North East Business Community Welcomes New Talent in Strategic Moves
The North East professional services sector is experiencing a significant talent boost this week as several prominent companies announce key appointments and promotions. Leading law firms, property consultancies and development specialists have strengthened their teams with strategic hires that promise to enhance their service offerings and regional impact.
Legal Sector Strengthens with Strategic Appointments
Newcastle-based law firm Muckle LLP has welcomed solicitor Stacey Brown to their corporate team. The Sunderland-born legal professional specialises in corporate governance and company law, bringing valuable expertise in areas including general company advice, group reorganisations, share restructuring and constitutional documentation.
Ms Brown's career journey has taken her from graduating with a law degree from Northumbria University to travelling through Australia and New Zealand, where she gained paralegal experience before returning to the UK. She qualified as a corporate solicitor in 2022 after working at a major law firm.
"I've always known I wanted to be a corporate solicitor," Ms Brown commented. "I enjoy the structure of the role and the variety it offers, especially working with clients across different sectors. What really stands out about Muckle is the people and the firm's strong ethos and values. The collaborative, client-focused culture aligns perfectly with my approach to legal practice."
Her appointment comes as Muckle LLP expands its services into Teesside, aiming to provide top-tier legal support to an even broader client base across the region.
Sweeney Miller Law Expands Commercial Offering
Meanwhile, North East law firm Sweeney Miller Law has appointed Rishi Kohli as a partner in their Newcastle office, marking the formal launch of a dedicated commercial offering. Mr Kohli brings extensive experience in complex commercial contracts including supply and distribution arrangements, services and outsourcing agreements, and framework agreements.
His career includes training and qualifying as a solicitor at a transatlantic law firm in 2016, where he specialised in commercial agreements for large-scale infrastructure projects. He subsequently worked in-house at a global renewable energy business before spending four years in a senior leadership role at an international law firm.
"What attracted me to join Sweeney Miller Law is the culture," Mr Kohli explained. "It's collaborative, people-focused and commercially driven, with high technical standards and real trust and autonomy. It's an environment where people are encouraged to take ownership, grow with confidence and help shape the firm's future."
Property and Business Consultancy Strengthens Senior Team
Specialist property and business consultancy GFW has made two significant senior appointments to bolster their expertise. Alanzon Chan has joined the planning, architecture and development team as senior planning consultant, bringing valuable public sector experience from Cumbria County Council. Simultaneously, Peter Jones has joined the business as associate building surveyor.
"I'm delighted to have joined the GFW team," said Mr Chan. "Their ambition and how they integrate their services to provide the best solutions for their clients really attracted me to the role. I bring extensive planning experience from the public sector which aligns with continued growth plans and opportunities to support clients."
Sally Hart, managing partner at GFW, added: "It's fantastic to start the New Year welcoming new faces to the team. We have big plans for 2026 and both Alanzon and Peter bring a breadth of experience that will strengthen our capabilities."
Ward Hadaway Adds Technology Sector Expertise
Law firm Ward Hadaway has appointed Paul Wigham as partner, adding significant expertise to their corporate team with a focus on supporting high-growth businesses in emerging technology and innovation sectors. Based in the Newcastle office, Mr Wigham brings more than 16 years' experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions.
His recent work includes advising the shareholders of Oak Engage on its sale to private equity firm NorthEdge and the shareholders of Runecast Software on its sale to New York Stock Exchange-listed Dynatrace.
"Ward Hadaway has a strong practice, a clear commercial focus and extensive connections to the local business community," Mr Wigham noted. "The firm is ambitious and entrepreneurial, which makes it an attractive move at this stage of my career."
Lovell Appoints Senior Land and Partnerships Manager
In the property development sector, Samantha Curtis has been appointed as the new senior land and partnerships manager at Lovell in the North East. Ms Curtis brings experience from a range of planning and development roles in the region, and her new position will see her identifying opportunities and managing the existing pipeline while working with joint venture partners and Registered Providers of social housing.
"My goal is to continue with the momentum already built by the North East Land and Partnerships Team at Lovell and forge new partnerships through my industry connections," said Ms Curtis. "I'm particularly interested in social value and ensuring we deliver wider benefits to the communities where we bring developments forward. It's about building high-quality, well-designed developments where people want to live and lead healthy lives."
These appointments across multiple sectors demonstrate the continued growth and dynamism of the North East business community, with firms strategically strengthening their teams to better serve clients and contribute to regional economic development.
