ANDREW Leaitherland has been re-elected unopposed as managing partner of north west law firm DWF for a further three-year term. The employment law specialist joined the practice in 1997. As managing partner he has overseen DWF's merger with Ricksons and the launch of a London office. Under him, DWF has expanded to become a practice with almost 1,000 staff and fee income of £55m. Meanwhile, DWF has promoted Manchester-based Emma Gaudern to become national head of its private client department.

MANCHESTER law firm JMW has set up a corporate recovery and insolvency team led by Richard Wolff, who has joined from Halliwells, where he was a partner for five years.

KARATE black belt Gemma Sargent, 27, has joined the commercial property department at Manchester law firm Glaisyers. She previously worked at Cobbetts.

PAUL Chamberlain leads a team at the Manchester office of law firm Brabners Chaffe Street reappointed as advisers to The Employment Agents Movement, a group for recruitment and employment service firms.

CHARTERED accountancy firm CLB Coopers has recruited Jemma Fielding to its Manchester office as a corporate finance researcher, whose duties include identifying potential buyers and suitable acquisitions for clients.

NICOLA Whittle, Rebecca Mason and Rob Zacal have qualified through Stephensons Solicitors' in-house training programme and have taken up roles in the Greater Manchester firm's commercial litigation, housing and corporate departments respectively.

NIGEL Haddon, managing partner of Cheshire practice SAS Daniels, has been elected chairman of the Law Society's law management section, which aims to help member firms improve their performance and profits.