New appointment for Newcastle law company

May 14 2009 By The Journal

GORDON Brown Associates is celebrating its first year in Newcastle with the appointment of a new employment lawyer.

Former psychiatric nurse and magistrate BARRY HUTCHINSON has joined the law firm’s Mosley Street offices, taking the total number of staff there to six.

Gordon Brown Associates, which also has offices in Chester-le-Street, Sunderland, Houghton-le-Spring, Stanley and Low Fell, moved into Newcastle in January 2008 when it merged with Jonathon Stokes (Solicitors).

Having started his first career as a psychiatric nurse in Gosforth, Barry relocated south and moved into a job in social services and serving as a magistrate in Wimbledon. In 1997, he returned to the North East to study towards a postgraduate diploma in law, as well as a legal practice course, at Northumbria University. Having served his training contract in North Yorkshire, he moved back to the North East.

The new chief executive at a leading Tyneside training company has outlined her plans to continue the company’s impressive recent growth.

Business Impact UK has unveiled SUE PICKERING as its new chief executive, and she believes the company will continue to build on its growth in the years to come.

Based on the Team Valley, Business Impact UK delivers training initiatives to companies across the UK designed to increase productivity, reduce waste, improve quality and maximise efficiency while increasing skills and knowledge.

Sue, who lives near Morpeth in Northumberland, previously held a number of senior roles in the recruitment/communications field.

She said: "This is an exciting time at Business Impact. Our success so far has been built on a solid foundation of delivering high-quality training. We are a nationally-known company with an excellent reputation – my first few weeks will be spent meeting as many people as possible, including our network of trainers and clients."