As part of its expansion strategy, seven new appointments and promotions have been made at Swinburne Maddison, one of Durham’s pre-eminent law firms, on the back of its newly refurbished office accommodation.
The dispute resolution team, under the leadership of partner in charge, Jonathan Moreland, welcomes two new members of staff, while partner, Martyn Tennant’s corporate and commercial team, welcomes a further two new starters.
Employment solicitor, Sharney Randhawa, brings a wealth of experience to the firm, joining from leading law firm, Bindmans LLP in London, where she also completed her training contract. During her time there, alongside her employment practice, she was involved in several professional discipline matters, representing doctors before the General Medical Council and bankers, before the Financial Conduct Authority, receiving the accolade of being named as a recommended lawyer in the Legal 500 for this area of work.
She is joined by Rory Ogden as a trainee solicitor. He previously worked as a paralegal at a Newcastle law firm. A second trainee solicitor, Eleanor Fisher-Thompson, has joined the corporate and commercial department along with Ashley Patterson, who has been appointed personal assistant.
Swinburne Maddison took sole occupancy of its 10,000 sq ft office at Aykley Heads in Durham a year ago and has since invested over half a million pounds in transforming the space to create a stylish and contemporary working environment as well as eight client meeting rooms overlooking lawn and woodland.
The refurbished facilities have been well received by staff and clients alike and Jonathan Moreland believes they mark a turning point in the development of the firm, enabling greater collaboration and understanding between departments, which will facilitate business growth. He said:
“With the office redevelopment now complete, we can offer staff one of the best working environments around and a great location on the fringes of the city. Our new starters join us at an exciting time in our development. Sharney particularly, is a tremendous hire for us, bringing as she does, superb high-level experience to her role from a London law firm while Rory and Ellie have been recruited as part of the firm’s trainee programme and to support the growth of the firm. Ashley will support the growth of our corporate and commercial team.
“We have always enjoyed a great team spirit at Swinburn Maddison, but our new working arrangements have led to a renewed sense of purpose and a focus on reaching the highest standards for all our clients. We are truly excited about what the future holds for us.”
Three new promotions have also been made. Gillian Moir and Chris Ross, both commercial property solicitors and Anna Stephenson, a private client solicitor have been appointed as managing associates. All three joined the firm in 2014.
The role recognises their seniority and experience and will involve the trio in matters of compliance, staff training, policy development, mentoring junior staff and the implementation of business development initiatives as well as the fostering and development of client relationships.
Looking ahead and continuing with its recruitment drive, Swinburne Maddison is actively looking to recruit two further trainee solicitors, a commercial property solicitor and a secretary for the private client and property departments. A further solicitor will also be joining the dispute resolution team in June to work with its litigation arm, bringing the headcount at the firm to 57.
