Category Archives: Yorkshire

Appointments, Law, News, Yorkshire

Yorkshire Law Firm’s Clinical Negligence Division Strengthens Expert Team

A Yorkshire law firm’s clinical negligence division is adding to its considerable expertise following two key appointments.

The clinical negligence division of Leeds headquartered law firm Ison Harrison has added Lucy Wells and Will Clark to its 14-strong team.

Bringing 13 years of experience to the firm, Lucy Wells has joined as a Partner having previously acted for a wide range of clients who have suffered a delayed diagnosis of cancer, failure to diagnose HIV, delayed diagnosis of DVT and pulmonary embolism, cardiac claims and poor consent for surgery. Lucy has a particular specialism in acting for clients who have suffered a traumatic birthing experience, following an ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or where a baby has died. She has assisted many clients through the inquest and investigations processes.

 

Lucy also has considerable experience in acting for patients who have been treated by ‘rogue surgeons’, who have performed unnecessary or inappropriate surgery, assisting with GMC investigations, as well as making claims for compensation.

A member of the Royal Society of Medicine, Lucy was appointed to the Law Society Executive Committee for Professional Standards and Ethics, helping to ensure high standards are maintained throughout the legal profession.

 

Will Clark has also joined the clinical negligence team as a solicitor, having qualified earlier this year. In his new role at Ison Harrison, Will has responsibility for a wide variety of clinical negligence cases resulting from inappropriate dental treatment, erroneous cosmetic surgery and delays in diagnosis and treatment of fractures. He has previously participated in fundraising activities for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance including completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge twice in the last five years.

 

In early 2022, Ison Harrison switched to become a 100% employee-owned business after the three shareholder directors agreed to sell the business to an Employee Ownership Trust.

Over the past 18 months, the firm has experienced significant client growth, taking the number to over 20,000, and opened its newest office in Doncaster this month, further strengthening its presence in the region with the addition of its 18th branch.

In addition to bolstering its team, the firm’s clinical negligence team is also strengthening its links with charities it supports and has long standing relationships with, including The Erb’s Palsy Group, The Snappy Trust, SNOOP and Little Hiccups.

 

Ison Harrison is one of just three law firms in England and Wales recommended by national charity, the Erb’s Palsy Group and the only law firm representing the Group in the North of England. The Erb’s Palsy Group is the only UK based organisation offering advice, information and support to families affected by Erb’s Palsy, a complex condition which mainly due to birth trauma, can affect 1 or all of the 5 primary nerves that supply the movement and feeling to a baby’s arm.

 

James Thompson, head of the clinical negligence team, commented: “The firm is committed to recruiting the best legal professionals, ensuring our clients have the greatest possible access to dedicated expertise and we’re thrilled to welcome Lucy and Will to the team.

The team and our regional network of 18 offices continues to grow organically, attracting more and more high-quality work. It is important that we are able to provide our clients with the best quality lawyers who have the capacity to look after them and progress their cases in a timely manner. Ison Harrison has built a strong reputation for providing the best legal advice while empathising with the emotional difficulties and situations that clients find themselves in. Our new team members will prove to be a major asset in offering an even more thorough and specialist clinical negligence service.”

 

Ison Harrison was founded in 1978. With an annual turnover of over £20 million, the firm has become a well-known regional practice offering the broadest range of legal services to thousands of people and businesses.

Ison Harrison currently holds 13 Law Society accreditations including Clinical Negligence, Conveyancing Quality, Children Law, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

For more information, visit www.isonharrison.co.uk

Law, News, North of England, Yorkshire

Yorkshire Law Firm Opens 18th Regional Office

One of Yorkshire’s leading law firms has opened its second office in South Yorkshire, taking its total network of offices to 18.

Based in Doncaster, Ison Harrison’s new office, located in Cavendish Court, will be managed by Dayne Bailey-Mayfield, a licensed conveyancer who has been with the firm for a year.

