An experienced solicitor has stepped up to lead the commercial litigation and dispute resolution team at North East law firm Hay & Kilner.
Tom Whitfield has been promoted to lead the ten-strong team at the Newcastle-headquartered firm, which works to resolve clients’ disputes at the earliest possible point, manage risks to their reputations and safeguard their ongoing commercial relationships.
Tom has over 25 years’ legal experience, gained across a wide range of industry sectors and areas of the law, and joined Hay & Kilner as a partner in 2019.
Originally from Yorkshire, his main area of practice has been working on professional negligence cases brought against members of the professional services community.
He also has significant experience of topics including partnership and shareholder disputes, contract claims, boundary disputes and issues between landlords and tenants.
Hay & Kilner’s dispute resolution team offers expertise across commercial, construction, commercial property, intellectual property, IT, insurance and professional negligence.
It also utilises alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation in order to avoid litigation where possible, and works with businesses of all sizes both within and outside the North East.
Tom Whitfield says: “Resolving commercial disputes at the earliest possible opportunity can save business owners and managers a great deal of time, money and anxiety, and allows them to stay fully focused on their day-to-day operations.
“Our excellent commercial litigation team covers a very broad range of subjects and clients, and has an extremely strong track record on which we’re now looking to build as we play our part in the practice’s continuing expansion.”
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.
Jonathan Waters, managing partner at Hay & Kilner, adds: “Tom is a well-known and highly-regarded practitioner and a key member of our very successful commercial litigation team.
“He has all the skills and experience required to take on this new role and to be making even more of a contribution to the firm’s future development.”