Director
David joined his family practice from school in 1961 and qualified in 1967, becoming a partner in 1969.
He specialises in non-contentious matters including business law, commercial and residential conveyancing and probate.
In his younger days David was a keen sportsman playing rugby, hockey and cricket, but now confines his participation to the role of spectator.
Litigation / Managing Director
Simon graduated from Newcastle University in 1995 having studied history. He then studied law in Newcastle and at the College of Law, York before joining his family firm in 1997.
Simon was made a partner in the litigation department in June 2001 and now combines his fee earning work with management of the firm.
Simon is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Accreditation Scheme.
Litigation / Director
Kieron qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and has been a director of Askews Solicitors since 2006, specialising in personal injury and clinical negligence litigation throughout his career.
Kieron is very experienced in bringing claims on behalf of often severely injured clients who may have suffered life-changing injuries in accidents or as a result of substandard medical treatment. He regularly represents clients with brain and spinal injuries, amputations and complex orthopaedic injuries or who may have been the victim of medical misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. Kieron will work with clients and defendants to arrange interim payments and to secure professional rehabilitation as appropriate. After settlement, he often continues to act for his clients as a long-term trustee of their personal injury trust. Kieron also represents clients in professional negligence cases against other solicitors arising from poorly handled personal injury claims or other matters.
Askews has an experienced wills and probate team and Kieron represents clients in contentious probate matters and Inheritance Act claims. He is also regularly appointed to act as attorney or deputy in situations where a client has lost capacity to act and he will make important life decisions on behalf of those clients and is frequently appointed to act as executor and/or trustee in estates and trusts. Kieron also advises landlords in relation to tenancy issues.
Probate / Director and Head of Department
Claire Horowitz (LLB)(TEP)(ATT) is a director of the Wills and Probate Department with over 12 years' experience in private client work, specialising in wills, probate, powers of attorney, Court of Protection, elderly client, tax and trusts.
Following qualification, Claire worked for a high-street firm in the Bristol area for 4 years where she completed her STEP studies and regularly advised high net worth clients and was also an active committee member of the Bristol branch of STEP. She returned home in 2013 and has since been working with Askews across Teesside and North Yorkshire area where she has helped hundreds of families and individuals with all aspect of their estate planning needs.
Claire qualified as a solicitor in 2008 after gaining a 2:1 in Law from the University of Hull and studying and completing her LPC at the College of Law in York. She completed her training at a niche private client firm in the North East and subsequently completed further specialist qualifications to become a qualified member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and also a qualified Tax Technician with the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT).
Claire joined Askews Solicitors in 2013 and became director of the department in 2018.
Solicitor
Mike Robinson (LLB Hons) is a senior solicitor at Askews. He advises on employment law and has 20+ years’ experience in this field. Mike is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.
Mike has experience dealing with a range of claims including all aspects of discrimination, whistleblowing, unfair and automatically unfair dismissal and has dealt with claims against Local Authorities, Health Authorities, major banks, the Police and Schools, Colleges and Universities.
Mike has also been instructed by other solicitors, barristers and also a former judge requiring employment law advice. Mike is grateful to be referred employment work by other solicitors’ firms in the Teesside area.
Conveyancing Team Leader/ Associate Solicitor
Laura Mitchell (LLB)(LLM) is the team leader for the Conveyancing Department at Askews. Laura joined Askews in March 2018 as a paralegal and qualified as a solicitor in April 2020. In July 2021, Laura was appointed as team leader for the department.
Laura specialises in both Residential and Commercial Property dealing with the following:
Laura graduated from Newcastle University in 2013 achieving a 2:1 degree in Law and completed her Master of Laws course in 2018 at the University of Law gaining a distinction.
Probate / Associate Solicitor
Joining Askews Solicitors in February 2020, Chloe is an Associate Solicitor in our Private Client department.
Prior to joining Askews, Chloe studied Law at University College London and completed her LPC at the College of Law in York. Chloe qualified as a Solicitor in 2015 at a niche private client and financial services firm in North Yorkshire, having gained over 7 years’ experience there in private client work and subsequently completing a Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning with the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Litigation Executive
Tracy has worked in a legal environment since 1987. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.
After working for a leading national Personal Injury firm from 1999 to 2014, Tracy joined Askews in 2015, as a Litigation Executive.
Tracy is proud to have remained in the North East, acting for local people. She brings her vast legal knowledge to the firm, dealing with all aspects of Personal Injury claims.
Shannon Cranston joined Askews as a Solicitor in the Wills and Probate Department in January 2022, after having received a First Class Honours Degree in Law from Teesside University and a Master’s Degree with a Merit from Sunderland University.
During her studies, Shannon volunteered with the Teesside University Law Clinic and the Sunderland University Law Clinic, providing legal advice to many individuals.
Shannon qualified as a solicitor in 2022 after completing her training contract with another local Teesside firm gaining experience in a number of practice areas and now specialises in Private Client work. Shannon advises clients in all areas of wills, probate, powers of attorney, Court of Protection matters, estate planning and trusts.
Paige joined Askews Solicitors in January 2022 and is a Probate Executive in our Private Client department.
Prior to joining Askews, Paige studied Criminology at Teesside University graduating in 2014. She began working for a local solicitors’ firm in 2015 and during this time completed her first year of Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) training gaining her Level 3 Certificate and Professional Diploma in Law.
Having built up significant experience, Paige specialises in Wills, Probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection matters advising many clients and their families in complex legal issues.
Probate / Paralegal
Matthew Lane joined Askews in an administrative capacity in October 2015. He quickly demonstrated to all within the firm his strong work-ethic and determination to succeed within the legal profession.
During 2019 he completed his Paralegal Apprenticeship programme within Askews' Probate Department, and has progressed onto the Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship course which he hopes to complete in 2023.
Emma Burns, Conveyancer (GCilex)
Graduated Teesside University Law LLB (Hons) Graduate member of Cilex March 2021
Experienced in all aspects of Residential Property Law joining the firm in May 2021.
Conveyancing / Paralegal
Following joining Askews as a paralegal in June 2021, Sian Sullivan now specialises in conveyancing.
Sian graduated from the University of Cumbria in Carlisle in 2017 where she gained extensive conveyancing experience from the beginning of her course.
Chloe joined us in March 2022 and is employed as a Paralegal after graduating with a First Class Honours LL.B Law Degree from Teesside University and a LL.M/LPC postgraduate degree from Sunderland University.
Chloe has worked in Conveyancing for little under a year with another Teesside-based law firm and has hopes to progress to become a Solicitor in time
Asra Shahid is a Conveyancing Assistant who joined in March 2022.
Asra graduated with a Law degree from Teesside University in 2019 and then completed her LLM LPC in 2020. Since graduating Asra has been working in conveyancing.
Olivia joined us in May 2022 as a conveyancing assistant.
She received a First Class Honours Degree in Law from Teesside University and completed the LLM/LPC Postgraduate Degree with a Merit from Northumbria University.
She has worked in conveyancing for over a year and aspires to become a solicitor.