Dayne has 12 years of conveyancing experience and specialises in residential sales and purchases.

 

The team at Doncaster also includes family law executive, Kate Camm and Jessica Haigh, associate solicitor in wills and probate.

Kate has worked in family law for over 15 years and joined Ison Harrison in April this year. She specialises in private children matters.

Jessica, a private client solicitor with five years’ experience, joined Ison Harrison in 2021. Jessica is STEP (Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners) qualified, which is an international recognition of specialist knowledge and experience in wills, trusts and probate.

 

Ison Harrison became a 100% employee-owned business in early 2022. Since becoming owned by its employees, the firm has experienced significant growth in the number of clients that it acts for and the opening of its 18th office further strengthens the firm’s presence within the region. This is the second new office the firm has opened since becoming entirely employee-owned.

The new legal practice will provide a full range of legal services for both business and private clients ranging from new build and conveyancing to family law and wills and probate matters as well as being able to draw on the wider expertise in the firm for commercial clients.

 

Doncaster manager, Dayne Bailey-Mayfield, said: “It’s great to see Doncaster thriving since it gained city status. I am excited to be a part of this through the opening of our new office, enabling us to connect with the local community, build relationships and provide support with any legal requirements.”

 

Ison Harrison managing partner Jonathan Wearing, said: “Opening our 18th branch is another major milestone for the firm as it’s our second office in South Yorkshire. We opened our first in the county in Barnsley in 2019. This newest opening represents a continuation of our progressive growth strategy, helping us to broaden our offering of the full range of legal services through a network of offices spanning the Yorkshire region. We are very much looking forward to establishing the Ison Harrison name in Doncaster and wider throughout South Yorkshire.”

Ison Harrison employs more than 250 staff across Yorkshire, offering the broadest range of legal services in the region.

 

The firm has over 10 Law Society accreditations including Lexcel, Clinical Negligence, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, Conveyancing Quality and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

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Pictured above: Ison Harrison’s managing partner Jonathan Wearing (left) with the team at the new Doncaster office.

Bereavement, Law, News, Yorkshire

New CAPA Contract Helps Leading Law Firm Extend Inquest Services Offering

A leading Yorkshire law firm that specialises in representing bereaved families at inquests has secured a contract to enable them to expand the types of inquests that they can deal with (including deaths involving police contact and within the prison service) in addition to taking on civil claims against public authorities including the police and local authorities. 

Ison Harrison has secured the LAA CAPA contract (Claims Against Public Authorities) enabling the firm to represent people in situations where they feel they have been mistreated by a public authority such as the police or local authority. Ison Harrison is one of only a handful of firms in the region and 71 nationwide to hold a CAPA contract.

The securing of the contract has widened the scope of the publicly funded work the firm can do in helping victims gain access to justice and has led to significant growth within the team. The PI, Inquest and Civil Liberties team has an experienced and specialist human rights and inquest team that collectively has over 80 years experience in this area.

Prior to securing the contract, the firm was only able to offer public funding for cases involving medical negligence and deaths both in inpatient mental health care and when they were under the care of the community mental health team. CAPA accreditation allows Ison Harrison to offer a comprehensive service to clients requiring legal representation for inquests and actions against public authorities.

Ison Harrison is currently representing a 16-year-old girl after she was arrested for allegedly making a homophobic remark to a female police officer. The girl was released from custody and faced no further action after her mother informed West Yorkshire Police that she was autistic. The girl also has physical disabilities, which meant she should not have been physically handled in a certain way during her arrest.  A video uploaded to TikTok by her mother showed the incident with the autistic teenager being detained by seven officers outside her home in Leeds.

Leading the firm’s PI, Inquests and Civil Liberties team is director Gareth Naylor. With over 22 years experience, Gareth specialises in high value and complex cases. He is a proud member of the  INQUEST Lawyers Group. Hugely experienced in dealing with all types of claims such as road traffic accidents, accidents at work and occupier’s and public liability claims, Gareth has also dealt with more unusual and complex personal injury claims involving sexual assault, product liability and an accident aboard a vessel, which was heard by the Admiralty Division of the High Court.

