Swinburne Maddison law firm has promoted eight staff members, a round of moves that includes the creation of a new senior managing associate role designed to reflect the growing complexity and seniority of its legal teams.
Swinburne Maddison
The North East law firm’s new senior managing associate position was introduced following a formal review of career progression. Seven lawyers have been appointed to the role: Abigail Zuk (probate litigation), Catherine Lowther (family law), Charlotte Excell (commercial property), Craig Foot (residential conveyancing), Laura Murphy (private client), Lewis Brown (property litigation) and Sharney Randhawa (employment law). Laura Murphy has also been named head of the private client department. She joined the firm in 2025 as a managing associate and had been leading the department on an interim basis, a period during which her leadership was widely praised.
Elsewhere, Diane Hall and James Curran have been promoted to managing associate in the commercial property team and commercial litigation team respectively. Claire Wilson, Kaye Cunningham and Sarah Laird have each been promoted to associate within the dispute resolution team.
Managing partner Jonathan Moreland said the promotions reflected the firm’s growth. “As our firm continues to grow, it is vital that our career structure evolves alongside it,” he said. “These promotions recognise not only individual excellence, but also the leadership, commitment and professionalism that underpin our success as a firm.”
Knight Frank
Property consultancy Knight Frank has strengthened its Newcastle office with the appointment of Gavin Walker as senior surveyor in its building consultancy services team. Walker, who was previously a chartered building surveyor at Silverstone Building Consultancy, also brings experience from Lambert Smith Hampton and Hollis. With a decade of experience, he will manage construction projects and carry out building and dilapidation surveys for commercial property clients.
Ian Tew, office head and building consultancy lead at Knight Frank, said the team was extremely busy working on major projects for international clients with North East property assets. “Building consultancy is a key growth area for Knight Frank,” he said. “We are actively recruiting for more building surveyors.” Walker said he was attracted by the firm’s reputation and the opportunity to focus on the commercial sector. An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated Walker’s previous employer; he was a chartered building surveyor at Silverstone Building Consultancy.
Civil Engineering Contractors Association North East Foundations Group
The Civil Engineering Contractors Association North East (CECA NE) Foundations Group has appointed Lauren Parsons as its new chair. Parsons, a project manager at Seymour Civil Engineering, takes over from Matthew Tetley of Absolute Civil Engineering Ltd and Ben Adcock of Costain Group PLC. The group aims to promote civil engineering and construction careers to school leavers, students and industry professionals.
Under Tetley and Adcock, the group ran a college bursary programme and supported the Heel and Toe Children’s Charity. Parsons said the Foundations Group was a fantastic platform for reaching young people. “We have a real opportunity to continue growing our outreach, which is essential if we are to fill the skills gap that is becoming an ever-pressing challenge for our sector,” she said. Tetley said the group had seen great progress over the past two years and expressed confidence that Parsons would lead it to new heights. She will be supported by new vice chairs Rob Loveridge and Olivia Miller, and Chloe Gooding as marketing lead. Loveridge studied geography at Newcastle University and completed a quantity surveying MSc with distinction at Northumbria University in 2023. Miller is a trainee business development coordinator at Esh Group, studying a business and management degree with a graduation expected in summer 2026.
British Esports Federation
The British Esports Federation, based in Sunderland, has appointed former Olympic swimmer Alice Dearing as its new co-vice chair. Dearing is the first black woman to swim for Team GB at an Olympic Games, having competed in the 10km marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She was also a junior world champion in 2016 and took part in three senior world championships before retiring from elite competition ahead of the Paris 2024 Games.
Dearing has been a member of the British Esports Advisory Board since September 2022, where she has spoken at the Federation’s Be The Change Summit on diversity and inclusion in esports. A co-founder of the Black Swimming Association, she is also part of the UK Anti-Doping Athlete Commission and was named Sunday Times Changemaker of the Year in 2022, as well as being featured on the BBC’s 2023 Woman’s Hour Power List. She said gaming and esports had been important to her from an early age. “I am delighted to be able to play my part in the journey British Esports is on to gain greater recognition for British esports athletes and teams,” she said. “From playing and coaching, to games design and development through to casting and broadcasting, esports offers an exciting career.”
Her fellow co-vice chair is the Rt Hon. Lord Vaizey of Didcot, with Andy Payne OBE serving as chair and Chester King as president of British Esports. The federation is planning to open the British Arena in Sunderland later this year.
Energy Solicitors Ltd
Newcastle law firm Energy Solicitors Ltd has promoted Ryan McDonald to partner. McDonald joined the firm in March 2023, shortly after it was founded, following eight years at another law firm. A Northumbria University graduate, he has over a decade of experience in litigation covering civil, harassment protection and family law, and now specialises in energy litigation. Senior partner and director Victoria Myers said he had been an integral part of operations from the start. “He has been my right-hand man for the past three years and has been an invaluable asset to the team,” she said.
McDonald said he was excited to take on the new challenge. “Becoming a partner gives me the chance to build on the quality and consistent work which ESL already does and help the firm grow further as we expand and move into the next chapter,” he said. The firm, which is experiencing growth and recently moved to the city centre, also lists director Geoff Thompson, trainee solicitor Myron Dempsey (a Northumbria University graduate) and trainee solicitor Dylan Francourt on its team.
