Solicitor Charlotte Hornsey has completed her professional qualifications to become specialist North East employment law firm Collingwood Legal’s first trainee to qualify as a solicitor.After studying for her Law degree in Manchester, Charlotte returned to the North East to undertake her Legal Practice Certificate before joining Collingwood in 2011, initially as a paralegal.
Since then, she has combined her role at the Newcastle-based firm with her continuing education and professional studies, including a Masters degree and a Professional Skills Course which prepares young lawyers for the business and operational matters they’ll face when working in practice.
Charlotte has now completed all her training requirements, and is working as part of Collingwood’s seven-strong team of specialist employment law solicitors.
Collingwood Legal is a relationship-based practice which specialises in employment law, and works with a number of well-known public and private sector organisations across and outside the North East.
Charlotte Hornsey says: “Training with a firm that specialises in a single area of the law, rather than working across a range of different subjects, is not a route taken by many trainees, but the support I’ve had from the Collingwood team and the chance to focus on an area of legal practice that I really enjoy from an early stage in my career has made it the right one for me.
“The training I’ve undertaken has really exceeded my expectations in terms of the quality of work and clients that I’ve worked with already. Both the environment in which I’ve been working and the expertise that’s always been close at hand has been really encouraging and beneficial in helping me prepare for legal practice.
“I’ve been able to get to know both the Collingwood team and our clients really well over the last four years, and am now looking forward to taking on more responsibilities for dealing with the range of services we provide to clients.”
Paul McGowan, founder and principal at Collingwood Legal, adds: “Right from the time she joined us, Charlotte has impressed everyone with the determination to provide the best advice and service to our clients.
“She’s a valued and respected member of the team and has demonstrated a breadth of understanding in employment law. We’re all delighted to be celebrating the success of our first ‘home-grown’ solicitor and looking forward to Charlotte and other trainee solicitors developing a long term career with our firm.”
For more information on Collingwood Legal, please visit www.collingwoodlegal.com or call 0191 2822880.