Gareth represents bereaved families at inquests, including those with a jury. He recently represented the families of Matthew Harter Dale and Deseree Fitzpatrick, both of whom were vulnerable adults and died whilst under the care of The Priory.

Alongside Gareth in the team is Gemma Vine, associate and specialist inquest solicitor with vast experience of representing bereaved families at inquests, specifically those involving veterans and deaths involving mental health and multi-agencies. Gemma also has experience in pursuing complaints against the police. She has over a decade of experience in CAPA cases including representing the family of Kesia Leatherbarrow, whose death in 2013 was one of three that resulted in a change to the law relating to PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984), whereby 17-year-olds were previously treated as adults and not children. This led to the creation of Kesia’s Law, an amendment made to the Criminal Justice & Courts Bill which closed a historic legal anomaly. 

Ruth Bundey, one of the most experienced inquest lawyers in the UK, began working on inquests in the nineties when young prisoners were inappropriately housed in Leeds Adult Prison, leading to a spate of deaths. She has represented families involved in the Hillsborough Disaster and continues to work alongside the sister of Christopher Alder who died on the floor of Hull Police Station in 1998, where there have been further revelations over the years after it was discovered that his body was still in the mortuary years after his purported burial. These cases were dealt with when the firm previously held a contract for such work, thanks to valued colleague, now sadly deceased, Simon Purchas. Ruth is currently involved in a variety of deaths in psychiatric establishments. 

Ison Harrison’s CAPA contracts team is completed by Graham Roberts, a personal injury specialist in abuse claims, Megan Spurr, trainee solicitor and Natalie Marrison, an experienced senior solicitor has also recently joined the firm as a result of the contract award. Natalie has a wealth of experience in abuse, serious injury and clinical negligence and will further enhance the team with her knowledge and experience.  

Gareth Naylor said: “The team has put a tremendous amount of work into securing this contract which is the icing on the cake in what is shaping up to be our most successful year in our history. 

“Previously we have only been able to secure public funding for inquests that involved medical negligence and when the death involved mental health services. Now we can secure public funding for a wide range of victims of injustice. We have developed a very strong team of experienced lawyers who can assist such victims. We offer representation second to none in this complex and niche area of law which is fantastic for our employee-owned business which continues to grow as we open our 18th office in Doncaster.

“Public authorities, including the police, have a duty of care to the public, but when it is felt that this has been breached it can be a daunting prospect to seek a form of justice and many people will feel intimidated. 

“In such cases, it is very easy for public authorities to employ delay tactics and to make the issue overly complex so that people eventually feel helpless and give up. However, Ison Harrison believes everyone has a right to justice and the securing of this CAPA contract is a significant step forward in our quest to provide the most comprehensive range of specialist legal services throughout Yorkshire.” 

Ison Harrison was founded in 1978. With an annual turnover of over £20 million, the firm has become a well-known regional practice offering the broadest range of legal services to thousands of people and businesses. The firm became a 100% employee-owned business in early 2022 after the three shareholder directors agreed to sell the business to an Employee Ownership Trust.

Ison Harrison currently holds 13 Law Society accreditations including Conveyancing Quality, Clinical Negligence, Children Law, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

To find out more about our specialist Inquest and personal injury services, please call 0113 284 5000, email pi@isonharrison.co.uk  or visit www.isonharrison.co.uk 

Events, Leeds, News, Tech, Technology, Yorkshire

Record attendances expected for Leeds Digital Festival events.

With a week to go until the Leeds Digital Festival gets underway, event places are filling up fast, with organisers predicting record attendance.

Over 240 events are taking place as part of the annual Festival, the UK’s largest open platform tech event and the biggest outside London. The first event, IP in the Metaverse, raises the curtain on the Festival from 9 a.m. on 18 September, with events running until 29 September at a host of city centre venues and virtually.

