Award-winning Jacksons Law Firm has enjoyed such a successful year in 2024 that they almost don’t want it to end! Erica Turner, head of legal at Jacksons Law Firm reflects on a successful 2024.
However, there are lots of exciting developments on the horizon in 2025, from an influx of new employees to the continuation of employee wellbeing and engagement programmes.
Erica reflects on a great year in 2024, that has included being named Law Firm of the Year at the Northern Law Awards, achieving the Practice Management Award at the same ceremony, promotions and welcoming several new key employees to the team.
“Quite often, people get to this point in a year and think they can’t wait to see the back of it – but we’ve had such a fantastic year, we don’t want it to end!” Erica admits.
“However, this inspires us to have an even better year next year.”
Back in January, Jacksons started off the year with a big client win for seven poultry farmers whose birds were affected by Avian Influenza in 2021 and 2022.
Jacksons successfully achieved a landmark ruling in the High Court that these farmers had been wrongly compensated for the birds they had to cull – and, while an appeal is pending, this potentially paves the way for thousands more farmers to come forward for increased compensation.
Erica says: “This was the first of many client wins over the year. We’ve achieved some great results, particularly in the litigation team.
Key to this success has been the people who make up the Jacksons Law Firm team – and the management’s focus on taking good care of our people.
From the opening of the Zen Den in the Stockton Office – a calming space where staff can go to relax and have some much-needed time out – to in-office Yoga sessions and enabling staff to choose Mind as their charity of the year, Erica says the focus has very much been on its people, as the heart of the business.
“That is something that will continue moving forward,” says Erica, who took over the reigns of the firm alongside Amie Callan, the new head of operations, in November.
As a sign of their commitment to employee wellbeing, Jacksons Law Firm will close on Friday December 20 to give people more time off with their families.
The whole team across both the Teesside and Newcastle offices are also currently doing a duck hunt ahead of Christmas, searching for Christmas ducks, which are attached to prizes like cinema vouchers, wine tasting vouchers and wellness days.
Several employees have arranged events for Mind and people are going out to primary and secondary schools dressed as Elves to spread some Christmas cheer and wellbeing to children.
One team member also completed a charity skydive for the firm’s charity of the year a couple of weeks ago.
Encouraging wellbeing is something that clearly pays off, as Erica says: “We are ending the year in the strongest position the firm has ever been in from a financial point of view and we have an overall feeling of positivity.
“We feel that all our people are with us – and we have more new starts coming throughout December and in January, so we are ending the year and starting 2025 with a new cohort.”
New starts will join the private client team, the litigation team and the finance team.
With new people in post, Erica says the firm expects to hit growth target plans earlier than anticipated next year, so both Erica and Amie expect to be “re-evaluating and looking to do even more”.
“We hope our people will enjoy an extended period of time off over Christmas with their families and come back rejuvenated in the New Year, so we can have a year that’s even better than this year!” Erica says.
“Amie and I have had a couple of months towards the end of the year to get to grips with our new roles and from January, our focus will be on driving revenue growth, growth in terms of our people and reaching a wider range of clients through further developing our specialisms.
“The firm’s succession plan is already in place which includes the appointment of new equity partners in April which means for the next three to five years, we can focus on the business plan rather than worrying about succession.”
Speaking of the firm’s success at the Northern Law Awards, Erica hopes there will be more good news to come in 2025.
“We will be going for more awards in the New Year and the focus will be on other teams,” she says.
“Over the past couple of years, we have had some specific teams that have been very strong – and it is now time for them to shine!
“Hopefully, with the new recruits joining us we will also be bolstering these teams and enabling them to reach their objectives – so I think we will have a lot to shout about in 2025 and beyond as well.
“There are lots of exciting developments in the pipeline for the next year and we can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring for Jacksons!”
Notable events that happened in 2024 at Jacksons Law Firm included:
January
In a landmark ruling, which followed a legal challenge brought against the Animal & Plant Health Agency (“APHA”), the High Court decided the Government had been wrongly calculating compensation for poultry farmers affected by bird culling due to Avian Influenza. The case, successfully brought by Jacksons Law, surrounded farmers who had carried out their statutory obligation to report suspected AI in their birds and potentially paves the way for other farmers to receive more compensation, although an appeal is pending.
February
A trio of newly qualified solicitors, including Jack Farrow, Martha Rea and Hannah Wardell celebrated completing their training contracts with the firm. Jacksons also supported PD Ports with the drafting, negotiation and completion of a new lease to repurpose an unused lifeboat building for seal conservation.
March
Alex Howarth joined the firm as Litigation and Insolvency Solicitor.
April
Jacksons celebrated six promotions as it continued to grow its presence across the North East. Karl Medd became associate legal executive in the litigation team, Becky Talbot became finance manager, Emily Skillcorn was promoted to associate solicitor, Isabelle Waddell also became and associate solicitor, Caroline Harrison was promoted to HR advisor and John Bewick became a senior associate solicitor.
May
Further new recruits joined Jacksons, including Alexander Smith as marketing executive, Charlie Mace as paralegal, and Amy Kay as business administration apprentice.
June
Direct Line Supplies appointed Jacksons Law Firm for the purchase of Mercurial Properties, in order to increase its warehouse capacity and grow its foods supplies business.
July
There was success at the Northern Law Awards and the firm also held a charity quiz night for Sunderland-based baby loss charity 4Louis in partnership with Torgersens Chartered Accountants. The event raised £2,000.
August
The family law team grew to reflect the rising demand in this area of law. Natalya Kosser took a new role on the business support side while Nida Ali and Terri Leigh were appointed as solicitors.
September
Jacksons oversaw a merger between two security firms, as Crimewatch Safeguard Security Systems Limited purchased Cleveland Security for an undisclosed sum. Crimewatch is a long-time client of Jacksons.
October
A trio of promotions saw Rachael Arbon, Daniel Tumilty and Ellie Honeyman become associate solicitors. Emily Skillcorn was also named as the High Tide foundation’s first ambassador for her role providing careers advice and work placement support to young people across Teesside. Toby Joel celebrated his 35th work anniversary having started at the firm on a YTS placement at just 16. Both Newcastle and Teesside offices voted their local Mind organisations as the firms’ charities of the year.
November
There was change at the top as Erica Turner and Amie Callan took over the reigns from former managing partner Tony Wentworth in their respective roles as head of legal and head of operations.
December
Festive fun started early, with staff finding ducks to win prizes, visiting schools dressed as elves and breaking up early for an extended Christmas break, in preparation for 2025.
