acting for local Suffolk businesses in connection with a multitude of Commercial agreements and transactions, buying and selling businesses, director and shareholder relations, partnership law, start-ups and terms and conditions. An increasing part of her work has been advising clients in the healthcare sector.

Petra’s return further strengthens the expanding business team.

Senior partner and head of business law Brian Morron said: “I’m delighted Petra has decided to rejoin Gotelee. She has a wonderful and well deserved reputation with clients and fellow professionals and she and her colleagues Max Harnden and Laura Cullen will make a formidable commercial team.”

Petra said she was “excited” to be rejoining Gotelee as a partner.

“I have maintained close contact with the firm and have witnessed progressive changes over the past 8 years - at the root remains Gotelee’s commitment to provide a quality service to the local community and I look forward to being a part of this,” she said.

As part of its continuing growth, chartered accountancy and business advice firms Larking Gowen has appointed Rachael Davison to the new position of business recovery manager in its Ipswich office.

Rachael has a great deal of experience in this area and will be responsible for growing the provision of business recovery services throughout Suffolk and Essex.

She has been involved in insolvency practice all her working life with firms in Cambridge and her native Ipswich.

“It is certainly exciting and a real challenge and I am looking forward to providing practical advice to a range of businesses across this region,” she said.

Ipswich-based partner Ian Webster said: “We see Rachael’s appointment as a very positive move for us in growing the business in Suffolk and Essex in this specialised area. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and will make a great success of it.”

Bury St Edmunds injury rehabilitation firm RehabWorks has appointed a new director.

Jason Blackman has been with the rehabilitation and injury management business since late 2012 and has been promoted to finance director.

Jason, from Cambridge, will lead the financial strategy of RehabWorks at an exciting time for the organisation, with significant growth predicted and a rebrand of its current online presence already under way.

Previously employed as UK finance manager for UK subsidiaries of USA-based Pelican Products Inc, he has held a number of financial controller positions throughout his career. He has also worked for Deloitte, and for Grant Thornton.

“I am delighted to welcome Jason to RehabWorks and know he will play a major part in our continued success,” said chief executive officer Andy Holdcroft.

“Our management team is made up of some very dynamic individuals with great expertise in our sector, and Jason is a valuable addition as a result not only of his financial background, but because of his focus in healthcare.”

RehabWorks has more than 20 years’ experience of providing injury management and rehabilitation programmes.

Ipswich-based marketing agency Banbury Howard has appointed Farah Tahsin as digital marketing manager.

Joining Banbury Howard at an exciting time of growth for the Ipswich based agency, Farah will work as an integral part of the team to manage all the digital marketing needs of Banbury Howard’s customer base.

Farah has over six years’ experience in digital marketing, and Google certified she will help to plan and implement the ongoing digital marketing strategies of companies across the county and beyond.

Farah comes to Banbury Howard after working as an independent marketing consultant, managing large-scale search engine optimisation (SEO) and Google AdWords campaigns for local and international companies including Pedini and Childfund International – delivering powerful guidance that has achieved hard hitting results.

Farah said: “It’s great to be a part of the team. I’m looking forward to working with their ever-growing client base to help them get the maximum return from their online marketing effort.”

Managing director Sarah Goodwin said: “Farah’s passion for all things digital and her attention to detail made her an easy fit with the rest of the team here. We’re delighted to have her on board.”

Liliane Mazière, reservations manager, and Yann Aubourg, restaurant manager, have joined the team at The Packhorse Inn in Moulton near Newmarket. The couple, now living in nearby Bury St Edmunds, but originally from France – Liliane from Cognac and Yann from Bordeaux – bring their wealth of experience and love of great food and drink from both sides of the Channel to this recently-opened Suffolk inn.

“As soon as we heard that The Packhorse Inn had opened in nearby Moulton and that Chris and Hayley Lee, whom we have admired for many years, were heading up the team, we just knew we wanted to be in near the start of this exciting new business,” said Liliane.

Yann added: “Our skills, including my knowledge and interest in fine wine and Liliane’s of course in cognac, are very complementary to those of the rest of the team.”

Philip Turner, director of Chestnut Inns which owns The Packhorse Inn welcomed the couple’s arrival.

“We have had a phenomenal first few months of operation. We have been busier than ever anticipated and full credit to the Chris, Hayley and the team for putting in the hours and launching The Packhorse Inn as the new place to eat in the area. With the appointment of Liliane and Yann, we can now start focussing on other elements of the business, in particular the bedrooms and also rationalising the offering to meet with our now better known customer needs and wants.”

Liliane and Yann are the third “couple” to be part of The Packhorse team – or fourth including Philip Turner and wife, Amanda, who project-managed the interior design of the building. Chris and Hayley have been together since they were teenagers, and in the kitchen are sous chef Philip Skinner and his partner, pastry chef Tecora Smith.