Hard work pays off as six staff promoted at law firm
A NORTH East Law firm is celebrating the success of employees through six promotions.
Jacksons Law, which has offices in Teesside and Newcastle and a presence in Sunderland, has promoted four solicitors, as well as two members of staff in HR and finance.
The promotions recognise the hard work and effort of John Bewick, Karl Medd, Beckie Talbot, Emily Skillcorn, Isabelle Waddell and Caroline Harrison.
John, who has been promoted from associate solicitor to senior associate solicitor, has worked in Newcastle for over 20 years, nine of which have been at Jacksons Law Firm. He said: “It’s good to be recognised through this promotion for my hard work and commitment.
“I’m very happy to have played a part in the development of our Newcastle office, where we all work with clients across the whole of the North East and beyond.
“I have been involved in supervising and training more junior fee earners and now have additional responsibilities in the commercial property team and the wider office.”
Karl Medd, who has risen from the role of legal executive to associate legal executive in the litigation team, said: “I was delighted that my contribution to the firm had been recognised and rewarded within a relatively short period with the firm.
“I wasn’t expecting it but it was something I was hoping to achieve at some stage, and I am delighted to take the next step in my career with Jacksons.”
Beckie Talbot has quickly progressed from assistant management accountant to finance manager, having completed her ACCA chartered accountancy qualification last November.
She said: “It’s really exciting to be recognised through this promotion for all the time and effort I have put into my work – the firm are good at doing that. I started seven years ago as a legal cashier while I was completing my AAT qualification and then took maternity leave. After lockdown, I was able to finish my AAT and start my ACCA qualification, which I was determined to do.”
Beckie says she wouldn’t have been able to complete the ACCA qualification if it hadn’t been for Jacksons funding this study.
“The firm is really big on encouraging people to get ahead in their careers and they also support that in a practical way, which is great.”
Emily Skillcorn, who works in the litigation team and equine law services, has been promoted from solicitor to associate solicitor. She is the quickest employee to go from newly qualified solicitor to associate, having qualified in March 2022.
“Usually it’s three years after qualification that solicitors would be considered to progress to associate,” she says.
“It was something I hoped I might achieve in my career further into the future, so when my manager mentioned it earlier in the year, I was really surprised and excited.
“I feel really grateful that the firm where I started as a secretary has recognised me in this way.”
Emily says she is looking forward to taking on more management responsibilities in her new role and seeing what exciting opportunities lie ahead for Jacksons’ future.
Isabelle Waddell, head of residential conveyancing in Newcastle, has also been promoted from solicitor to associate solicitor.
“I’m thrilled about the promotion,” she says. “It came out of the blue and I’m very grateful to be recognised and for the faith and the trust that the partners have in me.
“I’m looking forward to building on the successes of the Newcastle conveyancing team.
“Five years ago, it was just me and now we are a team of eight, so I just want to build on that success.”
Caroline Harrison joined Jacksons 18 months ago as HR assistant and has been promoted to HR Advisor. “It’s great recognition for the work I have been doing since I joined,” said Caroline.
“It makes you feel that you are not just a number and at Jacksons, each individual is recognised for their unique skills and qualities, even though it is quite a big company.
“Your work doesn’t go unnoticed and you feel appreciated by all of the partners. It’s really motivating to feel like you are making a difference and you are highly valued.”
Tony Wentworth, managing partner at Jacksons, said: “We are incredibly fortunate to have such a wide pool of talented staff, from senior lawyers through to secretaries and administrative assistants.
“All play a key role in the success of the firm and as partners, it is one of the more rewarding aspects of the job when we receive proposals from managers looking to promote their staff.
“As we continue to grow, we are keen to continue to support staff to develop in their careers and in this way, we are becoming an employer of choice in the local area – something that we are incredibly proud of.”