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13 February 2024
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
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Blacks Solicitors—round of promotions

Yorkshire firm promotes over 10% of its team

Yorkshire law firm Blacks Solicitors is marking the start of 2024 with the promotion of 21 team members across multiple specialist teams.

Seven teams across the firm have announced the promotion of colleagues: real estate, commercial dispute resolution, residential property, employment, IT, real estate litigation, and private wealth and succession.

Paul Sagar (real estate litigation) and Marcus Kaye (real estate) have both been promoted to partners, marking their continued dedication to the firm and its success. Paul has been instrumental in the team’s growth in the real estate sector, leading the way in his national telecoms specialism, acting exclusively for site providers.

Commenting on his promotion, Marcus Kaye said: ‘I’m dedicated to continuing to deliver highly valued and quality services in my new role. It’s been a pleasure to have helped develop our real estate specialism whilst being supported by the firm, focusing on real estate finance transactions.’

Anna Schiavetta (employment), Danielle Swainston (commercial dispute resolution) and Claire Cooper (residential property) have all been promoted to associate solicitor. Annie Beaumont (private wealth and succession), Samantha Simpson (residential property), Andrew Morgan (commercial dispute resolution), Yat Wong (commercial dispute resolution) and Ben Finley (real estate) have all been promoted to senior associate solicitor.

After joining the firm in 2022, Anna has shown continued dedication to the success of the firm and employment team. In 2023, she worked with barrister Rachel Senior of Kings Chambers to successfully represent a Direct Line employee in a discrimination case, which is believed to have been the highest award in the UK for a claim of disability discrimination relating to menopause.

Commenting on her promotion, Anna said: ‘I’m delighted that my commitment and dedication to the firm has been recognised. Over the last few years, I've had the opportunity to work with several leading specialists in the employment law sector and I'm excited for what 2024 and beyond will bring.’

Jack Parkinson, Will Ashton, Shamaila Mughalm, Faye Parkinson, Abbie Spence, Helen Carter, Eleanor Firth and Gulfraz Ahmed (residential property) and Andy Manns and Gavin Peer (IT) have all been promoted to non-qualified associates. Dawn Atkinson (residential property) has also been promoted to associate chartered legal executive.

Tom Moyes, training partner at Blacks Solicitors, said: ‘We remain fully committed to investing in our team and are delighted to have started off the new year by acknowledging the hard work and dedication of our colleagues. Their teamwork, collaboration and communication have been crucial in the continued success of the firm. It will be fantastic to see how they continue to progress throughout 2024 and beyond.’

Pictured above: The 21 promoted Blacks Solicitors team members

MOVERS & SHAKERS

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

Fieldfisher partner appointed president as LSLA marks milestone year

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Firm promotes two lawyers to partnership across employment and family

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Firm promotes five lawyers to partnership across key growth areas

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
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