Highly respected employment lawyer joins Jacksons as partner

A well-known and highly respected employment lawyer has joined Jacksons as a partner and head of employment, in a strategic move to increase the North East firm’s revenue by 40% over three years, beyond its 150^th anniversary year.

Laura Wilson will support the independent law firm with its employer clients – and Erica Turner, the firm’s head of legal, says Jacksons is “incredibly proud” of this key, strategic appointment.

Laura joins Jacksons as the firm looks to expand key specialisms, which will make it the go-to legal firm for business-focused legal advice, at a time when SMEs in the region are playing a particularly important part in the economy.

According to the North East Evidence Hub, which exists to empower people and policy makers with insights about the North East, SMEs account for 99.9% of businesses, 67% of employment and 60% of turnover.

And as employment issues are not confined to large corporations with established HR departments, Jacksons has appointed Laura to assist businesses of all sizes with everything from recruiting their first employees and employment contracts, to retaining talented employees and creating a positive workplace culture.

Erica says: “Despite challenging economic times, there is evidence that more and more businesses across the North East are starting up, developing and contributing to our regional economy.

“As a law firm with 150 years’ experience, we recognise the legal needs of these businesses  and want to position ourselves as an established source of exceptional legal advice and support.

“Laura’s appointment is crucial to enable us to do just that.”

Laura says she has known the firm for many years and admired its reputation in the North East.

She is looking forward to using her skills to support businesses across the region with their employment law needs at Jacksons.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Jacksons as partner and head of employment,” Laura said.

“Having known the firm and many of the team for years, I’ve always admired Jacksons’ reputation, ambition and commitment to both its clients and its people.

“When the opportunity arose to join the firm, it felt like a natural fit.

“Joining a firm that has been part of the region’s business community for 150 years – and which has such exciting plans for the future – is a real privilege.”

Throughout her career, Laura says she has been “passionate” about supporting businesses across Teesside and the wider North East, helping them navigate challenges with legal issues concerning employment and helping them support their people and achieve their objectives.

“I’m looking forward to bringing that experience to Jacksons and working alongside such talented colleagues, as we continue to help businesses across the region thrive,” she said.

“Most importantly, I’m excited to continue building trusted relationships, working with great people and delivering the pragmatic, responsive and high-quality service that has been at the heart of my career.

“Here’s to an exciting new chapter.”

Laura’s appointment comes just a couple of months after Sophie Little joined the employment team as an associate solicitor.

Sophie will assist Laura with the ongoing growth of the team.

Erica says Laura and Sophie’s appointments mark an exciting time for the firm, as it begins to move beyond its 150^th anniversary celebrations and build on its heritage and success to achieve further growth into 2027 and beyond.

“We are incredibly proud and pleased that Laura and Sophie have joined the firm,” she said.

“Laura is a very well-known and respected employment lawyer in the region and we are looking forward to working with her to assist our employer clients and help us towards our ambitious growth plans, which include increasing revenue by 40% over three years.

“With her wealth of knowledge and experience in employment law and business immigration, Laura is sure to be a real asset to the team.

“Her input as a partner at Jacksons will also be highly valued by the senior leadership team, as we look to position ourselves as the go-to legal partner, providing business-focused advice to commercial organisations of all sizes across the region.”