Place 100, 2009: 31 to 100 F-L

In association with Halliwells and Roland Dransfield PR

Contents

►Place 100, 2009: 1 to 15

►Place 100, 2009: 16 to 30

►Place 100, 2009: 31 to 100 A-E

►Place 100, 2009: 31 to 100 M-Z

Ian Fitton / Managing Director / Fairhursts Design Group / Architecture / Manchester. One of many architects in the UK and overseas hoping not to catch a cold in the Arab world, having expanded into the United Arab Emirates with a sister company launched in Abu Dhabi this year and a branch in Dubai. Fitton describes it as an "interesting year" for him and his 90 staff with the task of balancing "equilibrium" in the UK with expansion overseas. Nevertheless, FDG added new commissions to the forecast £6m fee turnover. Has been heavily involved with Media City UK for Peel Media as well as numerous city centre offices. Fitton has been MD since the early 1990s.

John Francis / Partner / DPP / Planning advice / Manchester. DPP Manchester was established 15 years ago and has 22 members of staff in office. The Manchester office's projects include Edge Lane West in Liverpool, Chester Old Port, Stonebridge Cross in Kirkby, Central Salford, North Liverpool Strategic Regeneration Framework and many others. Was on the losing side of the public inquiry into Destination Kirkby, the proposed stadium and retail by Everton FC and Tesco, which Francis declared a "stinker" of a decision.

Peter Gallagher, Paul Daye and Phil Meakin / Partners / P3 Property Consultants / Surveying and consultancy / Manchester. Experienced fellow escapees from Erinaceous, nee Dunlop Heywoods, but the less said about that...Formed P3 (Phil, Paul, Peter) in January 2008 and appear to have seen out the worst of the recession intact. Excellent contacts and oodles of experience keep the region's big developers such as Langtree (qv), Bruntwood (qv) and Orbit (qv) coming back for more.

Christian Gilham / Director / Leach Rhodes Walker / Architecture / Manchester. The specialist hotel architect employs 60 staff in Manchester and Bucharest, and has been practicing for 60 years. The new practice management took control of the company in a management buy-out from the doomed Erinaceous group in February 2008. The practice turnover for 2008/2009 was £4.6m, with work including Hampton by Hilton for Peel Airports in Liverpool, a bespoke Crowne Plaza in Manchester, and Premier Travel Inn at Manchester Airport. Gilham on 2009: "Whilst the marketplace has contracted, as have our numbers, we have reinforced the core business with an excellent level of skills retained and, at the same time, remarkably added new sectors and skills to the practice arsenal. We have found out who our 'real friends' are."

Jeff Gillbanks / Partner and Head of Commercial Property / Brabners Chaffe Street / Law / Liverpool. Heads a 37-strong team of property lawyers in Liverpool, (another 20 are based across Preston and Manchester) advising on all aspects of development and investment, environmental legislation and planning. Secured a three-year contract with Peel Ports for all legal work during the year, adding the transport giant to James Hall, Associated British Foods, North West Development Agency, JD Wetherspoon, and NWF Group. Gillbanks on 2009: "We as a team are certainly busier than we were at this time last year, so we hope that this is a positive message that will be reflected elsewhere within the legal profession."

Stephen Gleave / Managing Director / Taylor Young / Architecture and Design / Liverpool and South Manchester. Gleave has been with TY since its foundation in 1992 and became MD in 2001. The diverse consultancy - urban design, town planning, landscape architecture - has 120 staff in three offices (Leeds as well as two in North West) and turnover of £13m last year. The redevelopment of Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, public realm improvements to Chester city centre and town centre strategies in Ashton and Oldham keep Gleave and his team busy going into 2010.

Stephen Goodman / Managing Partner / Goodman Harvey / Law / Manchester. The only lawyer on the list not at one of the big law firms. Goodman features prominently on developers' professional teams and is one of the top property lawyers in the North West. He worked on major schemes Barbirolli Square and Spinningfields in Manchester and is a specialist on structuring tax-driven deals. A long list of senior developers calling on Goodman's services includes CTP, Liberty Properties, Taylor Woodrow Commercial Properties, UK Land & Property and Wainhomes (North West). Star player: Harvey, rabbit.

