New partner at commercial law firm

Jun 24 2009 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

SINTONS law firm has added to its expanding commercial group with the appointment of Matt Collen as a partner.

Mr Collen, who was formerly a partner at Muckle, has over 15 years of experience in the corporate and commercial legal sector which has seen him develop an expertise in both banking and corporate finance work.

He has played a prominent role in many of the region’s major corporate transactions in recent years including, most recently, helping in last December’s rebirth of Cramlington’s The Officers Club. Christopher Welch, joint head of the company and commercial department at Sintons, said: “With his substantial experience in both corporate finance and banking, Matt has the ability to complement and broaden our existing expertise.

“He has been well known to many of us at Sintons for some time and we have always admired not only his technical expertise but his approach to transactions.

“Matt is a great strategic fit with our growth plans and we anticipate that his appointment forms part of several significant appointments that the firm will be making.

“This continued recruitment reflects the growth of the firm’s commercial group and the increasing share that it enjoys of the legal market across the North East.”

On his move from one Newcastle law firm to another, Mr Collen said: “Sintons have continued to enjoy substantial growth both in terms of the value and the volume of the commercial transactions that they deal with.

“I am impressed by their client-centred approach and the reputation that they enjoy, with both clients and with other professionals, for the hands on, partner-led service. I am looking forward to working with the already strong team of lawyers at Sintons and contributing to further growth.”

Mr Collen’s work has also included advising both institutional and other lenders on their finance arrangements, including the provision of multi-million pound funding lines and the raising of both debt and private equity finance.