North East law firm Hay & Kilner has strengthened its award-winning criminal litigation department by adding Mark Styles to its seven-strong team.
Based in Hay & Kilner’s Wallsend office, Mark has worked in criminal and prison law throughout his career and has a particular specialism in representing young offenders.
He took both his law degree and Legal Practice Course qualification at Northumbria University and began his career as a paralegal with Gorman Hamilton Solicitors in Newcastle before spending seven years with Kyles Legal Practice in his native North Shields.
Hay & Kilner’s criminal litigation department was named as the Crime & Regulatory team of the year at the Northern Law Awards for three consecutive years, from 2015 to 2017.
Mark Styles says: “The area of law in which I specialise is very varied and fast-moving, and I spend a lot of my time at different courts or police stations.
“I’d come across some of the members of Hay & Kilner’s criminal litigation team during my career and their department always had a strong professional reputation for its advocacy skills, as well as for providing high quality of service to clients.
“Joining the firm gives me the chance to further broaden the range of work I’m able to undertake and to learn from a hugely experienced team of colleagues.”
Established in 1946, Hay & Kilner is one of North East England’s leading independent law firms and provides a full range of legal services to businesses and individuals from both within and outside the region.
Mark Harrison, partner and head of the criminal litigation department at Hay & Kilner Law Firm, adds: “Mark has already built up an impressive career in practice in the North East and he’s an excellent addition to an already-strong team.”