Awards and recognition

We were delighted to see Hugh Welch, senior partner and corporate lawyer, honoured at the 2026 North East Business Awards.

Through the Outstanding Contribution award, Hugh is recognised as one of the true good guys of the North East Business Community. Someone who is values-driven, believes in using business as a force for good, and is actively encouraging other businesses to do the same.

We're thrilled to be finalists in the UK Employer of the Year: Platinum 50-249 category in the Investors in People Awards 2026.

The awards celebrate organisations demonstrating an exceptional commitment to their people, and we're proud to be recognised for our values and continuous investment in our individuals and teams across the firm.

Our corporate team had a fantastic night celebrating dealmaking excellence at the North East Dealmaker Awards 2026. We were delighted to see four transactions we worked on win each of the deal categories, including the new awards category, National/International Deal of the Year.

We're proud to announce partner in our sport, education and charities team, Alison Jones, is a finalist in the North East Charity Awards, in the Charity Champion of the Year category.

The North East Charity Awards are a regional celebration of the impact of charities, voluntary groups, social enterprises, and individual fundraisers across the North East of England. They recognise businesses, corporate partners and philanthropists who take the time to support local causes in a meaningful way.

The Charity Champion of the Year award recognises an inspiring individual fundraiser or voluntary supporter who has gone the extra mile to support a local North East charitable organisation.

The North East Business 'Best Place to Work' award recognises businesses that put their people first through a strong focus on work-life balance, wellbeing initiatives, recognition and rewards, career progression, training, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Our award-winning real estate team have once again secured the title of ‘Property Law Firm of the Year’ at the Insider North East Property Awards. This marks the sixth time our team has won the award, and the fourth consecutive year we have taken home the title. 

This fantastic achievement follows another year of growth and supporting our clients. Over the past year, we’ve continued to advise on market-leading transactions across the region. The judges also noted our ESG work and our B Corp Certification.

The list identifies solicitors, barristers, chartered legal executives, and registered foreign/European lawyers who go above and beyond to provide legal assistance. The initiative is now in its third year and is supported by the Law Society, the Bar Council, CILEX, and all major pro bono organisations under the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee.

We were delighted to see our client Aspire Technology Solutions' acquisition of CloudCoCo recognised in the Deal of the Year (Medium) category at the Insider UK Dealmakers Awards 2026.

Partner and head of corporate finance Philip Clare, corporate solicitor Ben Evans, and banking solicitor Georgia Sproat from our corporate finance team provided legal support to Aspire, along with other advisors LDC, DAC Beachcroft and CMS.

We’re proud to announce three of our solicitors have been shortlisted in the ‘Young Lawyer of the Year’ category of the Insider North East Young Professionals Awards 2025.

Jessica Grey and Lydia Stewart, both in our real estate team and Georgia Sproat in our banking and finance team have been highlighted for excellence in their field.

The North East Young Professionals Awards highlights the region's professionals (35 or under) who have shown outstanding determination and skill throughout the last 12 months.