Melvyn and Delia Grodner / Owners / Atmore Properties / Investment / Liverpool. The couple owns various companies, holding prime assets in Liverpool, Chester, Manchester and elsewhere. Appear in national rich lists with a personal wealth of at least £80m, but otherwise the couple maintains a low profile. Profit at Atmore Properties, the main business, fell from £6.1m in 2006/07 to £438,000 in 2007/08 on £12.6m sales.

Gary Halman / Managing Partner / HOW Planning / Manchester. Among the top planning advisors in the patch, Halman left his regional boss role at Insignia Richard Ellis in 2000 to set up HOW Planning. Has since assembled a strong team with an equally heavyweight list of instructions: 40 hectare business park at Lingley Mere for United Utilities and Muse, 1,500 houses in Lower Broughton with Countryside Properties, City of Salford Stadium, Whittingham Hospital in Preston, what to do with the Granada TV campus on Quay Street, and a 500,000 sq ft extension to Manchester Business Park at the airport.

Andrew Hamilton / Senior Director and Head of Office / BNP Paribas Real Estate / Surveying and Consultancy / Manchester. Set up the Atisreal office in Manchester in 2004 and oversaw the takeover of Fuller Peiser in 2006. Atisreal rebranded as BNP Paribas Real Estate this year. Hamilton heads a team of 25 full-service professional and support staff with plans for expansion in 2010. Key clients include Homes & Communities Agency, Hurstwood Group, The Royal Bank of Scotland, SCA Hygiene, Countryside Properties (qv) and DHL.

Christine Hanson / Managing Director / CB Richard Ellis North West / Surveying and Consultancy / Manchester and Liverpool. Appointed MD of the North West in 2001 prior to the merger with Hillier Parker. Oversaw the acquisition of niche practices Irving Rice and DGi Davis George in past couple of years. CBRE is now the sole big agency with a decently sized team in Liverpool, where a strong building management team works with Green Property and Merseyside Pension Fund among others. The office agency team in Manchester worked alongside public bodies to help secure the European base for the US firm SPX Corporation in south Manchester this November. Star players: Nick Rice, MD Liverpool, Tom Davis and Howard George, industrial agency, Will Kennon, offices

Mark Haywood / Partner and Head of Real Estate / Addleshaw Goddard / Law Manchester. Haywood specialises in large investment development and portfolio transactions. Work often involves taxation structures for clients including Standard Life, The Co-Operative Group (qv), Valad, Green Property, Miller Developments, Muse Developments (qv) and MEPC Birchwood Park (qv).

Richard Heggie / Director / Investec Private Bank / Finance / Manchester. Brought structured property finance outside London for Investec when he opened the Manchester office of the South African bank in 2004, having worked for Anglo Irish Bank. Since then, the operation has grown to 12 personnel as Investec added treasury, growth and acquisition finance arms. Place 100 judges said Investec Manchester occupied a sub-£10m deals niche excellently, staying relevant to property through effective marketing.

Tom Higgins / Commercial Director North / Laing O'Rourke / Construction / Liverpool and Manchester. Laing's projects remain characteristically grand but not all as big as they once were, much to the annoyance of local builders finding themselves pitching against the giant for primary school jobs. Completed its work as main contractor on the £1bn Liverpool One and cracked on with the £350m The Rock for Thornfield in Bury, due to open next summer. A £100m hospital in West Cumbria, major schools projects under BSF and the Metrolink upgrade reflect the scale of activity.

Nigel Hunter / Managing Partner / Edwards & Co / Surveying and Consultancy / Manchester. Heads a small but extremely active local agency, formed more than 15 years ago, which Place 100 judges said often punches above its weight, giving the impression of a far larger headcount. The client list features Frogmore, BAM Properties (qv), Bruntwood (qv). Star players: Andrew Timms, offices, Stephen Hamer, investment

David Hughes / Senior Partner / Pozzoni / Architecture / Altrincham. Hughes is hugely ambitious for his practice. Not content with breaking into the AJ100 ranking, Hughes has just opened an office in London. Built up a solid base in the North West with 60 staff and expertise in renewal and environmental design and a particular niche in care homes. Hughes said the new London office was part of the plan to service the growing amount of work now being undertaken in the South including refurbishment of six leisure centres in Wandsworth and of the Central YMCA club in London.

