We are hugely fortunate to have a fantastic panel of judges with a great diversity of experience across the legal world.
Let’s take a look at our judges for 2026.
More to be announced soon..
Richard Clark, Director at Barclays Wealth & Private Bank – Chartered Wealth Manager
Judith Birkett, Compliance Officer - Muckle LLP
Judith has been a lawyer for over 30 years in real estate but for the last few years has been the Compliance Officer at Muckle LLP
Ian Cosgrove, Costs Lawyer, Cosgrove Costings Limited
Ian Cosgrove has been engaged in the world of legal costs since 1990.
As a Costs Lawyer he advises on both Claimant and Defendant costs issues and regularly appears in court on Detailed Assessment hearings and Costs Budgeting hearings
Richard Clark, Director at Barclays Wealth & Private Bank - Chartered Wealth Manager
Richard, a Director at Barclays Wealth & Private Bank is a Chartered Wealth Manager who specialises in advising HNW client across the region. He has been advising individuals, trusts, charities and companies on their Wealth Management needs for over 25 years across the North of England and beyond. Prior to his 11 years at Barclays Wealth he was a Wealth Manager at a National Law Firm, which allowed him insight into how intrinsically linked clients Wealth Management, Legal and Tax affairs are. This experience allows Richard to work closely with is clients and support them in navigating the many options available to them in protecting, managing and growing their wealth, encompassing areas such as succession planning and wealth structuring. In his current role Richard advises a select number of family relationships across all of their Wealth Management needs.
Ian Dormer CBE, CDir, HonFIoD, BA , Managing Director - Rosh Engineering Ltd
Ian has been Managing Director of Blaydon on Tyne based specialist high voltage engineering contractor Rosh Engineering Ltd since 1989.
After joining the Institute of Directors for professional development and to share best practice he became more involved both regionally and nationally, being appointed national IoD Chairman in 2012 for a three year term.
Always passionate about promoting a positive business climate, it has resulted in past appointments to the Board of Regional Development Agency, ONE North East, through to Chairing Business Link Tyne & Wear among others. He also has a passion for life-long learning and qualified as a Chartered Director in 2013.
Ian was previously Chairman of Newcastle College, Chairman of the Primary Science Teaching Trust. He is also an Independent Member on Gateshead Council’s Audit Committee and Vice Chair of Veterans homeless charity Launchpad.
He was made a CBE in Her Majesty the Queen’s 2016 New Year Honours list.
Anu Kaura, Barrister - Trinity Chambers
Anu Kaura joined Trinity Chambers as a barrister in February 2025, following more than 20 years’ legal experience across in-house leadership, private practice, and consultancy. She practises in corporate governance, civil work, commercial and property law, employment law, data protection, and dispute resolution.
Prior to joining the Bar, Anu was Head of Legal at a large North East care group, where she advised at board and executive level on governance, regulatory compliance, complex disputes, and high-value commercial matters. She has particular expertise in tribunal work and contentious advisory matters, combining technical rigour with a pragmatic, commercially focused approach.
Anu is a former Chair of the Law Society In-House Division and is recognised for her contribution to the legal profession and legal leadership. She regularly works with businesses, public bodies, and individuals, delivering clear, strategic advice in both contentious and non-contentious matters.
Angela King, Head of Teesside University Law School
Angela is Head of Teesside University Law School, which encompasses Law, Policing, Investigation and the Social Sciences. With over 20 years of experience in legal education, Angela has worked with and supported the local legal profession in nurturing legal professionals of the future. The student-led Law Clinic which operates within the Law School has twice won the Pro Bono Legal Initiative Award in 2022 and 2024.
Kevin Maloney, Philanthropy – Community Foundation North East
Kevin is a philanthropy and development advisor at Community Foundation North East and manages a portfolio of funds set up by individual, family and business donors. Kevin works with current donors to develop their giving in line with their wishes as well as engaging new donors. Before joining the Community Foundation, Kevin was a corporate banking lawyer at Muckle LLP for over 20 years where he provided a range of advice for banks and other lenders, businesses and organisations. At Muckle, Kevin was also graduate recruitment and trainee partner.
Rob Matthewson, Account Manager - Progressive Legal Solutions
Rob is an Account Manager at Progressive Legal Solutions, with over 10 years experience in the property and conveyancing market, working closely with solicitors across the North East on residential conveyancing matters.
Richard Morgan, Director - Nigel Wright Group
Richard is a Director & Shareholder at Nigel Wright Group, responsible for leading multiple business areas of the Northern focused, Regional Business. Over a 20-year career, Richard has developed an extensive Business & Professional Services leadership network, specialising in connecting and collaborating to support leadership career transitions, advise on the management of people-centric businesses, and sharing valuable market insights.
Ammar Mirza CBE MBA FRSA FIoEE FIoL
Ammar Mirza CBE is a multi-award-winning enterprise, investment and innovation leader whose work has supported the establishment and scale up of more than 15,000 businesses globally. Across two decades he has built a reputation not only as a respected architect of inclusive growth and entrepreneurial ecosystems, but also as a trusted financial strategist with deep expertise in commercial modelling, investment readiness, organisational governance and long-term value creation.
