2024 Judges – This years judging panel coming soon..

We are hugely fortunate to have a fantastic panel of judges with a great diversity of experience across the legal world. We are very grateful for the time they dedicate to reading the nominations, shortlisting and interviewing all of our finalists on judging day. Thank you!

 

 

Dr Joanna Berry, Associate Dean (External Engagement)  Durham University Business School

View Joanna’s Biography

 

Judith Birkett, Partner – Muckle LLP 

View Judith’s Biography

 

Claire Brissenden
Trinity Chambers

View Claire’s Biography

Shaun Cannell,
Progressive Legal Solutions

View Shaun’s Biography

Richard Clark, Director in the North team of Barclays Wealth Management.

View Richard’s Biography

 

 

 

Laura Coapes, Senior Lecturer, Northumbria Business School

View Laura’s Biography

 

 

 

Ian Cosgrove – Costs Lawyer

View Ian’s Biography

 

 

 

 

Rebecca Cresswell – Head of Family Department and Partner at Sweeney Miller Law

View Rebecca’s Biography

 

 

 

 

Mark Dale, Principal Consultant, Professional Services – Nigel Wright Group

View Mark’s Biography

Ian Dormer CBE, CDir, HonFIoD, BA – Managing Director, Rosh Engineering Ltd

View Ian’s Biography

 

Michael Downes, FCA Director, Deal Advisory Corporate Finance – KPMG 

View MIchael’s Biography

 

Katherine Dunn – Senior Lecturer, Northumbria Law School

View Katherine’s Biography

Andrew Entwistle- Partner & Head of Valuations, George F White

View Andrew’s Biography

Laura Farnworth – General Counsel and Company Secretary, Atom bank

View Laura’s Biography

Chris Fletcher, Undergraduate Degree Programme Director, University of Newcastle

View Chris’ Biography

Vicki Gilman, Managing Director at Social Return Case Management Ltd and current chair of BABICM

View Vicki’s Biography

Alison Gittins, CEO – Durham Business Group

View Alison’s Biography

Sarah Hawkins, Solicitor
Updated Biography to Follow

 

 

Emma Heather – Immediate Past President,  Newcastle Law Society, Solicitor and Fee-paid Judge

View Heather’s Biography

 

John Holbrook, Director, Robson Laidler Accountants

View John’s Biography

Gill Hunter, Managing Partner – Square One Law

View Gill’s Biography

 

 

Mrs Anu Kaura, Head of Legal & Group In-House Lawyer – Malhotra Group PLC
Vice Chair – Law Society In – House Division

View Anu’s Biography

Dr Siobhan McConnell –  Assistant Professor, Northumbria University Law School

View Siobhan’s Biography

Ammar Mirza CBE – Community and Business Leader representing the North of England. Chair of Asian Business Connexions, SME CofE Group & North East LEP Business Growth Board. NED. Angel Investor. Proud Hon. Col. 101 Regiment RA

View Ammar’s Biography

Melanie Morley – Partner, BHP Law

View Melanie’s Biography

Dr James Pickford, Patent Attorney and Assistant General Counsel, Procter & Gamble

View James’ Biography

Andy Poole, Legal Sector Partner – Armstrong Watson

View Andy’s Biography

Anne Robertson, MA Law, PGCHE, Solicitor (non-practising), Lecturer,  Acting Campus Manager (Maternity Cover) –  The University of Law

View Anne’s Biography

Lisa Shacklock
Client Services Director, Knights

View Lisa’s Biography

Barry Speker OBE DL LLB

View Barry’s Biography

Dr Elliot Winter – Senior Lecturer at Newcastle Law School

View Elliot’s Biography

Dr Joanna Berry, Associate Dean (External Engagement)  Durham University Business School

Joanna was born, brought up and educated in Hartlepool, NorthEast England. Her academic experience runs from her Oxford University law degree (1985) to her MBA and PhD from Newcastle University. Her MBA focused on the impact of broadband connectivity on the TV industry, and her PhD took this one step further, using her creation and management of a London-based record label as a lens through which to assess the impact of digital technologies on the music industry's business models and value chains.

