Switalskis has appointed four solicitors to its residential conveyancing team, including directors Ed Atkin and Alistair McKinlay, as well as solicitors Jessica Carnell and Lauren Metham. The hires strengthen the firm’s property expertise across its Wakefield, Bradford, Sheffield and Grimsby offices.
Atkin joins as director and joint head of conveyancing with 20 years’ experience, while McKinlay becomes director and deputy head of conveyancing, bringing close to 30 years’ experience. Both have held senior roles at regional and national firms and bring extensive knowledge of their local markets alongside leadership and business development experience.
Carnell joins the Bradford office after qualifying in November 2025, with more than four years’ conveyancing experience, while Metham joins in Sheffield with eight years’ experience in the field. Carnell said she was attracted by the firm’s ‘reputation for client care and the collaborative culture within the team,’ while Metham cited the ‘professionalism she encountered’ as a key factor in her move.
Sarah Cookson, director and joint head of residential conveyancing, said: ‘Ed and Alistair bring an exceptional breadth of knowledge’ and ‘It’s exactly the kind of expertise that will drive the next phase of our growth,’ adding that the appointments are ‘a clear statement of our ambition’.
Image caption (L-R): Ed Atkin, Sarah Cookson, Lauren Metham, Jessica Carnell and Alistair McKinlay.



