Jenny Wade Partner and Head of Commercial

Jenny Wade is a Partner and Head of Commercial and lead of the Construction team at Swinburne Maddison, having joined the firm to lead and grow its commercial law offering. She qualified as a solicitor in September 2011 after completing her GDL and LPC at Northumbria University, following a BA (Hons) in Music with French from Durham University.

Jenny brings over a decade of experience advising clients across a wide range of sectors including IT, manufacturing, health and MedTech, leisure, retail, and the public sector. Her role involves leading on complex commercial and IT contracts, advising on public procurement strategy and compliance, and supporting clients with data protection and intellectual property matters. She is also experienced in advising on consumer law and construction-related agreements.  With a background spanning both private practice and in-house legal leadership, Jenny is known for her strategic insight, commercial acumen, and ability to deliver pragmatic legal solutions that align with her clients’ goals.

What sets Jenny apart is her ability to combine technical legal expertise with a deep understanding of her clients’ commercial objectives. She is known for her collaborative, responsive, and pragmatic approach, qualities that make her a trusted adviser to both private businesses and public sector organisations. Her core values of trust, care, collaboration, and agility underpin her work, ensuring that clients receive tailored, strategic advice that delivers results.

Jenny is focused on attracting ambitious businesses and forward-thinking public bodies across the North East, including County Durham, Teesside, Newcastle, and beyond. She is passionate about helping clients navigate legal complexity with confidence and simplicity, and is committed to building a commercial team that is recognised for excellence across the region.

• Contract Law
• Public Procurement
• Intellectual Property Rights Exploitation
• Data Protection
• Consumer Law
• Construction Contracts

Jenny’s practice covers all aspects of commercial law, with particular expertise in contract law, public procurement, intellectual property rights, data protection, and consumer law. She advises a diverse client base, from innovative start-ups to established public sector bodies, on complex contractual arrangements, regulatory compliance and strategic partnerships.

As well as senior roles in both private practice and in-house legal teams, including acting as Head of Legal for a major NHS Foundation Trust, Jenny’s career has included advising on high-value, multi-party commercial projects, including public-private partnerships, IT outsourcing, and strategic procurement initiatives.

She has supported clients with the negotiation and implementation of a wide range of commercial agreements, including supply and service contracts, software and licensing agreements, franchising and consultancy arrangements, and complex intra-supply chain structures. Jenny has also advised on the restructuring of long-term public-private contracts, helping clients achieve significant cost savings and operational improvements.

Her experience spans advising on intellectual property acquisitions, GDPR compliance, and construction projects involving JCT and NEC contracts. Jenny’s ability to manage risk, resolve operational challenges, and deliver commercially sound outcomes has made her a key figure in the firm’s corporate and commercial practice.

Jenny also has advised on a diverse range of construction matters, including: a number PFI, NHS LIFT, and Building Schools for the Future projects; the JCT suite of contracts; NEC3 and NEC4 contracts; professional appointments; collateral warranties; and construction subcontracting agreements.

Career highlights include:

• Advising a global tabletop games producer on a multi-million-dollar IP acquisition and related manufacturing, service and licensing agreements
• Supporting a consortium of NHS organisations with the procurement and complex contractual structuring of a £7.1 billion pioneering multi-party pharmacy warehousing solution over a large geographical area
• Leading on a project to support an NHS arm’s-length body on the development of a high-value contract for the provision of service integration and management services, involving complex multi-party arrangements
• Delivering strategic advice to public authorities on restructuring long-term PPP contracts, resulting in significant cost savings and improved service delivery
• Providing in-house legal leadership at a world-renowned cancer care trust, advising on procurement, data protection, and commercial contracts

• Director, Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust
• Safeguarding and Welfare Officer, Kensho Karate
• Former Acting Chair, Tyneside Cinema

• Jenny played a pivotal role in her former law firm’s success at the Northern Law Awards 2016 where the team won Corporate and Commercial Team of the Year.
• She also contributed to her former firm’s recognition as PFI Law Firm of the Year in 2013, 2014, and 2016.