Movers & Shakers: North East

2021

February

• Leigh Day has opened an office in Newcastle which will specialise in advising people with asbestos-related illnesses

• Katherine Calder has joined DAC Beachcroft’s public law & health projects team as a partner

• Burnetts solicitors has announced that Paul Brown (medical negligence and serious injury), Sharon Dunstan (residential conveyancing) and Megan Richardson (agribusiness and commercial property) have been promoted to senior associates
• Burnetts solicitors has also announced that Winter Addis (wills, trusts and probate), Sophie Allinson (employment and HR), Emma Armstrong (family) and Georgina Nicholls (dispute resolution) have been promoted to associates

• Keeley Edmondson has joined Ward Hadaway’s built environment team, based at the firm’s office in Newcastle

March

• Tilly Bailey & Irvine has announced a number of promotions: Wendy Beacom; head of private family law, to partner, Leanne Fryer; a member of the public family law team, to senior associate and Shamin Ali (private family law), Lisa Harrison and Natalie Flounders (both public family law), Sylvia Taylor (medical negligence and personal injury), Laura Zielinski (conveyancing), and Michael Stevens (corporate) to associate.

May

• Weightmans has made a partner promotion, Amy Nesbitt (litigation) in the Newcastle office.

• Irwin Mitchell has made a partner promotion, Jane Pyrah (serious injury) in the Newcastle office.

• Partner Jamie Brown has been promoted to head of the commercial property department at The Endeavour Partnership.

• Wrigleys Solicitors has promoted Matthew Featherstone to partner within the agriculture and rural property team.

• Hay & Kilner has welcomed senior associate Michael Scobie to its clinical negligence team.

• Jacksons has promoted litigator Michael Sproates to associate solicitor.

• Gateley has appointed Helen O’Neill as a partner in its Newcastle office.

• Mincoffs and promoted Chris Hughes to partner in its corporate team.

• Aberdein Considine has announced a number of senior promotions. Tahir Bashir, lender services operations manager in Newcastle, has been promoted to associate director.

• Mincoffs has promoted Ashleigh Warne, Denise Arnott, and Victoria Richer to associate solicitor.

July

• Addleshaw Goddard has recruited partner Stuart Wardlaw to its environment and sustainability and health and safety practice in Newcastle

• Jacksons has announced that Jane Armitage has stepped down as managing partner to be succeeded by Tony Wentworth.

• Jacksons has appointed Peter Robinson as a partner and head of corporate and commercial

• Sintons has appointed Alicja Kurdziuk as a litigator in the firm’s specialist Polish personal injury team.

August

• Burnetts solicitors has appointed Nicola Nutley as a solicitor in the banking and property finance team based in the Newcastle office.

September

• Muckle LLP has announced four new appointments. Solicitor Claire Renney joins the employment team , Siobhain Corr joins the corporate team, Sarah Farish joins the banking and restructuring team supporting lenders and borrowers in finance and security arrangements and, as a paralegal, is Joanna Garvey-Smith, who is currently completing her law degree at Teesside University.

October

• Tilly Bailey & Irvine has promoted Leanne Fryer to partner in the family department.

December

• Alice Clewes, a partner in the private client department at Hay & Kilner, has been made North East chair of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT).

• Hewitts Solicitors has made three partner promotions with effect from 1 December 2021. Two members of the family team, Sophie Lamont and Megan Hamilton and the head of the new build team, Kelly Hind have joined the partnership.

• Swinburne Maddison has appointed Craig Malarkey as a partner in the corporate and commercial team with effect from 1 December 2021..

• Womble Bond Dickinson has made a number of new managing associate and associate promotions. In Newcastle, Hazel Picton and Paul Rosenzweig have become managing associates in the corporate and commercial team. Meanwhile, the new associates in Newcastle are: James Cooper (corporate and commercial), Lyudmil Stoyanov (dispute resolution), Sandy Duncanson (dispute resolution), Sarah Robe (real estate), Elizabeth Gubb (private wealth) and Georgina Suddes (private wealth).