As Executive Chair of the AmmarM Group of Companies, Ammar oversees a diversified portfolio across consultancy, property, skills, health tech, media, international trade and digital innovation. The Group operates on a strong financial and commercial foundation, with Ammar personally leading investment decisions, financial planning, due diligence, risk management and capital structuring across its ventures. His unique 3IP model Innovation, Investment and Internationalisation supports’ businesses to secure finance, expand globally and build financially resilient, scalable models.
Ammar is the driving force behind the SME Centre of Excellence, which has helped thousands of SMEs start, survive and thrive through programmes emphasising financial capability, investor readiness, business modelling and sustainable growth planning. He is also the founder of the International Space Station ISS Group, home to ISS Airview at Newcastle International Airport and ISS Teesside within the UK’s operational Freeport. These hubs reduce friction for growing companies by providing commercially centred soft landing and launchpad services. They integrate workspace, advisory support, trade corridors, investment pathways and financial structuring to accelerate scale up and export activity.
With extensive experience across public, private and third sectors, Ammar has shaped regional and national economic development agendas. His portfolio includes advising on multimillion pound innovation programmes, supporting major organisations through financial transformation, developing new investment pathways, and strengthening governance across boards. His balanced approach blends strategic insight, financial discipline and a commitment to enabling businesses and communities to thrive.
Ammar serves on the Business Advisory Board of the North East Combined Authority, and previously chaired the North East LEP Business Board representing SMEs and trade bodies across the region. He is Founder and Chairman of Asian Business Connexions ABC, President of the Federation of Asian Business, Chair of the Health and Life Sciences Pledge, and Fellow of the Institute of Leadership, Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs, and the Royal Society of Arts. He holds an MBA with Distinction, with strong grounding in accounting, finance, investment appraisal and organisational performance.
His commitment to inclusion and education led to the creation of the Primary Inspiration through Enterprise PIE Project, the first UK charity to embed enterprise and financial awareness within primary education. He also led the development of the world’s first Ofqual registered Level 6 qualification in Business Model Innovation, ensuring innovation and commercial literacy are accessible to both leaders and learners.
Ammar has played a pivotal role in shaping innovation ecosystems nationally, working with the Scale-Up Institute, MIT REAP and the NHS England Health Innovation Network. His work includes designing investment pathways, building commercialisation frameworks, strengthening financial readiness among clinical entrepreneurs, and connecting innovators with investors.
Recognised as one of the most influential Asian figures in the North East, Ammar has received numerous accolades. In 2014 he was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire CBE for outstanding services to business and the community. He has been named British Asian Entrepreneur of the Year, featured in the Maserati Top 100, Williams and Glyn Top 50, and honoured by the Institute of Directors and British Community Honours Awards.
His additional roles include Honorary Colonel of 101 Regiment Royal Artillery, former Chair of the Institute of Directors North East North, Northern Representative on the APPG for Ethnic Minority Business, and Trustee of Together TV. He is also Patron of Charlie Bear for Cancer Care and co-host of a long running business programme on Spice FM supporting Asian and wider communities through open, accessible financial and enterprise guidance.
Whether developing physical infrastructure such as trade and investment hubs, strengthening governance and financial resilience in organisations, designing nationally recognised qualifications, or championing community led enterprise, Ammar consistently delivers impact that endures. His work brings together People, Place and Programmes to create financially sustainable, innovation led opportunities that turn potential into prosperity at local, national and global scale.
James Pickford, Assistant General Counsel - Procter & Gamble
James is a European and UK Chartered Patent Attorney with over 16 years experience in the profession. Having been awarded a PhD in Molecular Microbiology and Biochemistry from the University of Sheffield, he completed a Diploma in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Manchester. He subsequently studied to become a European Patent Attorney and then UK Chartered Patent Attorney and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and Authorised Representative before the Unitary Patent Court.
At Procter & Gamble, James is part of the legal team that supports the Fabric and Homecare business (which sells products under well-known brands such as Ariel, Lenor, Fairy, Bold and Flash) with their patent and intellectual property needs and also has experience in Regulatory and Advertising law.
Andy Poole, Legal Sector Partner - Armstrong Watson
Andy is the Legal Sector Partner at Armstrong Watson, a top 40 UK firm of Chartered Accountants and Financial Advisers. Andy heads the firm’s nationwide services to the legal sector, covering all of the firm’s 19 offices. He has specialised exclusively in the legal sector since 2004. He helps firms to improve by providing valuations, merger and acquisition advice, benchmarking, strategic consultancy and training courses. He understands and proactively informs law firms on issues that may impact on them. Andy speaks at national solicitors’ conferences and is a regular contributor to the legal press. Andy is co-author of the Law Society’s toolkit on financial stability and also co-author of Adjusting the Numbers: The Future of Finance in Law Firms, published by ARK Group. Andy works with law firms throughout the UK
Katherine Richards, General Counsel and Company Secretary - Barbour
Katherine is currently the General Counsel and Company Secretary at Barbour. She has been in the role for 4 years and prior to that was a corporate partner at Ward Hadaway where she had worked for 23 years having joined at the start of her career back in the 90’s.
Since joining Barbour, Katherine has established the legal function and aligned its priorities to the business goals so that the legal team is seen as an integral part of the growth plans. Katherine also has undertaken numerous other projects within Barbour outside of her legal role which has given her the opportunity to expand the breadth of her knowledge and skills.
In her spare time Katherine likes to run stupidly long distances in various locations around the world.
