Big year for Steele Ford & Newton

It has been quite a year for Steele Ford & Newton and they have a lot to shout about.

The merger between Steele Ford & Newton and JGT in August saw the creation of one of the biggest solicitors’ practices in the area enabling the newly formed company to offer more specialist advice and support for clients in Lancashire and beyond.

Yet while the company merger took centre stage, news of the solicitors’ firm long string of other successes over the past 12 months has passed by quietly.

Mark Irlam, personal injury director for the firm, said: “Last week alone we sat among some 900 Lancashire business people as we enjoyed recognition as a finalist in the respected Red Rose awards.

“And we have just found out that we have been accredited under the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme, for which we went through a process of rigorous examination and testing to demonstrate our high level of knowledge, skills, experience and practice in this area.”

The accreditation is officially recognised by legal governing bodies and well as lenders who trust in the services offered by members of the scheme.

Another trophy to add to the shelf comes from the firm’s family law solicitor, Jacquie Birkett, who has gained accreditation from the Children’s Law panel.

Mark added: “My department has gained accreditation from the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and I personally am an accredited member of the Spinal Injuries Association.”

Accreditations aside, the firm, which has been established in Pendle for more than a century and returned to Burnley four years ago, has since opened an office in Bacup, successfully run by Ben Leech, and has now widened its reach to the Manchester area in which partner John Greenwood plays a large part.

He said: I am one of few solicitors in the Lancashire area to hold a contract to conduct Very High Cost Cases and Graeme Tindall has Higher Rights to be able to represent clients at the Crown Court, so bringing all this together really does allow us to expand our services to the area.”

Mark said: “When I reflect on all this it really has been quite a year and people can expect to hear a lot more about us in months to come.”