Collingwood Legal scoops major accolade

A North East specialist law firm is celebrating after securing a leading industry award.

Newcastle-based Collingwood Legal has been named employment law firm of the year at The Legal 500’s 2026 Northern Powerhouse Awards, held in Leeds.

The recognition follows a strong track record for the firm, which has consistently been ranked as a top-tier practice by The Legal 500 for the past decade.

Founded in 2010, Collingwood Legaloperates from Newcastle Business Park with a nine-strong team specialising in employment law. 

Providing a full range of employment law services, including advisory support and training for employers navigating complex workplace challenges, the firm works with both public and private sector organisations across the UK, with particular expertise in sectors including education, healthcare and manufacturing.

The award builds on previous success at the same event, where founder and managing partner Paul McGowan was recognised as employment lawyer of the year in 2025.

Paul said: “For the firm to be chosen for this award ahead of practices with national and international standing is testament to the quality of the work that the Collingwood team does and to the wider strength of the North East legal sector.

“Our success is based on our ethos of building long-term relationships with clients and providing them with high quality services which help make their operations more efficient and effective. 

“The business need for support around employment law and human resources issues is ever-present and always evolving, as we’re seeing now with the continuing introduction of measures contained within the Employment Rights Act.

“Our role is to ensure businesses have access to expert guidance that will help them manage their workplace responsibilities and staff, and to support and offer the best representation in defending employment claims.

“We’re thrilled to have been chosen as the north’s best employment law firm and focused on continuing to deliver the unsurpassed standards of client service that are the foundations of this achievement.”

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.