‘Hugh has made a significant contribution to the firm over almost four decades’
Nick Dean with Hugh Smith, and the litigation & dispute resolution team(Image: Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP)
New faces have been welcomed to a historic Hull law firm as one of its long-standing partners prepares to retire after almost four decades. Castle Street-based Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP – which also has offices in York, Scarborough and Grimsby – has expanded its commercial litigation and dispute resolution practice.
New partner appointments include Rob Ripley, Caroline Hardcastle and Sarah Thomsen, which the firm says add further expertise across areas including commercial, shareholder, and intellectual property disputes, building disputes, professional negligence claims, property litigation and contentious probate.
Alongside the senior hires, the firm has also strengthened its pipeline of future talent. It has recruited a solicitor specialising in contentious probate, and is also supporting paralegals through training to qualification.
Nick Dean, partner, who has led the litigation and dispute resolution team since 2024, said: “We have built a genuinely strong and collaborative team with a wide range of complementary expertise, further strengthening the service we offer to clients across the region and nationally.
“Businesses face increasingly complex disputes and need clear, practical advice they can act on quickly. We have grown our team to ensure we continue to provide the high levels of service, expertise and accessibility our clients expect, and we are well placed to support organisations as they navigate challenging commercial environments.”
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.
The new arrivals come as partner Hugh Smith prepares to retire after 37 years with the firm, which marked 150 years of trading in 2024.
Hugh, who retires from Andrew Jackson at the end of this month, joined the firm in 1989 when it was known as Andrew M Jackson & Co. During that time, he has acted for clients across a range of sectors, most notably the food industry, where he represented businesses operating throughout Europe.
He was also a founder member of England and Wales’s Food Law Group and has played a key role in mentoring colleagues as well as developing the firm’s litigation practice.
He said: “It has been a privilege to spend the majority of my career at Andrew Jackson and to work with so many colleagues and clients over the years. I am proud to see the strength and depth of the team today and to see it continue to grow and succeed under Nick’s leadership.”
Nick added: “Hugh has made a significant contribution to the firm over almost four decades. He helped establish the strong foundations on which we continue to build, and we wish him a very happy retirement.”