Joanna is Associate Dean, Engagement for Durham University Business School. She is responsible for building and developing relationships with external commercial, public sector and third sector organisations regionally, nationally and globally for the benefit of the School’s world-class researchers and students. She is Associate Professor, Entrepreneurship at the Business School, teaching new venture creation, entrepreneurship, innovation, marketing and a wide variety of other management disciplines to MBA, DBA, PhD, MSc and undergraduate students. She is Trustee/Director of Acumen Community Buildings, and was Advisory Board member for the NorthEast LEP "ScaleUp NorthEast" programme. Joanna is Director for Engagement for the Durham Energy Institute and has been Regional Chair for both the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Institute of Directors.
Her professional experience encompasses law (mostly company and contract, practiced in South Africa from 1985 to 1987) science, creativity and technology. In her professional commercial career Joanna has undertaken a variety of international business development roles in marketing, advertising and publishing. Roles include Manager of Europe and East Asia for the World Economic Forum and international PR manager for Mobil 1 Motorsport with McLaren.

Joanna has also founded, bought and run a variety of digital and creative companies, and continues her personal and practical involvement with new venture start-ups. She places a particular emphasis on supporting the 'women in STEM' agenda in a variety of ways. These include teaching, mentoring, and public appearances, as she undertakes a wide variety of public and media activities on TV and Radio. She is winner of the Forward Ladies Scotland, NorthEast and Yorkshire Academic Leader Award and a member both of the Northern Power Women ‘NPW Power List’ and NPW Power Circle for Teesside and Newcastle, nominated in the 2023 Northern Power Women Awards as Mentor of the Year and Agent of Change. She has recently taken up the challenge of performing live stand up comedy, which she is enjoying a lot!

Judith Birkett - Partner, Muckle LLP

Judith has been a solicitor for over 30 years.  She is a partner at Muckle LLP originally specialising in real estate but now managing risk and compliance at Muckle.  Whilst she did work in London for 10 years, she is firmly committed to a life and career in the North East.

Called to the bar in 2004 following a successful career in business, Claire is a specialist Family Law barrister representing clients in all aspects of private law Children Act proceedings and matrimonial finance.

Claire is regularly instructed by parents in private law children matters involving residence and contact, as well as applications relating to domestic abuse. She specialises in finding of fact hearings, implacable hostility cases and has extensive experience of applications for leave to remove from the jurisdiction, internal and external relocation cases. She is particularly experienced in financial remedy cases involving pensions and modest assets where a creative solution is often required to achieve a ‘fair’ result.

Throughout her practice, Claire is especially aware of the need for sound advice from the earliest stages of proceedings to avoid the stress and expense of protracted litigation. She understands that clients need to feel supported and listened to. As a trained mediator, Claire is able to communicate effectively with clients in order to achieve negotiated solutions.

Claire is regularly recognised in the leading legal directories, recent entries include:
"A skilled negotiator who demonstrates great empathy with clients. Her advice is robust." "Claire is an engaging advocate. She is tenacious and fights her client's corner when required. Clients appreciate her calm and sensible approach."  Legal 500

Shaun is Commercial Director of PLS and has over 25 years experience working within the legal and property sector, passionate to provide a first class service to clients and consumers, Shaun also likes to support many local charities by fund raising and take on various challenges, in my spare time I love nothing more than travelling the world and getting as many stamps in my passport as possible and experiencing new activities.

Richard Clark, Director at Barclays Wealth & Private Bank, Chartered Wealth Manager.

Richard, a Director at Barclays Wealth & Private Bank is a Chartered Wealth Manager. He has been advising individuals, trusts, charities and companies on their Wealth Management needs for approaching 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 myriad of options available to them in protecting, managing and growing their wealth, encompassing areas such as succession planning and wealth structuring

 

Laura Coapes, Assistant Professor, Northumbria Law School

Laura is an Assistant Professor in law at Northumbria University and lectures on both undergraduate and Bar Programmes. She is a barrister at Trinity Chambers (nee Nagel) and has a research interest in family law, with publications in Child & Family Law Quarterly and the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. Laura also acts in various consultancy roles for the Bar Standards Board, including as an Associate Examiner for the Professional Ethics Pupillage/Work-based learning assessment

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

 

 

Rebecca Cresswell – Head of Family Department and Partner at Sweeney Miller Law

Rebecca is Head of the Family Department and a Partner at Sweeney Miller Law. She completed her training by qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive specialising in Civil Litigation and Family law and has worked in the North Eastern Circuit ever since; predominantly dealing with private family law matters, including divorce, finance, separation, pre and post nuptial agreements and private law children matters. Rebecca cross qualified as a Solicitor in 2023 to enable higher rights of audience in the Family Courts.

