Solicitor Sophie Fletcher is bringing a range of personal and legal expertise to a new rural role with North East law firm Hay & Kilner.
Sophie has joined the Newcastle-headquartered practice’s award-winning private client team and is now specialising in rural and farming business property work.
Having grown up in a farming family in Great Ayton in rural Teesside, Sophie moved north to study for a law degree at Northumbria University before returning to her home area to begin her career and qualifying as a solicitor in 2020.
Sophie Fletcher says: “Much of my work so far has focused on residential property, but with my farming background, I’ve always had an interest in rural property matters and this new role is a great opportunity to combine both areas.
“Farming and rural businesses face their own unique set of circumstances and challenges when it comes to managing property assets, and with so much change within the sector at the moment too, there’s a great and growing need for the advice and guidance we provide.
“I came across Hay & Kilner regularly at events during my law degree and it always struck me as a friendly and well-rounded practice.
“Everyone’s been really supportive and helpful as I’ve been settling in, and I’m looking forward to getting fully involved with expanding the firm’s client base still further.”
Hay & Kilner, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, is one of North East England’s leading independent law firms and provides comprehensive legal advice across every aspect of the law to businesses and individuals from both within and outside the region.
The firm’s private client team was named as a ‘Tier One’ firm in most recent edition of legal sector ‘bible’ The Legal 500 and was named as Private Client Team Of The Year at the 2022 Northern Law Awards.
Joanne Milne, partner in the private client team at Hay & Kilner, adds: “Our rural property work is growing quickly, with more and more clients coming to us for advice from both within and outside the North East, and we’re growing our team to ensure we can continue to provide the first class service for which we are known.
“Sophie is a talented solicitor who has both the legal expertise and personal knowledge that our farming and rural clients require, and it’s great to be bringing her on to our growing team.”