The Festival is designed to inspire and encourage collaboration with the aim of promoting the strength of the sector in the city to a global audience. Confirmed high-profile guests include  Paul Scully, the Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy and Clare Barclay, CEO of Microsoft UK.

Commenting on the launch, Stuart Clarke MBE, festival director, said: “This is the eighth year for Leeds Digital Festival, and the appetite for this year’s event programme has been phenomenal, with many events booking up fully straight away. With such a high number of events this year, making it our most packed programme ever, there should be enough variety for anyone looking to attend, but I’d urge visitors to get their places booked soon to avoid disappointment.”

The Festival itinerary includes events ranging from The Yorkshire Data and Digital Conference to designing digital hospitals, and events focused on the metaverse, sustainability, cyber-security, AI and a CAD to Catwalk session hosted by global luxury brand Burberry.

Also taking place is the Leeds Digital Careers Fair on 26 September at Leeds Arena. It will showcase over 100 employers and training providers, with over 1,500 attendees expected to attend.

Simon Wright, acting UK CEO of premier sponsors PEXA, commented: “With such a comprehensive and diverse range of events this year, we’re confident of igniting excitement among attendees and encouraging collaborative working to highlight the strengths of the digital community in the city. The majority of the events being staged are free to attend to ensure accessibility and inclusivity for all, ensuring there’s something suitable for everyone.”

The Festival is supported by premier sponsors BJSS, TPP and PEXA, alongside executive sponsors Accenture, Glean, Jungle IT, LCC, Lloyds Bank, Nexus, University of Leeds, and Flutter.

An event to launch the Festival will be hosted by sponsors, Leeds Building Society on 14 September.

For more information on Leeds Digital Festival, visit https://leedsdigitalfestival.org/

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Pictured: Stuart Clarke MBE.

Awards, Law, News, Yorkshire

Yorkshire Law Firm In The Running For Duo Of Industry Awards

Leading law firm Ison Harrison has been shortlisted for two awards at the Yorkshire Legal Awards, one of the legal sector’s most prestigious industry events.

The firm is in the frame in the Law Firm of the Year (medium) and Corporate and Commercial Law Firm categories. Ison Harrison won the medium law firm of the year accolade last year and this is the third successive year that the firm has been shortlisted for the award.

The awards ceremony takes place on 5 October in Leeds.

This latest achievement follows Ison Harrison’s successful transition to becoming entirely employee owned at the beginning of 2022 when the three shareholder directors agreed to sell the business to an Employee Ownership Trust. The firm’s corporate and commercial division is also on track to post its best year following an increase in transactional values combined with a growing headcount.

2022 was a record year for the firm with turnover in the company & commercial division up 67% on the previous year. So far in 2023, the department’s turnover is 78% higher than the same period in 2022 and the team has grown to 29 people, requiring additional office space in the Leeds City Centre head office to accommodate the additional recruits.

Ison Harrison, which has a network of seventeen offices throughout the region, was founded in 1978. With an annual turnover of over £20 million, the firm has become a well-known regional practice offering the broadest range of legal services to thousands of people and businesses in the region.  The firm opened its newest office in Wakefield in September 2022 with plans for future expansion in the region.

 

Jonathan Wearing, managing director at Ison Harrison, commented: “After our most successful year in our history last year, we are already on track to exceed those achievements in 2023. We are proud to be shortlisted once again as the medium law firm of the year and hope we can defend the title. To be shortlisted in the corporate and commercial category is testament to the achievements of the division which continues to go from strength to strength. It’s a major achievement and recognition for the hard work put in by all our team.

“Becoming a 100% employee-owned business has proved to be a defining moment in our journey as a firm, providing stability for all of our dedicated staff and the perfect platform for further growth.”