Outside of her career, Rebecca loves to travel and go on hikes in the Lake District.

Mark Dale, Principal Consultant, Blair West

Mark is responsible for the recruitment of senior professional services talent for clients based in the North of England.

Typical assignments cover roles within accountancy practices, legal disciplines and back office support roles for corporate clients, including Property, Company Secretarial, Compliance as well as Financial Services Risk and Regulatory disciplines.

Mark is responsible for permanent recruitment, and due to the diverse nature of the desk, has experience of contingent and retained search recruitment processes.

Mark has recruited for a number of international & regional clients across both the public and private sector including Big 4 & regional accountancy firms, North Yorkshire Police, Redde Northgate Plc, UBS, Cumberland Building Society, END Clothing, Inn Collection Group and many more.

Ian Dormer Biography

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 3 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, and currently serves on the Board of the Employee Benefit Trust that manages the £90million turnover builder’s merchant JT Dove. He is also an Independent Member on Gateshead Council’s Audit Committee.

He was made a CBE in Her Majesty the Queen’s 2016 New Year Honours list.

Michael is an experienced business advisor, working with clients to assist with strategic decision making, growth plans, debt and equity finance raising and all aspects of M&A.

Working with clients from a broad range of sectors including many owner managed businesses in technology, software, business services, pharmacy and pharmaceuticals, retail, distribution and wholesale, catering, waste management and construction. Significant experience working with Private Equity investors.

Katherine Dunn is a senior lecturer in law at Northumbria University and lectures on both Police Apprenticeship Degrees and Bar Programmes. She is currently programme leader for the Bar Training programme and the two-year Police apprenticeship Degree for Durham Constabulary.  In addition, she is a barrister at Trinity Chambers. Katherine has a research interest in criminal law, currently participating in the “Consulting the Oracles” project on complex disclosure issues. Katherine is also an external examiner for Liverpool John Moores University, an advocacy  trainer for the Bar on Vulnerable witnesses and conducts training courses for  social workers on “How to be an Impressive witness in Court”.

The son of Northumberland vet, Andrew began his career as a Chartered Surveyor in Northumberland before furthering his development the Midlands. Andrew returned to the North East in 2000 to join George F. White and became partner in 2006.

Appointed Head of Valuation for George F. White in 2010,  Andrew also sat on the Global Valuation Standards Board (GVSB) of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) representing the Rural faculty for 11 years. The GVSB oversaw production of the RICS Appraisal and Valuations Standards (The “Red Book”).

Andrew is well known for his appointments as Expert Witness in property disputes, with restrictive covenant matters being a particular speciality, receiving instructions throughout England. Andrew gave evidence in Father’s Field v Namulas, considered by Property Week as one of the top 10 property law cases of 2021.

Laura Farnworth - General Counsel and Company Secretary - Atom Bank

Laura joined Atom Bank, initially on secondment, in July 2014 when the business was still very much in the early stages of development.  As Head of Legal and then General Counsel, she has been involved in all of the bank’s funding rounds, including the initial investment by Banco Bilboa Argentaria Vizcaya as part of a £100m raise in late 2015, as well as the application for Atom's banking licence and the associated lifting of restrictions on that licence in April 2016.  Laura also acts as Company Secretary for the Atom group of companies, supporting the Board with their governance responsibilities.

Chris Fletcher - Undergraduate Degree Programme Director, Newcastle Law School.

Chris trained as a solicitor with commercial firm Muckle LLP specialising in banking and corporate finance work for a number of years.  Prior to joining Newcastle University as a lecturer in 2019 Chris taught on the Legal Practice Course at Northumbria University and was the Risk and Compliance manager for Square One Law.  Chris now teaches on a range of UG and PG modules at Newcastle.

