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TEES Valley law firm Punch Robson has announced a major development of its commercial law department.Solicitors Stephen Haigh and Katherine Eaton have been made associates of the Middlesbrough-based practice, while the commercial team has been increased with the appointments of solicitor Victoria Short, a civil litigator with a special interest in employment law, and Carol Forbes as a solicitor from early September.

The news comes just a few months after Punch Robson significantly increased the size of its commercial law operations through the acquisition of Teesside-based business law specialists Spooner & Co.

As part of the deal, Spooner & Co founder Jeremy Spooner, a solicitor in business and personal law, joined Punch Robson in a consultancy role to develop its commercial work.

“The acquisition of Spooner & Co, and now the promotions of Stephen and Katherine and additions of Victoria and Carol to the commercial team, are clear indications of our vision to strengthen our commercial work both in terms of scale and the scope and depth of expertise,” said managing partner Alan Mottram.

Stephen Haigh, 39, trained with London-based Howard Kennedy and, after qualifying in 1994, spent four years with Kingsfords, in Ashford, Kent, where he was made a partner. He joined Punch Robson’s Middlesbrough office in 2006, where he works in all aspects of commercial property work, as well as business sales and purchases. Stephen lives with his wife in Darlington.

Katherine Eaton, 29, from Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, joined Punch Robson as a trainee solicitor in 2002 and after qualifying in 2004 specialised in the complex field of conveyancing. Based in the firm’s office in Ingleby Barwick, Stockton, she now works exclusively on residential conveyancing, including the sale and purchase of houses, building plots and buy to let investment properties, transfers of ownership due to divorce, death or otherwise, and re-mortgages.

Victoria Short, 25, from Guisborough, east Cleveland, studied law in Newcastle and qualified in July last year after a two-year training contract with Leeds-based travel litigation specialists Stephen Mason. She joins a civil litigation team at Punch Robson led by partners John Wilkin and Graham Tyler, and will work in various aspects of civil and commercial litigation, but with a specific interest in employment advice.

Darlington-born Carol Forbes, 24, now living in Hartlepool, will complete her solicitor training at Punch Robson in September 2008, having studied law at Northumbria University. She is currently gaining experience in all aspects of commercial law, most notably in commercial property, in which she aims to specialise as a qualified solicitor.

Punch Robson, which has offices in Middlesbrough, Coulby Newham and Ingleby Barwick, employs 73 people, including 20 solicitors, and acts for a diverse range of private and commercial clients in most aspects of law, including accidents and compensation, civil litigation, conveyancing, family law, wills, probate and trusts, and commercial law. Its turnover in 2007 was over £2.5 million.

For further information contact Alan Mottram on 01642 754050

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