 

Richard Coulthard, head of corporate and commercial at Ison Harrison, added: “It’s an honour to be shortlisted which comes off the back of three years of continued growth of the division and some really exciting recent developments such as the promotion of Ben Palmer to partner and the appointment of specialist corporate mergers and acquisitions lawyer Victoria Boid, further boosting the firm’s company and commercial law team offering. With transaction values in the corporate team increasing significantly and the team developing a specialism advising on employee ownership transition, 2023 looks like being our best year to date and we look forward to the awards outcome later this year.”

 

Ison Harrison currently hold 13 Law Society accreditations including Conveyancing Quality, Clinical Negligence, Children Law, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

For more information, visit www.isonharrison.co.uk

Appointments, Law, News, Yorkshire

New Partner Promotions at Yorkshire Law Firm

Leading law firm Ison Harrison has made six promotions across its network of Yorkshire offices.

Nicola Hunter, Natalie Clayton, Faye Chadwick, Ben Palmer, Olivia Williams and Jordan Grimbley have all been promoted to partners at the firm.

This latest series of promotions follows Ison Harrison’s successful transition to becoming entirely employee owned at the beginning of 2022 when the three shareholder directors agreed to sell the business to an Employee Ownership Trust. 

Nicola Hunter joined the firm as an experienced family solicitor in August 2018.  Having previously worked at the firm’s Otley and Guiseley branches, Nicola will take on the responsibility of running and building up Ison Harrison’s private family offering across East Leeds based at the Crossgates office.  

Natalie Clayton joined Ison Harrison nine years ago as an apprentice in the firm’s cashiers team and by mid-2022 had risen through the ranks to become assistant head of the firm’s biggest team, the new build division.  Natalie is based at Ison Harrison’s head office in Leeds City Centre.

New build property specialist Faye Chadwick joined the new build team as an experienced conveyancing solicitor in August 2019 and has been manager of the Wakefield branch since it opened last year. An experienced and well-respected property solicitor, Faye has successfully grown the firm’s presence in Wakefield and across West Yorkshire, turning the office into one of the top performing regional branches. 

Corporate employment solicitor Ben Palmer is based at Ison Harrison’s Leeds City Centre office. He joined Ison Harrison’s expanding regional team in 2021 and has over 16 years of employment expertise. He has acted on behalf of a wide range of clients ranging from airlines, PLCs and pharmaceutical companies to manufacturing. Ben was also responsible for the introduction of the successful ‘In House employment retainer package’ where the firm offers employment law and HR services to businesses across the country through a monthly retainer fee.  

Olivia Williams joined as a new build conveyancing assistant in 2016, was quickly promoted to fee-earner and secured a training contract in September 2018. Olivia has been successfully managing the firm’s York office helping to establish the firm’s presence in North Yorkshire. 

Jordan Grimbley joined the new build team in 2017 as a conveyancing assistant and became a fee-earner before starting his training contract in 2018. Originally intending to become a commercial litigator, Jordan adapted his skills toward wills and probate law. Jordan qualified as a wills and probate solicitor in 2020, just over three years after first joining the firm and has since built up a strong practice at Castleford where he is based, assuming responsibility for developing the next generation of trainee solicitors. 

Ison Harrison, which has a network of seventeen offices throughout the region, was founded in 1978. Forty-five years later it now employs more than 240 staff across Yorkshire and offers the broadest suite of legal services in the region.

Commenting on the promotions, Jonathan Wearing, managing director said: “This series of promotions is our second of 2023 and continues the successful year we’re having. These newest strategic promotions come just 18 months after the firm became entirely employee-owned. Since becoming employee-owned, the firm has gone from strength to strength, increasing its commercial offering significantly to include corporate, litigation, employment and commercial property for an ever-growing commercial client base. It has been an exciting period of growth and the second half of the year is looking equally as strong.”

“To see continued promotions following on from the success of becoming fully employee-owned is hugely satisfying. The contributions made to the firm from the promoted individuals are all richly deserved.”

