Staff report sudden closure of Samuel Phillips Law, leaving trainees without placements
A long-established Newcastle law firm has closed without warning, leaving staff, trainees, and apprentices urgently seeking new employment. Samuel Phillips Law, which traces its origins to 1919, shut its doors on Thursday evening. Employees reported the news at the end of last week and said the announcement came as a complete shock.
It is understood that the Solicitors Regulation Authority is aware of the closure. The Gazette attempted to contact the firm on Monday, but calls went unanswered.
Former staff have begun appealing for support on professional networks. Requests have been posted on LinkedIn to identify new training providers for trainee solicitors whose contracts have ended abruptly. Three apprentices who had been working at the firm are also believed to need a new employer so that they can complete their training.
A paralegal who had been due to start a training contract in the new year said she is now searching for other opportunities. She described the situation as heartbreaking for everyone affected.
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Sharon Boyd, who served as the firm’s chief executive from 2017 to 2024, wrote on Saturday that the news had been deeply distressing. She said many former colleagues were talented and committed individuals who now found themselves unexpectedly looking for work shortly before Christmas. She added that the events of the previous 24 hours had been incredibly upsetting and stressful, particularly for those at the beginning of their legal careers.
Several law firms across the north east have already come forward with offers of assistance for displaced staff. Local practitioners have shared messages inviting affected individuals to contact them directly to discuss vacancies and temporary placements.
Samuel Phillips Law was founded more than 100 years ago by its namesake. Over the decades, it built a broad practice which included family law, employment law, litigation and dispute resolution, residential conveyancing, commercial property and wills, probate, and trusts. In 2023, the firm expanded into Wearside by opening a new office in Sunderland. Its sudden closure has therefore drawn particular attention from the local legal community.
The reasons behind the collapse have not yet been disclosed. Staff accounts indicate that they were given no prior indication that the firm was in difficulty. With no public statement issued so far, firms and individuals in the region have focused on helping those whose careers and training have been disrupted.
For many junior lawyers and apprentices, the immediate priority will be securing alternative roles that allow them to continue their development without significant interruption. For long-standing employees, the concern is finding new positions at a time of year when recruitment traditionally slows.
The situation remains uncertain, and further information is expected in the coming days as more becomes known about the circumstances surrounding the closure of a firm that had been part of the region’s legal landscape for more than a century.