Law firm Ward Hadaway has retained seven newly qualified solicitors across its offices in northern England following the completion of their training contracts.

Five of the solicitors are based at the firm’s Newcastle upon Tyne headquarters in North East England: Abigail McAllister joins the private client team, Anna Thorp qualifies into social housing, Dania Abu-Harb joins commercial litigation, Ella Edmunds takes up a post in housing, and Sophie Edgar joins the employment practice.

In West Yorkshire, Elizabeth Swales joins the employment team in Leeds, while Laurence Colgan takes up a commercial litigation role in Manchester.

Steven Petrie, Managing Partner, said: “Our newly qualified solicitors are an important part of the future of Ward Hadaway, and it is excellent to see seven talented lawyers continuing their careers with us. Recruiting, developing and retaining good people is central to the service we provide to clients and to the long-term strength and growth of the business.”



Rural Solutions, the specialist land and property advisory practice, has appointed Keith Southernwood as senior architectural technologist at its Skipton office in North Yorkshire.

Southernwood joins from regional housebuilder Candelisa, where he served as construction director. He previously worked for Watson Batty Architects, gaining technical delivery and planning expertise across UK residential schemes.

In his new role, he will advise landowners, commercial developers, and private estates on rural residential schemes and sensitive site planning.

Sally Ormiston, Director at Rural Solutions at Rural Solutions said: “Keith brings a really useful combination of architectural and construction experience to the team. Having worked both within an architectural practice and on the developer side, he understands the realities of taking a project from design through to delivery.”

The appointment comes amid ongoing UK planning policy reforms designed to encourage high-quality residential development in rural locations.



Leeds College of Building has appointed Natalie Dodds as Director of CTEC (Construction Technical Excellence Colleges) to oversee regional vocational training across Yorkshire and the Humber.

Dodds joins from Rotherham College, where she served as Director of Campus. She also chairs the regional branch of the British Association of Construction Heads.

LCB is one of 10 English specialist further education colleges selected by the UK government for the CTEC programme, intended to train 40,000 workers by 2029 to address national housing targets and infrastructure demands.

Rob Holmes, LCB Vice Principal, said: “Natalie's extensive leadership experience across further education and construction-related provision, together with her strong regional and national networks, make her exceptionally well placed to lead the next phase of CTEC's development.”

The college has submitted planning applications for a 5,000-square-metre facility at its North Street Campus to house workshops and classrooms for the scheme.



G4C Tees Valley, an industry network supporting young professionals across the construction sector in North East England, has appointed Joe Montey as co-chair.

Montey, a senior project manager at K2 Construction Management, succeeds Ellie Fraser-Mitchell of MGL Group. He will lead the group alongside co-chair Alex Philpott of AtkinsRéalis, focusing on regional networking, career development, and continuous professional training across Teesside.

A former Royal Navy submariner, Montey manages major construction schemes across Yorkshire and the North East, alongside volunteering as deputy director for Teesside Samaritans.

Catriona Lingwood, chief executive of parent body Constructing Excellence North East, said: “We thank Ellie for the contribution she has made as co-chair of G4C Tees Valley and for the time and energy she has given to supporting young professionals across the region.

“Joe brings a wealth of experience and a genuine commitment to supporting emerging talent.”



Accountancy and business advisory firm Saffery has expanded its Leeds office in West Yorkshire with the appointment of 13 new trainees across its audit, tax, and accounts divisions.

The intake includes graduates, school leavers, and apprentices who will combine formal professional qualification studies with practical client work. The cohort comprises Timothy Cottrill, Francesca McBride, Martha Hodgson, Oliver Bastain, Joseph Rogers, Kayleigh Whitfield, Lucy Healy, Ruby Cordall, Harley Swales, Jonathan Sreeves, Thomas Smith, Ella Minogue, and Jonathan Craigen.

The group forms part of a wider national campaign by the top-15 UK practice, which intends to recruit 144 trainees across its UK and Dublin network during the 2026/27 financial year. Saffery currently supports 347 individuals across various training stages.

Sally Appleton, Partner and Head of Saffery’s Leeds office, said: “We’re pleased to welcome our newest trainees to the team. Supporting and developing young talent has long been an important part of our approach, and these new recruits represent the future of our profession and our firm. Through training, mentoring and hands-on experience, we are committed to helping them build successful and rewarding careers.”



Law firm Shakespeare Martineau has appointed Kate Saunders as a legal director in its trusts and estates disputes team in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Saunders brings more than a decade of contentious probate experience, advising on inheritance claims, contested wills, beneficiary disputes, and Court of Protection proceedings. She joins the firm from Flint Bishop, where she served as a senior associate following that practice’s acquisition of regional firm Lupton Fawcett in 2025.

Based in Sheffield, she is a member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists.

Debra Burton, partner in trusts and estates disputes at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “Kate brings significant specialist experience to our trusts and estates disputes team and further strengthens our offering in Sheffield and Yorkshire. Her expertise in contentious probate will be a valuable addition to the team as we continue to grow our presence both in the region and nationally and support clients with complex and sensitive trust and estate disputes.”



Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has expanded its presence across northern England with the appointment of 85 new trainees across its North West and Yorkshire offices.

The cohort forms part of a nationwide intake of 525 graduates, school-leaver apprentices, and industrial placement students joining the 8,500-strong firm. Fifty-three recruits will be based across Manchester and Liverpool—including 10 at the firm's shared service centre—with a further 32 joining the Leeds office in West Yorkshire. More than half of the national intake will be based outside London.

Angela Cross, regional managing partner at BDO in the North West, said: “The impact of investing in early career opportunities cannot be overstated and BDO is committed to supporting young people across the North West to reach their potential.”

The appointments mean more than one in four UK employees at the firm are now undertaking an apprenticeship or placement programme.