The firm has an annual turnover of £20 million and represents around 20,000 clients each year. Over the years, it has represented clients in many high-profile cases including several families at the inquest of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster.    

Added Jonathan Wearing: “Under our new employee-owned structure, Ison Harrison remains totally committed to recruiting and retaining the very best people in the legal profession as evidenced by this latest round of promotions. The promotions clearly demonstrate how employee ownership is benefiting the workforce as well as our valued clients.” 

Construction, News, North of England, Yorkshire

South Yorkshire heritage site to be restored following acquisition

A partially Grade II listed heritage site that has been derelict for years has been acquired by a South Yorkshire business that plans to invest in and renovate the area, restoring the local ‘eyesore’ to its former glory.  

Family-run, Barnsley-based property and land specialists, Fairbank Investments Ltd, have acquired the Coal Drops, signal house, and former railway siding site at Penistone in Barnsley, signalling a new chapter of growth and development for the area. 

The Coal Drops, which are located west of the bridge under Penistone Woodhead Railway, were Grade II listed in 1988. It is thought the six-arched stone segmented structure dates back to the mid-19th century.

The acquisition of the circa one acre development which is located on St Mary’s Street in Penistone, will introduce numerous positive changes to the area and will bring it into line with other development work and projects. 

Restoring the unique and culturally significant location will also create a significant number of jobs as well as future prosperity for the site, which has fallen into a state of disrepair.

Through the site acquisition, Fairbank Investments Ltd has fully committed to developing the site, to benefit the local economy and the environment. The company has a track record of successful, sustainable development projects such as the old David Brown factory in Penistone revitalising the site by transforming it into a new business park with 15,000 sq ft of offices and a further 66,000 sq ft of warehouse space, creating new jobs and attracting multiple businesses to the area, prioritising eco-friendly design and building practices. 

Antony Green, managing director of Fairbank Investments Ltd commented: “The Coal Drops is a hugely important site of cultural and historical interest in Penistone and we want to help preserve this heritage, rather than see the site continue to fall into further disrepair.  We are thrilled to be taking on this new project and are looking for the co-operation of neighbouring land owners to enable us to deliver a scheme that will benefit Penistone.

 “As a business, we are passionate about supporting local communities, and we believe that this iconic restoration of the Old Signal House and Coal Drops will be a major step forward for the area. We’re excited to bring new businesses, jobs, and opportunities to the region, while also prioritising sustainability and environmental responsibility wherever possible.”

The Coal Drops, signal house and former railway siding site represents a prime location with significant mixed-use development potential. Active planning consent for residential development on the goods yard section of the site is under full review given the wider plans for the scheme. As part of the planning phase of the project, led by Fairbank Investments Ltd, working with M Booth Design Ltd, consultations are ongoing with local authorities and community groups to ensure that any new development fully aligns with the requirements of the entire community of Penistone.

In addition to the economic benefits of the development scheme, Fairbank Investments Ltd is also committed to minimising its environmental impact. The company plans to use sustainable building practices and technologies throughout the site clear and build, including renewable energy sources, to reduce the carbon footprint of the development.

Added Antony Green: “As a responsible business, Fairbank Investments Ltd has a proven track record of implementing successful development projects, particularly where restoration and heritage preservation is concerned. The acquisition of the Coal Drops, signal house, and former railway siding site is sure to be another major success story that will see the whole area transformed into a thriving and progressive development. We’re very excited to help bring new growth and prosperity to the region and are looking forward to working closely with the community to make the project a resounding success.”

For more information on Fairbank Investments Ltd and their plans for the Coal Drops, Signal House, and Former Railway Siding Site in Penistone, please visit their website at https://www.fairbankinvestments.com/

 

Image caption:

Pictured: Alex Sewell (left) and Joseph Green (right) of Fairbank Investments Ltd on the site they’ve acquired in Penistone.

