Ward Hadaway strengthens team with 44 new appointments
12th February, 2026
Top 100 UK law firm Ward Hadaway has appointed 44 new legal specialists across the firm over the last 5 months as it continues to invest in growth and capability across its national office network.
The new starters cover the full spectrum of experience from partners, directors and managing associates to trainee solicitors and paralegals, strengthening teams at multiple levels of the business and supporting sustained client demand across core practice areas. 27 new starters have joined teams based in the Newcastle office, with 12 joining the Leeds office and 5 in Manchester.
The appointments form part of a wider period of investment for the firm, following recent office expansion and continued growth across its regional footprint. They reflect a deliberate focus on building depth and resilience across services as activity levels remain strong.
Steven Petrie, Managing Partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “This pattern of consistent growth reflects the strength of activity across the firm and the importance we place on building teams in a deliberate and sustainable way. These appointments span a range of roles and career stages from emerging talent through to more experienced hires, which is critical to how we develop capability across the business.
“As Ward Hadaway continues to grow nationally, investing in people remains central to our approach. Ensuring we have the right mix of skills, experience and capacity allows us to support clients effectively while continuing to attract and develop high quality talent across the firm.”
The new joiners strengthen teams across a number of departments including corporate, real estate, restructuring and insolvency, private client and dispute resolution, reinforcing the firm’s position as an independent full-service practice.
Aarti Parmar, Director in the Corporate team based in Leeds, said: “Ward Hadaway has a strong reputation as an independent firm with depth across its core practice areas. Joining at this stage felt like a natural next step and I’m looking forward to contributing as the business continues to expand.”
Ward Hadaway employs nearly 600 people and operates from offices in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Teesside advising clients across the UK on a wide range of commercial and personal legal matters.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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