Review of the year 2025: A strategic year of growth and development

January

We kicked off 2025 with real momentum - expanding our national footprint with the appointment of vastly-experienced Solicitor Advocate Mike Dyer to give us our first presence in the North West. His arrival marked the beginning of a year defined by strategic expansion and investment in talent.

February

To help serious injury lawyers navigate complex cases with confidence, we unveiled our Protected Party Costs service, designed to help recover solicitor own client costs under CPR Part 21 and 46.4.

And with just over a month to go until the new Simplified Costs Budgeting came in to force, Sean Linley published his All you need to know guide to Simplified Costs Budgeting – a new scheme for Business & Property Courts claims worth less than £1million, as well as claims where budgeting would normally apply under £1million.

March

In a month which showcased our commitment to sharing knowledge with practitioners across the legal industry, we headed to three national Conferences.

First stop was Bournemouth for the AVMA Clinical Negligence Conference, where Lee Carter and Sean Linley entertained with their Easter-themed competitions and plenty of lively discussion.

Jon-Paul Burnett delivered expert insights at the Liverpool Law Society Costs Conference, before Sean rounded off a busy month by presenting to the Birmingham Medico-Legal Society, covering rule changes and the Clinical Negligence Fixed Costs scheme for claims with settlement value less than £25,000.

April

We were on the expansion trail again as our growth plans continued with arrival of the highly-respected Nicholas Northrop, based in Devon, to give us our first presence in the south of England. With three decades of Costs experience under his belt, he has brought huge value to our clients – a move which further strengthened our national coverage.

We also proudly sponsored James Shaw, a 14-year-old Yorkshire player from Beverley Cricket Club, whose dedication and progress perfectly align with our commitment to supporting the next generation.

May

We welcomed proud Geordie Aaron Hudspeth to our Newcastle team as he began his legal career as a Trainee Costs Draftsman, following his graduation with a Law Degree from Newcastle University.

We were also delighted to sponsor Hornsea High School’s dance troupe on their journey to the Portsmouth finals - where their powerful performance, The Last Look, earned first place in the national competition. A fantastic achievement for an exceptionally-talented group.

June

Two new faces join our team as Christianna Koutsouridou joined our training scheme, whilst experienced Costs Lawyer Laura Crookes added a wealth of knowledge having spent over a decade working on high-value personal injury and clinical negligence cases.

July

A major milestone - our Manchester office officially opened its doors at Bruntwood Bloc in the city centre.

In a month of new beginnings and strong community connections, Lara Sharp and Thomas Kelly represented us at the Newcastle & North East Junior Lawyers Division summer party. We also became the proud main shirt sponsor of the new away kit for Beverley Town FC under-15s.

August

After four fantastic years in the city of Newcastle, we celebrated our official move to bigger and better premises with a lively party and quiz at our new Clavering House office - a great way to bring our whole team together.

In a major personal achievement, Nick Northrop successfully qualified as a Costs Lawyer, proving it’s never too late to learn new things after spending three decades in the legal industry.

September

In recognition of his expertise, leadership and influence within the world of Costs, Sean Linley earned a well-deserved promotion to Manager of our Newcastle office as Seamus Kelly moves on to start a new chapter as a Barrister.

In another busy month, we also hosted a stand at the MASS Conference, attended the Hull Law Society Ball as sponsors and welcomed the arrival of Adam Hood - a talented solicitor and Costs Lawyer to further strengthen our growing Manchester team.

October

It was standing room only at the Common Room in Newcastle as we kicked off the month with our Costs Law Conference. With high-profile Barrister Gordon Exall and District Judge Searl offering their expertise as headline speakers, this annual event was our biggest yet.

It was time to celebrate two significant internal milestones as Raegan Butler enjoyed a well-earned promotion to Drafting Manager, a reflection of her exceptional work since joining in 2019, and Sean Linley was appointed to our Board of Directors.

Alongside these achievements, we supported a major charity quiz raising £6,000 for the Child Brain Injury Trust, held in memory of our much-missed friend Mike Stubbs, and also welcomed new trainee Lauren Pitchforth to our team in Beverley.

November

We proudly celebrated Nick Northrop’s election as a Director of the Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) and he attended his first official event at the organisation’s Annual Conference in London.

The talent pool at our Manchester office was further strengthened with the arrival of graduates Rebecca Walker and Connor Proffitt, before Lee Carter fully embraced the country-themed chaos of the charity WonderLAN Ball in Newcastle, alongside Jon-Paul Burnett, Sean Linley and Thomas Kelly.

December

We closed the year on a high with the launch of our new website, redesigned to help our clients easily access the knowledge they rely on, especially the ever-popular Costs Updates from Sean Linley.

We also enjoyed hosting Costs training sessions Wilkin, Chapman, Rollits in Grimsby and Hay & Kilner in Newcastle, before welcoming the appointment of Chartered Legal Executive Fern Joyce to our Newcastle office, a fitting end to a year defined by growth and development.