Muckle expands its real estate team with key Teesside appointment

Our award-winning real estate team continues to strengthen its real estate practice with the appointment of Samantha Alderton.

Samantha, from Stockton-on-Tees, joins us as an associate solicitor in our real estate team. She will support Gail Bennett, head of real estate, and the wider team on all transactional real estate matters and will be based in our Teesside office alongside Rachel List, who joined Muckle as a real estate partner last year.

Samantha said, “I was drawn to real estate law because of the transactional element of it; every matter is unique. I get to know our clients and their business on a deeper level, which is really important.”

Prior to Muckle, Samantha worked in the construction industry for a number of years before training and working with a well-known local law firm and ultimately qualifying into its real estate team. Samantha advises on a wide range of commercial real estate matters, including landlord-tenant, sales and acquisitions, secured lending and development.

Making the right choice

On joining Muckle, Samantha already knows she’s made the right choice: “Joining Muckle seemed like the natural next step in my career, and being part of the firm’s growth in Teesside is really exciting. I am already feeling settled into life at Muckle; everyone has been so welcoming.”

Gail Bennett, partner and head of the real estate team, said: “I’m delighted that Samantha has joined our team.  Her appointment plays a key role in enhancing our capabilities in Teesside and in strengthening the team generally”.

“She has fitted in exceptionally well and has really hit the ground running. Samantha is exactly the kind of lawyer we look for at Muckle; extremely personable and able to build strong relationships with clients, in addition to being technically excellent.”

Find out more about our real estate team, which has recently been shortlisted for Property Law Firm of the Year at the Insider North East Property Awards 2026.