Appointments, Law, News, North of England, Yorkshire

Double appointment boosts immigration service at law firm

Yorkshire law firm Truth Legal has made two appointments at its recently opened Hull office.

Specialist immigration lawyer, Frances Ledbury and experienced immigration paralegal Olivia Pickering have both joined the firm. The double appointment strengthens the firm’s immigration law service.

Frances Ledbury brings almost 20 years of immigration expertise to the firm, joining as immigration solicitor and head of the Hull office at Truth Legal from Williamsons Solicitors in Hull. Frances’ role involves working alongside businesses to find solutions to their immigration issues, including assisting with international recruitment and sponsor licence applications and audits. Frances has extensive experience supporting a range of sectors including care, hospitality, engineering and farming. Frances also specialises in advising individuals on their options to remain in the UK, advising students, employees and Europeans on their ongoing status and settlement and bringing families to the UK.

Frances reunites with experienced paralegal Olivia Pickering with whom she previously worked at Williamsons Solicitors. Olivia brings over seven years of immigration experience to her new role.

The Hull office of Truth Legal officially opened at the start of the year and is the firm’s third regional office. The business first launched in Harrogate in 2012. A Leeds office was opened in 2021.

Commenting on the appointments, Georgina Parkin, Truth Legal’s managing director and co-owner, said: “The past few years we’ve experienced rapid expansion and an increase in demand for specialist legal advice, particularly in the immigration law sector. This success led directly to the opening of the Hull office. To have both Frances and Olivia join the team provides a huge boost to the firm and its immigration specialism offering.

“We are establishing a growing presence in Yorkshire which is helping to create a solid foundation for the future as we look to build and strengthen relationships with clients and build the reputation of the firm. We look forward to adding to our recent successes and further increasing the number of expert professionals at the firm as it continues to grow.”

The Hull office of Truth Legal services both private and wider business community client needs, helping them to access a wide range of legal expertise including all types of immigration law, personal injury, clinical negligence, employment law, general litigation and professional negligence. It also provides the East Riding with access to an extended range of specialist services provided by experts located at their Leeds and Harrogate head office.

 

For more information, visit www.truthlegal.com

Appointments, Law, Yorkshire

Double appointment strengthens company and commercial division at Ison Harrison Solicitors

Yorkshire law firm Ison Harrison has made two new appointments, further boosting its company and commercial law division.

 

Victoria Boid joins as a Partner in the Corporate team and Chris Thomson as Commercial Litigation Solicitor. Both will be based at Duke House, the firm’s city centre headquarters in Leeds.

A specialist corporate mergers and acquisitions lawyer advising both buy and sell side clients with over 17 years’ experience gained in the commercial sector, Victoria Boid trained in London and has worked internationally. Having also worked as an in-house counsel within the Leeds tech sector, her most recent role prior to joining Ison Harrison was as legal director with DWF.

Having completed numerous client secondments over the years, Victoria has extensive experience of advising and representing owner-managed businesses, large corporates and financial institutions. Her new role involves supporting mid-market M&A activity in Leeds across a variety of commercial sectors and a diverse range of clients including those backed by private equity.

In her new position, Victoria will work closely with Richard Coulthard, Director and Head of Commercial services at Ison Harrison.

 

Chris Thomson is an experienced solicitor in commercial litigation work with a particular specialism in professional negligence, housing disrepair and financial mis-selling.

Previously with Jordans Solicitors and latterly heading up the professional negligence department, Chris brings over 14 years’ legal experience to his new role within Ison Harrison’s company and commercial division. Chris has specialist expertise in professional negligence claims against solicitors, unions, accountants and financial advisors and previously represented former coal miners recovering compensation for vibration white finger, where previous claims were under-settled.

