Head of Sweeney Miller’s Litigation and Family Departments, Rebecca Cresswell, has been invited to be a member of the 2022 Northern Law Awards Judging Panel.

This year’s Awards will take place on the evening of Thursday 23rd June 2022 at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. Attended by a wide range of lawyers from academia, law firms and in house teams, the Awards celebrate the region’s extensive legal talent and industry successes. In response to the cancellation of previous events due to the pandemic, the period being judged has been extended to cover between March 2020 to March 2022.

Chartered Legal Executive, Rebecca was first asked to be a Judge 3 years ago for finalists in the ‘Trainee of the Year’ category. She was asked again in 2020, however the previous 2 years Awards were deferred as a result of the pandemic.

Commenting on her appointment to the Judging Panel, Rebecca said:

‘I am looking forward to being on the Judging Panel again to see how our local lawyers have excelled during the pandemic given it has been such a difficult time for us and businesses all over the country. It is an excellent opportunity to see the talent across the North East and to meet other lawyers and Judges on the Panel.

I am extremely grateful to have been asked to join the Judging Panel again as it shows recognition and equality of my CILEx qualification and being a woman in a profession that still remains dominated by men in senior positions, a profession in which, until 1922, women were not admitted to participate.’

Having joined Sweeney Miller in 2016, Rebecca is instructed in a wide range of private family law matters, including divorce, finance, separation, pre and post nuptial agreements and private law children cases. Despite the pandemic and in line with other departments including conveyancing, commercial property, dispute resolution, private client and landlord and tenant, under Rebecca’s management the Family team has seen a significant increase in instructions, resulting in a 25% turnover upturn in the firm’s latest financial year. The firm’s Newcastle office has recently relocated to larger premises at Bulman House in Gosforth. Sweeney Miller is delighted to welcome clients back to face to face appointments at both its Sunderland and Newcastle offices.