Latest news.

Swinburne Maddison LLP, one of the North East’s leading law firms, is delighted to announce the promotion of Catherine Lowther to Head of its Family Department. Managing Associate Catherine has been a key member of the firm since joining as a Trainee Solicitor in 2014. Qualifying in 2016, she has progressed rapidly and was appointed as Managing Associate in 2022. Swinburne Maddison is delighted to announce her appointment as Head…

Swinburne Maddison LLP and Clive Owen LLP have supported the expansion plans of a leading international lighting manufacturer. County Durham-headquartered Artech Lighting has completed the successful acquisition of Keighley-based Powerlite Fitzgerald, further extending its coverage across the UK and strengthening its position across global markets. Lead advisory services were provided by Michael Cantwell, Corporate Finance Partner at Clive Owen LLP, and Craig Malarkey, Corporate and Commercial Partner at Swinburne Maddison,…

Swinburne Maddison LLP (Swinburne Maddison), a leading law firm in the North East, has announced the appointment of three heads of department, newly created roles designed to enhance leadership and operational efficiency as the firm continues to grow. Gemma Wilkinson, Lyndsey Pitt and Wayne Christie follow in the footsteps of Business and Development Director, Phil Hourigan and Marketing Director, Caroline Smith – the first members of the leadership team to…

Swinburne Maddison, one of the North East’s leading full-service law firms, is proud to announce the launch of its rebrand, reflecting the firm’s evolution, values, and ambitions for the future. Since 2016, Swinburne Maddison has experienced remarkable growth, expanding from a team of 40 to 90, increasing turnover, and strengthening its position as a trusted legal partner for businesses and individuals alike. The rebrand ensures that the firm’s identity and…

Durham City’s leading law firm, Swinburne Maddison LLP (Swinburne Maddison) has announced the appointment of Helen Lyne, an experienced commercial litigation partner, to its dispute resolution team. Helen, who studied Law at the University of Northumbria and qualified in 2012, joins Swinburne Maddison from two prominent regional law firms in Teesside, where she developed a strong network of contacts and business clients. Her appointment, as a senior member of the…

Legal work undertaken by Durham City’s leading law firm, Swinburne Maddison LLP, (Swinburne Maddison) on a newly refurbished Grade II building on High Street West, Sunderland, has given it a new lease of life. The freehold owners of the building, Philip and Valerie Gibbs, who are longstanding clients of Swinburne Maddison, purchased the building as an investment in 2010 as trustees of their family trust, Arrow Commercial. Arrow Commercial entered…

After an outstanding year of achievement, Swinburne Maddison, Durham’s leading law firm, has made seven new appointments to its growing team, ending the year on a high and ahead of target. The appointments follow hard on the heels of its impressive performance in the latest Legal 500 rankings released in October, where Swinburne Maddison was recognised in nine distinct practice areas covering the full breadth of disciplines across the firm,…

Durham City’s leading law firm, Swinburne Maddison LLP has announced the appointment of a new partner, Akkelin Harris, to its private client team. Her appointment adds strength and depth to the team, which is led by partner, Anna Stephenson, and now numbers four solicitors and a paralegal together with five support staff. Akkelin, who lives in Durham and qualified in 1998, brings exceptional experience to her new role. STEP qualified…

We are thrilled to announce that following the latest Legal 500 rankings released this October, Swinburne Maddison LLP has been recognised in nine distinct practice areas, covering the full breadth of disciplines across the firm. We are especially proud to have achieved four Top Tier rankings, a true testament to the talent and dedication of our team. In addition, for the 2025 edition, we are celebrating a new accolade: our…

Swinburne Maddison LLP (Swinburne Maddison), Durham City’s leading law firm, has acted in the preparation of a 15-year lease agreement for a Sunderland-based power systems specialist in its move to larger premises. Armah Switchgear Ltd (Armah) has taken 41,000 sq ft of space at the £80m, Hillthorn Business Park in Washington, a Sunderland City Council development, as part of a move to grow the business and expand the team. Armah…

Durham City’s leading law firm, Swinburne Maddison LLP, (Swinburne Maddison) has acted on behalf of a children’s nursery business, Noah’s Ark Hebburn Ltd (Noah’s Ark), in the purchase of Hebburn Masonic Hall on Aln Street. The purchase will facilitate the creation of twenty new jobs in the community. Nursery operators Nicola and Iain George, who already manage a highly regarded nursery on Victoria Road with a waitlist exceeding over a…

Durham City’s leading law firm, Swinburne Maddison LLP (Swinburne Maddison), has expanded its service portfolio with the launch of smartHR, which offers bespoke legal advice and guidance to businesses through a monthly retainer. SmartHR provides three carefully curated packages for businesses suitable for larger companies with an existing HR team or smaller firms without a designated HR function. Firms can opt for the package that best suits their needs, depending…

Smart Media Group, the North East-based outdoor advertising, media and communications specialist, is embarking on the next phase of its growth after securing significant investment to boost its market presence and create additional employment. The business has received a seven-figure investment for a minority share in the group led by M Core Ventures, part of M Core. This strategic investment will empower the group, the parent company of Smart Outdoor,…

The professional partnership between Durham City’s leading law firm, Swinburne Maddison LLP (Swinburne Maddison) and Theakston Estate Company Limited (Theakston) is gearing up a pace as two new development sites are soon to be released to the market at Lambton Park, near Chester-le-Street. The land was originally made available for development when Theakston took up the first option agreement for a 111-hectare site as the ‘promoter’ of the Lambton Park…

Stokesley-based group, Genesis Brands Limited (Genesis) has concluded a sale for an undisclosed sum, to French company Gerflor, a specialist and world leader in eco-responsible flooring. Aidan Bruce, the sole shareholder of Genesis, instructed Armstong Watson Accountants, Business and Financial Advisers and law firm Swinburne Maddison at the beginning of the year in the sale of the company which he established in 1989. The Newcastle office of business and financial…

Durham City’s leading law firm, Swinburne Maddison LLP (Swinburne Maddison) has announced seven promotions as it continues its ambitious three-year growth strategy. The law firm has consistently smashed its forecasts throughout the last four-year period as it emerged from the pandemic, resulting in achieving its first three-year plans within two years. Now, as the 2024-25 financial year gets underway, Swinburne Maddison continues its bold strategies for the future, which will…

With a commitment to building its legal teams to ensure that clients are guaranteed an excellent service and experience, Durham City’s leading law firm, Swinburne Maddison LLP (Swinburne Maddison) has welcomed four new faces to its dispute resolution team. These appointments bring the total headcount in the fastest growing team in the firm to twenty including 14 lawyers, two partners and four secretaries with two more lawyers on the way….

Following the announcement of the latest Legal 500 rankings in October this year we are delighted to share that Swinburne Maddison LLP has once again been recommended in eight separate practice areas – covering the full range of disciplines across the firm – and awarded four Top Tier positions. The rankings are compiled following an extensive independent research process, which considers detailed examples of work as well as feedback received…