Trethowans announces promotion and new team member

Trethowans, which has offices in Bournemouth and Poole, has promoted personal injury specialist James Braund to Partner.

It follows his success in expanding the law firm’s personal injury business in the Dorset region.

James specialises in complex and catastrophic cases, acting for clients who have suffered life changing injuries including brain damage and severe spinal trauma.

He said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to have reached this milestone.

“I’ve been with Trethowans for 13 years now and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of the people around me.

“My clients come to me having suffered horrendous injuries, struggling to come to terms with their new situation and worrying about how they will make ends meet.

“I feel privileged to be in a position to help them achieve the justice that they deserve, whether that be by obtaining early access to rehabilitation or ultimately securing a significant sum at the end of the day.”

In 2019, the Personal Injury team in Poole was awarded ‘Personal Injury Team of the Year’ at the Dorset Legal Awards.

James also maintains Trethowans’ important relationship with Poole Pirates Speedway and has recently joined the Dorset Law Society committee.

John Hall, Personal Injury Partner, said: “I am proud to work alongside James.

“His elevation to partnership is so well deserved.

“He is a kind man and one of the best lawyers I know.

“We have really begun to flourish in a difficult Dorset PI market and that is down almost entirely to his commitment to his clients and our firm, not to mention his knowledge and boundless enthusiasm.”

Trethowans has also announced the appointment of divorce and separation solicitor Rosie Beaven, pictured left, to its family team.

Rosie, who qualified in July 2019, specialises in all areas of divorce and the resolution of matrimonial finances, including pre-nuptial and separation agreements.

Outside of her full-time role, Rosie has a keen interest in the Dorset legal community, acting as Chair of Dorset Young Resolution, a community of junior family justice professionals who believe in a non-confrontational approach.

Trethowans also has offices in Southampton, Salisbury and Winchester.

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New chair appointed to video production company Cinova

Video production company Cinova has appointed Gellan Watt FRSA as its new chair.

Gellan, pictured left, who takes up the post with immediate effect, has a background in brand strategy and marketing and is a creative director and agency founder.

He brings a wealth of experience having founded Thinking Juice in 2003, a creative agency that became Top Ten Agency (RAR and The Drum) and Marketing Industry UK Agency of The Year.

The agency then merged with the Emerge Group, and Gellan became Group Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer.

Alongside his partners, the business grew to the 12th largest independent group in the UK, with a £60m turnover, prior to his exit in 2016.

Jack Ashley, Cinova’s Commercial Director, pictured right, said: “Gellan’s appointment comes at an exciting time.

“The industry is changing and the demand for video content is greater than ever before.

“Gellan is a great addition to the team and a driving force for the business.”

Adam J.Merrifield, Senior producer and Partner, added: “We have worked with Gellan for several years on a number of projects.

“We are really excited to have him as part of the team at Cinova and are looking forward to growing the business together.”

Cinova launched in 2020 bringing two existing production agencies together; RMP Filmmakers and The Light Side.

The team aims to grow out of the pandemic by supporting its clients marketing through video in order to recover and increase their profitability.

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AECC University College welcomes new Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Professor Kevin McGhee has been appointed as the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth’s AECC University College.

Professor McGhee joins from Bournemouth University, where he currently holds the role of Professor of Health Sciences and Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Science and Technology.

In this role, he was responsible for six departments; overseeing the educational provision within the faculty, the student experience of nearly 4,600 students on-campus and quality assurance for a suite of programmes.

Professor McGhee, pictured left, has a PhD in Psychiatric Genetics from the University of Dublin, Trinity College, Ireland.

He spent four years at the University of Edinburgh as a post-doctoral research fellow in the departments of Psychiatry/Medical Genetics, Psychology and briefly as a teaching fellow in the School of Nursing.

Professor McGhee is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics and British Society for Genetic Medicine.

Most recently, he co-led on a £3.98m Digital Healthcare Catalyst bid with partners from the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership.

Professor Lesley Haig, Vice-Chancellor of AECC University College said: “Kevin is an accomplished academic who shares our values of commitment to excellence and person-centredness and will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our community.

“He joins us at an exciting point in our journey as a specialist health sciences university, having acquired an additional campus this year and with a review of the corporate strategy and new projects under way which will transform the organisation.

“I am really looking forward to working with Kevin as a member of our Executive Team and to seeing our community continuing to thrive with him in this key role as academic lead for the institution.”