Max Atkinson Solicitor
Dispute Resolution
Max Atkinson is a Solicitor at Swinburne Maddison, with a split role between Employment Law and Dispute Resolution.
Joining the firm in 2026, Max brings strong academic foundations from his Masters in Law with First Class Honours from Northumbria University, as well as early practical experience gained during his time at another North East law firm. Max qualified as a solicitor in July 2026.
At Swinburne Maddison, Max is now broadening his training into civil and commercial disputes. He supports senior team members with legal research, drafting documents, client communication, preparing case bundles, assisting with debt recovery processes, pre‑action strategy, and settlement negotiations. As he begins his Corporate seat, he is starting to gain insight into transactional and company-focused work, supporting senior lawyers on M&A transactions and corporate governance.
Max is known for his transparent approach and commitment to ensuring clients understand the legal processes they are navigating. He is motivated by helping people through challenging situations and aims to make legal matters clearer and less stressful for those he supports.
Max has previous experience working within Family Law, managing a busy and varied caseloads. This provided him with valuable exposure to both contentious and sensitive client issues at an early stage, helping him build strong communication skills and the ability to remain calm and focused under pressure.
A key early career highlight includes supporting senior lawyers in successfully defending an appeal at the Court of Appeal in July 2024.
Max is enthusiastic about continuing to expand his experience across contentious and non‑contentious work.
Articles & Insights by Max Atkinson
Insight
Employment Tribunal Delays Worsen as backlog Grows
Recent figures published by the Ministry of Justice highlight a growing and concerning trend that employment tribunal backlogs are continuing to rise, leading to significant delays for both employers and individuals bringing claims. At the end of March 2026, there were 64,000 open single claims, compared to 45,000 the previous year, a 42% increase. In […]
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ADHD Discrimination Ruling:What the Khorram v Capgemini Case Means for Employers
As awareness of neurodiversity grows, so too does the legal and cultural responsibility of employers to support neurodivergent employees or workers. A recent employment tribunal ruling involving Capgemini UK has brought this issue into sharp focus, confirming that failure to make reasonable adjustments for employees with ADHD can amount to unlawful disability discrimination under the […]
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Insight
Could your pension increase your Inheritance Tax bill? How the 2027 legislation change affects you
For many years, pensions have played an important role in estate planning. Unlike many other assets, unused pension funds could generally be passed to beneficiaries outside the scope of Inheritance Tax, making pensions an attractive way of preserving wealth for the next generation. From 6th April 2027 this is set to change, most unused pension […]
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Swinburne Maddison Expands Private Client Team Following Major Investment
Swinburne Maddison, one of the North East’s leading full-service law firms, has significantly expanded its Private Client team increasing the firm’s capacity to take on complex private client instructions across the North East and beyond. Following major investment in people, expertise and resources, the firm has brought together its strongest Private Client team to date. […]
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Martyn Tennant named Corporate Lawyer of the Year following landmark year
Partner and Head of the Corporate team at Swinburne Maddison, Martyn Tennant, has been named Corporate Lawyer of the Year at the 2026 North East Dealmakers Awards, marking a significant milestone in the continued growth of the firm’s Corporate team. The award recognises Martyn Tennant’s leadership on some of the most technically demanding and strategically […]
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Careers at Swinburne Maddison
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