 

Vicki Gilman MSC MCSP, BABICM Advanced Case Manager, Managing Director Social Return Case Management Lt, BABICM Chair

Vicki qualified in 1988 as a physiotherapist from King’s College, London, and specialised in neurology. Her early career was shaped by working in a military hospital where team-working was excellent. This set a high expectation for effective team working and creative approaches to rehabilitation. There followed an MSc in Neurorehabilitation and experience setting up 3 community rehabilitation teams in the NHS and independent sector and working as an expert witness in catastrophic injury cases for over 20 years. Her clinical interests focus on brain injury and clinical complexity.As a serial entrepreneur Vicki has experience of how to balance innovation and passion for effective, meaningful services with a well-developed attention to detail, a strong strategic view and sustainability of outcomes for both the individual with healthcare needs and for the business. She seeks to recruit outstanding people and to build safe and collaborative team environments where 2-way knowledge sharing is firmly embedded.Vicki is current chair of the British Association of Brain Injury and Complex Case Management, she sits on the management group of The Institute of Registered Case Managers,  alongside leading the now well-established Social Return Case Management, a company she founded in 2014.

Alison Gittins, CEO of Durham Business Group

Alison is the CEO of Durham Business Group (Durham Business Club, Durham Office Services and The Executive Group).
Alison has a passion for people and a love of networking, so feels she landed her dream job in 2010, and is lucky to work with businesses from all sectors across the region, and bring them together while showcasing some wonderful venues. DBC holds monthly breakfast and evening events for its 200 members, while The Executive Group’s lunches, are must-attend events for North East business leaders. To recharge her batteries Alison enjoys escaping to the sun on a cruise ship.

Emma Heather – Immediate Past President,  Newcastle Law Society, Solicitor and Fee-paid Judge

Emma is a legal expert with more than 15 years of practical experience.  She has been a loyal supporter of Newcastle upon Tyne Law Society since qualifying and was selected by her colleagues and peers to be their Deputy Vice President in 2021, culminating in her recently concluded Presidential year during 2023 – 2024.  Emma has worked effectively and seamlessly with professional colleagues across all spectrums whether they are in the heart of the city or depths of the countryside and across all practice areas to give a voice to the local profession in national consultations as well as local business matters.

After gaining experience in many areas of general practice whilst training, Emma has honed her skills and specialised in litigation, dispute resolution and family law. In her most recent role Emma developed the dispute resolution department from being a part time role for herself to a team of 5 with fee income increasing about 10 fold during her tenure.  In addition to leading her team Emma was part of the senior management team and had strategic management responsibilities including being COFA, streamlining billing and payment processes as well as having overall supervision responsibility for Trainee / Apprentice Solicitors.

Emma’s practice has been exclusively in the North East of England with the majority of her career spent in the market town of Hexham in the Tyne Valley.

Emma holds a number of judicial appointments as a Deputy District Judge (2020), Employment Judge (2021) and Tribunal Judge (Special Educational Needs and Disability) (2021)

The mother of a daughter with significant special needs, Emma strives to navigate the world through the lens of her daughter’s experiences.  With a decade of experience, Emma is now beginning to understand the barriers and hurdles that are faced on a daily basis by people with physical and mental differences.  She is passionate to share her experience as a parent and to provide support to others on a 1:1 basis and to try to recognise when others may be struggling to access services and to other appropriate support to them.

John Holbrook FCCA, is a director at Robson Laidler Accountants, which has offices in Jesmond and Chester le Street.

Overseeing work for legal clients, John and his team at Robson Laidler act for various regional law firms - preparing statutory accounts, management accounts, SRA Accounts Rules audits reporting, advice on structuring of firms, business and tax advice. John regularly works on assignments with solicitors in areas such as business sales and acquisitions, property transactions, shareholder disputes, business and share valuations, shareholder agreements, forensic accounting, group and share restructuring.

John brings a robust background in audit and tax planning, overseeing a portfolio of SMEs largely based in the North East.

Gill is the owner and the managing partner of commercial law firm, Square One Law, where she leads a team of highly talented people committed to delivering top quality service in a way that suits clients’ needs, not their own.

She joined Square One Law as Managing Partner in 2018 from a national law firm where she was head of technology. Throughout her career she has worked with a broad range of public and private sector clients from NHS trusts, universities and port authorities to biotech and ecommerce companies and engineering and manufacturing businesses.

As Managing Partner she is leading the firm forward with a vision for growth whilst preserving the entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to disrupt the status quo that have made the firm successful. Gill believes that people are the firm’s key asset and is committed to creating a culture that is supportive, inclusive, and fun. In her view, there is nothing better than seeing talent within the business grow and thrive.

