Lawyer faces new challenge with public relations agency

Sean Lippell has joined the board of Acceleris Marketing Communications.

It is Mr Lippell’s first non-executive directorship since he retired as a partner with UK law firm Addleshaw Goddard at the end of January.

The agency, based in Harrogate, has a growing portfolio of clients in the public and private sectors.

Acceleris, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in December, won the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Most Outstanding Consultancy title in 2010.

Since the start of 2012 it has already picked up six new clients with accumulated annual fees in excess of £150,000.

Mr Lippell said: “I have known the senior team at Acceleris for a number of years and have always been impressed by the energy, ambition, creative abilities and commitment to excellent client service of the agency.

“This is an exciting development for me after a very fulfilling career in corporate law and I am looking forward to playing my part In helping the agency achieve the next steps in its growth ambitions.”

Mr Lippell spent three decades in the cut and thrust of corporate deal-making.

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post last year, Mr Lippell spoke about his plans to expand his leadership coaching activities and non-executive interests. He delivered his verdict on the state of the Leeds legal sector.

He compared the generation of lawyers at Simpson Curtis – his old firm – to FC Barcelona, the all-conquering European champions, for their talent, drive and luck at finding themselves in the right place at the right time.

Mr Lippell, who joined the firm in 1987, told the Yorkshire Post: “You had a combination of circumstances. A deregulated market. Ambitious people.

“Simpson Curtis had a bunch of very talented people, all of whom seemed to be facing in the same direction at the same time and it was extremely successful. Leeds took off. The place just exploded.”

Acceleris’s board is headed by chairman Nigel Howes, a chartered accountant who is a former global partner with Arthur Andersen.

It also has Patrick Rose, a recently retired global partner with Spencer Stuart, the executive recruitment organisation as a non-executive director.

Managing director Peter Davenport said yesterday: “Sean has a strong regional and national reputation and we are delighted that he has elected to join our board as the first step in a new direction after such an illustrious professional career. We are very fortunate to have such an experienced group of individuals helping us shape and guide the way we develop as a business.”