Ward Hadaway’s newly-qualified solicitors take a break in celebration of new appointments  

Ward Hadaway’s six newly-qualified solicitors took a well-deserved break at Quayside Seaside recently in celebration of their new appointments.

Andrew Craven, Sarah Adamson and Holly Vevers from the Newcastle office, Mona Mojtabavi and Tom Goodburn from the Manchester office and Natalie Payne from the Leeds office, were joined by Ward Hadaway’s managing partner Martin Hulls and executive partners for Leeds and Manchester, John Murray and Paul Johnson, respectively.

During their two-year training contracts, the NQs have worked in different departments across the firm to get a flavour of various areas of law, including Corporate, Private Client, Employment and Property.

Andrew Craven, said: “I became aware of Ward Hadaway during my time at Northumbria University. They offered me an invaluable opportunity to undertake an extended period of work experience.

From this, I learned a lot about the culture and values of the firm, as well as the people within it. After this, I knew it was where I wanted to train and qualify.

“I am excited about the opportunity to join the Employment team. There is a huge variety of work within the department, which stems from a diverse client base. I have been able to assist with Tribunal claims, redundancy matters and everything in between.”

Natalie Payne, added: “I have been lucky enough to do two seats in Employment law, so I intend to hit the ground running and have a seamless transition into my newly qualified position.”

Tom Goodburn, said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my first two years with Ward Hadaway during my training contract. The firm’s strong presence across the North was a major draw when applying and one of the major aspects which I have enjoyed has been the chance to work with so many fantastic clients who operate in my home region.

“The opportunity to learn from so many experienced solicitors within the firm has been invaluable to my development and I look forward to continuing to build my career here.”

Across the firm, Ward Hadaway has a reputation for promoting from within wherever possible and the newly-qualified solicitors follow in the footsteps of many Ward Hadaway people who all joined as trainees and are still enjoying their time with the firm.

This includes many senior members of the team, including Corporate partner Katherine Hay-Heddle, Banking and Finance partner, Imogen Holland, Commercial Litigation partner Russell Ward, Employment partner Stuart Craig and Property partners Neil Smith and Heather Markham to name a few.

Martin Hulls, managing partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “I would like to personally congratulate all of our NQs on their success with Ward Hadaway.

“As a firm we are dedicated to the development of all of our people, investing in them and encouraging them to try something different. We believe this is crucial in order to deliver the best service to our clients.”

“The high number of trainees who choose to stay on with us is testament to us having the best working environment and career opportunities available at the firm.”