Gill is a tech and commercial lawyer by trade, with a specialism in IP and IT law and over 25 years’ experience working in commercial law firms. She is passionate about the creative and tech industries and tech as a facilitator for business growth. Previously, she has been involved in a non-executive capacity in a variety of creative, cultural and tech organisations.

She is determined - through her own firm - to reinvent the traditional lawyer stereotype by being more creative in advice and solutions and treating each clients’ business as if it were their own.

Gill is the host of Square One Law’s podcast ‘Fear Less. Do More’ which is all about sharing and championing the stories of inspiring and interesting people. She is also the vice chair of trustees at Disability North, a trustee of the West End Women and Girls’ Centre, chair of the NECC Digital Forum, a founding member of and mentor for the Northern Power Women’s Power Circle 150, Chair of the BCC Workplace Equity Commission, regional council member for NECC and a single mum of two children and an angry dachshund!

Anu is Head of the Legal Department at Malhotra Group PLC and also sits as the Chair of the National Law Society In-House Committee. As a member of the Regional Newcastle Law Society, Anu represents the interests of In-House lawyers in the North East. Anu has spent over 20 years dealing with private, union and legal aid funded work prior to joining Malhotra Group PLC in 2017.

 

Siobhan is an Assistant Professor at Northumbria University Law School. As well as teaching on a range of modules, Siobhan works closely with the careers team to provide careers support to undergraduate students in the Law School. 

Siobhan trained as a solicitor at Muckle LLP.  Siobhan specialised in commercial and corporate finance work for a number of years, eventually becoming an associate solicitor.  Siobhan later worked as an associate lecturer in law for the Open University before joining Northumbria University in September 2010.

Ammar Mirza CBE, MBA, FRSA, FIOEE, FIoL

A multi-award-winning enterprise and innovation expert who has helped establish and scale several thousand businesses globally through the design, development and delivery of world leading accelerator and scale up programmes. With a portfolio of interests spanning across numerous sectors including property, edtech, health-tech and investment support Ammar is recognised as a leading authority on organisational growth.

With various roles across the public, private and third sectors Ammar has made a consistent and demonstrable impact, being considered the most influential Asian in the North East of England, connected globally with community, business and government leaders.

As Chair of the Business Advisory Board on the UK Government Body - North East Local Enterprise Partnership Ammar represents all SMEs and trade bodies in the North East Region. He is Founder and Chairman of not-for-profit social enterprise Asian Business Connexions (ABC), President of the Federation of Asian Business, and Chair of the Health and Lifesciences Pledge, alongside being a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership (FIoL), Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (FIOEE) and Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and holding a number of academic qualifications including a Masters in Business Administration (Distinction).

Ammar has a particular interest in enterprise education as ex-Chair of Governors of a Primary School, current Chair of the Newcastle Progression Forum and a David Goldman visiting Professor of Practice in Innovation and Enterprise at Newcastle University. Ammar launched the Primary Inspiration through Enterprise (PIE) Project Charity in 2013, the first of its kind within the UK to deliver enterprise vocational qualifications to primary age pupils and more recently developed the world’s first level 6 formal qualification in Business Model Innovation fully regulated and registered with Ofqual the UK education standards agency.

For the past three years Ammar has been commissioned by the Academic Health and Science Network part of NHS England to help develop the Innovation Pathway assisting clinical entrepreneurs spin in and out of the Health and Life Sciences Sector encouraging, enabling and empowering more and better innovation.

Ammar was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2014 for outstanding services to Business and the Community, and has been consistently recognised globally for his tireless efforts in supporting and promoting trade and industry, including British Asian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019, Maserati top 100 Entrepreneur, Williams and Glyn top 50, Institute of Directors and British Community Honours Award to name but a few.

Other roles held by Ammar include Honorary Colonel 101 Regiment Royal Artillery British Army, immediate past Chair of the Institute of Directors North East North, Member and Northern Representative on the All-Party Parliamentary-Group for BAME Business, Private Sector Representative on European Structural Funds Advisory Board, Patron of Charlie Bear for Cancer Care Charity, Founder of the SME Centre of Excellence Group which helps SMEs start, survive and thrive, with a newly established international trade centre at Newcastle International Airport and he co-hosts a weekly radio show on Spice FM.

