Amy Guest has joined the employment law team as a senior associate at Ipswich-based law firm Birketts.

Amy trained at a City law firm and subsequently worked in-house at two major international organisations.

She has a wealth of commercial experience to bring to bear when advising clients whether that be on collective redundancy exercises, reorganisations or outsourcing and TUPE transfers on a national and international scale. She is knowledgeable in dealing with issues on the termination of employment including dealing with the removal of directors and senior executives, settlement agreements and employment tribunal claims.

Employment law partner Catherine Johnson said: “I’m delighted to welcome Amy to the team. She has experience in a wide-range of employment law issues from her time spent working in-house and having undertaken numerous multi-jurisdictional projects her experience will be of tremendous benefit to our clients who have an international element to their business.”

Amy said she was “delighted” to join

She is based at the law firm’s Ipswich office but supports colleagues across Birketts’ other offices at Cambridge, Chelmsford and Norwich.

::Red7Marine, based at Wrabness, near Manningtree, which provides jack up barges to the near shore marine construction industry, has welcomed Kristen Branford as commercial director and David Craft in the role of business development.

Kristen, who has more than 17 years’ experience, is an expert in the near shore marine construction industry. Kristen’s specialist expertise in civil engineering, marine pilling and drilling, project management, risk mitigation and the sub-sea construction, makes him a valuable addition to the Red7Marine team.

David has a wealth of experience in the marine construction and civil engineering industries, working around the world on several high-profile projects, including Victoria hydroelectric dam, Sri Lanka and Compressed air tunneling in Cairo for the Waste Water Project. After building extensive first hand knowledge of the industry, he has spent the last 15 years specialising in business development for companies such as Bam Nuttall, Hochtief Civil Engineering Marine Ag and Gravitas Offshore Limited before setting up his own business development consultancy BD2FC in 2014.

“I am delighted to have joined Red7Marine,” said Kristen.

David said he was “tremendously pleased” to have joined the firm.

::Estate agents Strutt & Parker has appointed a new head of estate agency in Cambridge. Michael Houlden, who has been with the team since it opened its Hills Road office in March 2013, has a wealth of experience in the Cambridge market and will help drive business within the Cambridge office at a time of exciting growth.

Michael started his estate agency career in Bury St Edmunds in 1994. He moved to work in Cambridge in 1996 and has operated in and around the city ever since at some of the leading independent agencies.

“I’m thrilled to have taken on this new role at Strutt & Parker,” he said.

::An Ipswich-based firm of solicitors has expanded its services and set up an employment law department.

Kerseys, of Lloyds Avenue, has taken on specialist employment law solicitor Adrian Green.

Adrian, who has previously worked for several niche employment law firms in East Anglia, has more than 14 years’ experience in the field.

Managing partner Anthony Wooding said: “We are delighted to have Adrian join our team. He has vast experience in employment law - an area where thorough knowledge of ever changing regulations and case precedent is necessary to be a really effective advisor.

“Clients frequently asked about employment law services and we have expanded to meet demand. As Adrian has successfully acted for employers and employees alike, we believe he will be a great asset.”

Adrian, a former Gilberd School and Colchester Sixth Form College student, graduated from Anglia Ruskin University in 1996 with honours.

He spent the early part of his career with EEF (Engineering Employers’ Federation), supporting employers in the manufacturing and engineering sector in the UK, where he gained hands-on experience.

He has helped employees who have claimed unfair dismissal to win pay-outs for tens of thousands of pounds.

He has also defended employers from paying out hundreds of thousands of pounds to disgruntled employees.

“I enjoy helping employees who feel they have been wronged getting the justice they believe they should have,” he said.

“But I particularly enjoy the variety of work involved in acting for the employer, which is not just limited to disputes. It can include drawing up the employment paperwork, as well as strategy and tactics.”

::Colchester-based housing association Colne, has appointed a second director.

The organisation, which manages more than 3,000 affordable homes in Essex and Suffolk, has appointed Helen Gregory as operations director.

She joins Josie Parsons, who was appointed resource director in the summer, and chief executive Sara Thakkar, who took over the helm in 2015, to complete the executive team.

Helen, who lives in Colchester, has more than 25 years’ experience of working in social housing and is responsible for managing the organisation’s housing and asset services teams.

She is experienced in all aspects of customer services, housing management, performance management, resident involvement, project management and managing change.

“Colne is an extremely forward-thinking organisation and I am proud to be part of the new executive Team, delivering the best services possible to our customers,” she said.

::Bury St Edmunds-based Beckett Investment Management has promoted two of its consultants to associate directors.

Gavin Wood joined the firm in 2015 and is a chartered financial planner in its private client team. Gareth Carroll is a senior Consultant in the firm’s corporate healthcare division at Kibworth, Leicestershire.

“The promotions are a reflection of the outstanding work they undertake for their clients and how they represent Beckett’s,” said managing director Ian White.

Beckett’s has also recruited Joel Brett to support its private client consultants and Tina Varambhia as account manager at its healthcare division.

Joel comes from a professional services background having previously worked at Ashton’s Legal while obtaining an NVQ in business and administration.

Tina has 22 years’ experience at insurer Aviva, having spent 16 years as a claims handler and then six years as a commercial trading underwriter.