Colin Jennings / Partner and Head of North West offices / Edward Symmons / Surveying and receivership / Manchester and Liverpool. Specialises in valuation and corporate recovery, advising major lending institutions and insolvency practitioners when properties fall into receivership. Needless to say, has had a busy year, assigned on more than 250 properties in the North West. Has served for 10 years as a council member of NARA (property receivers association) and acts as an expert witness in court, undertaking forensic examinations on behalf of banks, lawyers and accountants. His clients include The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Barclays, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Bank of Scotland, and various accountancy practices. Star players: Paul Parker and Rob Diggle, Liverpool

Tim Johnston / Partner Director / Amion Consulting / Economics and regeneration consultancy / Liverpool. Signing Tom Russell, ex chief executive of New East Manchester URC, is a good contender for coup of the year in the region's advisory world. Expanded into new offices in Exchange Flags, appointed a new director in Carmel Booth from KPMG (Johnston and co-founder Graham Russell are also ex KPMG) and won high profile jobs with the Government to evaluate the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative and the national economics panel of the Homes & Communities Agency. Is part of the core team advising on the redevelopment of Old Trafford cricket ground in an effort to regain international cricket to this historic venue.

Stuart Keppie / Partner / Keppie Massie / Surveying and Consultancy / Liverpool and Manchester. As well known as anybody on the Liverpool property scene. Can be refreshingly outspoken in today's stiflingly diplomatic world but maintains gravitas through his work as chairman of Merseyside Property Forum. MPF was absorbed in to Professional Liverpool in March. Advised influential economic development company Liverpool Vision on its move to The Capital and is advising Vision again on the Northshore master-plan for North Liverpool. Star players: Tony Reed, offices, Alan Murch, Restaurant Bar & Grill

Neil Lamont / Managing Director / Lamont / Surveying and Consultancy / Nantwich. Full-service independent agency set up in the late 1980s, growing to a dominant position in the south of the region from North Wales across Cheshire into the Midlands especially in industrial agency, headed by Matthew Pochin. Acts on most of the big shed lettings in the area. At the start of this decade, joined with David Cheshire to set up Cheshire Lamont, a residential estate agency also based in Nantwich.

David Lathwood / Managing Partner of UK regions / King Sturge / Surveying and Consultancy / Manchester and Liverpool. Mancunian Lathwood was born and bred in Gorton, attending Wright Robinson High School. Advised his beloved Manchester City Football Club in the acquisition of assets following the takeover of the club by Abu Dhabi United Group. Heads the 100-strong Manchester office and 13 other regional offices with 750 staff. Specialises in development consultancy, recently advising Aventis Pharma in the disposal of 20-acre landholding in Holmes Chapel. Retained advisor to Warburtons Bakers, advising on numerous acquisition and disposal projects around the UK. This includes the acquisition of 'super bakeries' across the country. Star players: David Brooks, industrial, Chris Prescott, development

Peter Livesey / Chairman / PJ Livesey Group / House-building / Trafford. Sixty one-year-old Livesey runs the privately-owned family company which he founded in 1979. Livesey is known for his attention to detail and he still apparently oversees management of many of the company's developments. The company has built a niche in the redevelopment of old buildings, including a number of hospitals, into pricey but well-made houses and apartments. The recession will have slowed matters but the family is still believed to be worth between £30m to £40m. The family has steadily built up various other interests including GL-14, a boutique health club in Manchester.

Dave Lowiss / North West Managing Director / Birse Civils / Construction / Cheadle. Now owned by Balfour Beatty, Birse Civils is one of the UK's leaders in transportation construction and road-building. Major new projects undertaken this year include the £52m Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley Bypass and a £20m contract for works on the Edge Lane West scheme in Liverpool. Lowiss is based in the substantial Cheadle office alongside Paul Bresnan who runs Birse's nuclear division. Cheadle is also the company's national base for recruitment.

►Place 100, 2009: 31 to 100 A-E

►Place 100, 2009: 31 to 100 M-Z