A leading commercial property lawyer who has worked with regional and national developers for over 30 years has joined law firm Sintons.
Alan Harkness, formerly a partner at Ward Hadaway, joins Newcastle-based Sintons as a Consultant, in a move that brings additional strength to its real estate and development team.
He brings with him Rukhsanah Haroon, a real estate conveyancing specialist with whom he has worked for over a decade, and Beverley Robson, who will join Sintons in the coming weeks.
It is the second high-profile appointment at Sintons in a matter of weeks, after the hire of Barry Speker – former Senior Partner of Samuel Phillips Law Firm – last month. It also follows the acquisition of Lowthian Gray family law firm last year, owned by Katharine Lowthian, who is now Head of Family Law at Sintons.
Alan, who was most recently a consultant at Jacksons law firm, advises both landowners and developers, and has extensive experience of working on residential, commercial and mixed-use schemes across the North East and beyond.
He has overseen a host of high-profile projects for nationally-known developers and housebuilders, and is currently working with the Cussins family – with whom he has worked since 1982 – on their new residential development at Willoughby Park in Alnwick.
Alan said: “Sintons is recognised around the region and beyond for its work in the real estate and commercial property sector, and I am very pleased to join the team here.”
Mark Dobbin, partner and head of the Real Estate department at Sintons, said: “Alan has an outstanding reputation across the region and beyond for his work with housebuilders and developers, so we are delighted he chose to join Sintons.
“Our real estate team is already among the biggest and most capable in the North East, and with the addition of Alan’s expertise, we are confident our whole department – and particularly our specialist development team - will go from strength to strength.”