 

Commenting on the appointments, Richard Coulthard, said: “We are delighted to welcome our newest recruits, Victoria and Chris to the firm’s company and commercial division. Our commercial services teams grew by over 30% in the last financial year and these appointments further expands our commercial offering. As the commercial departments continue to grow rapidly, Victoria’s appointment represents another strong strategic hire which further builds on the expertise and knowledge offered by the team. Victoria brings a highly valuable and varied skill set to the role that will serve to further our expansion plans for our commercial services. Chris’ appointment also serves to add considerable specialist expertise to the department, further diversifying the litigation team and our client base. The division as a whole continues to go from strength to strength and build on the outstanding successes achieved by the commercial team during the past two years.”

Ison Harrison, which has a network of seventeen offices throughout the region, was founded in 1978. 45 years on it now employs more than 240 staff across Yorkshire and offers the broadest suite of legal services in the region.

The firm, which became 100% employee-owned in 2022, has an annual turnover of £19 million and represents around 20,000 clients each year.

 

Jonathan Wearing, managing director of Ison Harrison, added: “A year after our new employee-owned structure was put in place, Ison Harrison remains totally committed to recruiting and retaining the very best people in the legal profession, as demonstrated by our two newest appointments. As an employee-owned business, we continue to attract highly experienced and skilled professionals to the firm. Making sure clients have access to such unparalleled expertise is a key focus for us in 2023 and to begin the year with two key strategic appointments represents a perfect start to what is shaping up to be another record-breaking year of success for the firm.”

Ison Harrison won Law Firm of the Year (Medium) at the Yorkshire Legal Awards in 2022 and currently holds 13 Law Society accreditations including Conveyancing Quality, Clinical Negligence, Children Law, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

 

Image caption: Pictured (left to right): New recruits Chris Thomson and Victoria Boid with Richard Coulthard, director and head of commercial services at Ison Harrison.

Law, News, Yorkshire

Law firm starts 2023 with new office opening

Yorkshire law firm Truth Legal has started 2023 in style with the opening of a new office in Hull and two new lawyer appointments.

The firm’s new office at K2 Tower, Bond Street is Truth Legal’s third regional office since the business launched a decade ago in Harrogate in 2012. A Leeds office was opened in 2021. The firm now employs a total of 27 members of staff across all three locations.

In addition to starting the new year with a new office, two new team members have also joined the expanding firm. The Hull office will be headed up by specialist immigration lawyer, Frances Ledbury. Frances is joined by experienced paralegal, Olivia Pickering. The appointments significantly bolster the firm’s immigration law service.

The prominent new Hull location features offices and private meeting room space.

 

Commenting on the official launch of the new office, Georgina Parkin, Truth Legal’s managing director and co-owner, commented: “2022 was a great year for the business, our most successful to date during which we celebrated our tenth anniversary. To kick off 2023 with the opening of a new branch gives us the best possible start to the New Year. We’ve experienced a rapid period of expansion, particularly over the past three years, opening successful immigration law, family law and business services departments in that time. A real upturn in demand for our services prompted the decision to open in Hull, offering the East Riding and Lincolnshire greater access to a dedicated, specialist legal team with a proven track record.

“Hull is the perfect place for our third location. City of culture status left a positive legacy with booming tech and hospitality industries, both key sectors we focus on for our business clients. The city also boasts a highly skilled legal sector and a respected university which bodes well for future recruitment. Opening in Hull also presents the firm with the opportunity to become a major player serving Hull and Lincolnshire.”

 

The Hull office of Truth Legal will service both private and wider business community client needs, helping them to access a wide range of legal expertise including all types of immigration law, personal injury, clinical negligence, employment law, family law, general litigation and professional negligence. It will also provide the East Riding with access to an extended range of specialist services provided by experts located at their Leeds and Harrogate head office.

 

Added Georgina Parkin: “Our new Hull office underpins Truth Legal’s growing presence in Yorkshire and provides a great foundation for the future as we look to build relationships with clients to provide the best legal advice possible. Building on our existing areas of specialism is also high on the agenda which will lead to further job creation and further new office openings. 2023 is already shaping up to be a very exciting year.”

 

For more information, visit www.truthlegal.com