Melanie Morley is a Partner and Court of Protection Solicitor at BHP Law, she is dual trained, specialising in both Court of Protection Health & Welfare and Property & Affairs.

As a Court of Protection Solicitor, Melanie represents vulnerable clients who may lack capacity in areas of care and support, accommodation, contact with family, sexual relations, to instruct a solicitor and to use social media.

Melanie is directly instructed by the Official Solicitor, Advocates, family members and Relevant Person’s Representative’ (RPR’s) who represent those who are deprived of their liberty.

Melanie has worked extremely hard to establish her reputation as an outstanding Court of Protection litigation solicitor and has developed excellent relationships with counsel who assist Melanie in relation to her contentious and complex section cases. Melanie’s attention to detail and relaxed personality enables her to communicate on all levels to ensure that her clients understand the legal issues and the court process.

In September 2022 Melanie was appointed President for The Tees Valley Law Society.  Melanie uses her presidency platform to promote legal diversity and social inclusion and to bridge the gap between the legal profession and education establishments, to assist in filling the wider skills gaps. Melanie is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Teesside, due to her specialism of Court of Protection and offers work experience within her team to the law students of Teesside University.

Melanie was awarded Rising Star of the Year at the 2022 Northern Law Awards where Judges praised her hard work and dedication.

In May 2022 Melanie was elected as a local councillor in the borough of Hartlepool.

 

 

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

Anne is presently acting Campus Manager at the Newcastle University campus of The University of Law.

Anne graduated with a BA(Hons) Nursing Studies from Sheffield Hallam University. As a qualified nurse she worked in acute adult wards at both main hospitals in Sheffield, and then progressed to a research post at the University of Sheffield.  She completed her MA Law and LPC at the University of Sheffield.  She undertook her training contract at a firm in Doncaster and qualified as a solicitor in May 2007.  After a career break, Anne returned to practice in 2011 and worked for a number of firms throughout Yorkshire, using her nursing knowledge to specialise in both Claimant and Defendant clinical negligence claims.

In 2021 Anne realised she enjoyed teaching future lawyers more than practicing law so moved into legal education at The University of Law.  She teaches tort law, civil dispute resolution, human rights and personal injury/clinical negligence across the full range of both under-graduate and post-graduate courses.  Prior to becoming Campus Manager Anne was one of the undergraduate Programme and Student Leads, responsible for ensuring the undergraduate courses were delivered to a high standard and the student experience was the best it could be.

Lisa is Client Services Director for Knights’ offices in Carlisle, Newcastle, Teesside and York.

Lisa has vast experience in Dispute Resolution - pursuing and defending claims for breaches of contract, covenant, warranty, confidentiality, finance agreements and directors’ fiduciary duties.  She resolves shareholder and partnership disputes, intellectual property infringements and reputation management.  She has extensive experience in resolving commercial fraud cases and in the use of injunctions and search and seize orders to contain data breaches, enforce restraint of trade agreements and recover confidential information.

 

Barry Speker OBE DL LLB

Barry practised as a solicitor in Newcastle for almost 50 years. He was senior partner at Samuel Phillips for 25 years and then a Consultant at Sintons. His specialisms included medical law and ethics and he was Trust Solicitor for Newcastle Hospitals.
He expertised in employment law and sat as employment judge in Newcastle, Teesside and London for 31 years until June 2022.
He has long experience in acting for businesses in the Chinese community and is Hon. Chair of the North East Chinese Association.
Other areas of specialism include family law, adoption and fostering.
Barry is a specialist assessor and interviewer for the Law Society.
He was President of Newcastle Law Society in 2000.
In 2018 he received the Newcastle Law Society Outstanding Contribution Award.
In 2022 he received the the Northern Law Awards Outstanding Achievement Award.
He is a President of the North East Council of Addictions, a Director of Tyne Theatre and a member of Northumbria University Research Ethics Committee and Newcastle Hospitals Ethics Committee

 

Dr Elliot Winter, Senior Lecturer - Newcastle Law School

Dr Elliot Winter is a Senior Lecturer at Newcastle Law School specialising in international law.  He has informed government policy, presented expert evidence at parliament and provided legal training for the armed forces. Elliot has published widely and provided commentary for the media.  Before entering academia, he qualified as a solicitor in Scotland where he acted for both the UK and Scottish Governments on contentious matters.