Hay & Kilner Law Firm

What Hay & Kilner Law Firm does

Hay & Kilner LLP is a full-service regional law firm headquartered at The Lumen, Newcastle Helix, with additional offices in Wallsend (Station Road and Town Hall) and Tees Valley, serving North East England. Founded in 1946 and operating as an independent limited liability partnership regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA 643191), the firm employs 101–250 people across approximately 26 distinct practice areas organised into two core segments: business legal services (corporate, commercial property, dispute resolution, employment, banking & finance, IP, data protection, plus sector specialisms in care homes, charities, education, and agriculture) and personal legal services (divorce & family, residential property, personal injury, clinical negligence, wills/trusts/estates, criminal defence, court of protection, and children & safeguarding).

The firm generates revenue through traditional professional-services billing: hourly fees, fixed fees for specific matters, and success/contingency fees (notably for personal injury work on a no-win-no-fee basis). Pricing is bespoke and quote-based, dependent on matter complexity and specialist expertise. Distribution is delivered through direct solicitor engagement via office consultations, telephone and email advisory, and home visits for clients with accessibility needs, with cross-border reach facilitated by Eurojuris network membership and peer collaboration through LawNet.

The firm has maintained continuous recognition in Legal 500 (Leading Firm, Top Tier) and Chambers & Partners, holds Lexcel Practice Management Standard, ISO 9001, Conveyancing Quality Standard, Cyber Essentials, and Investors in People accreditations, and recently marked its 80th anniversary in 2026 with senior appointments including Kate Fenwick as Partner and Head of Family and Finance (bringing international HNW family law expertise from Bermuda). No funding rounds, acquisitions, or inorganic growth events are indicated; the firm operates as a traditional independent partnership with managing partner Jonathan Waters leading corporate M&A and care home sector work.

Name

Hay & Kilner Law Firm

Legal name

Hay & Kilner LLP

Website

https://hay-kilner.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hay & Kilner is an 80-year-old independent full-service law firm in North East England, operating as an LLP from Newcastle and Wallsend, serving 800+ businesses and individuals across 26 practice areas including corporate, commercial property, dispute resolution, family law, and care home sector M&A.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Full-Service Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), All Other Legal Services (541199), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (525920)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF), Estate, Gift & Trust Valuation (BPAHANAL), Litigation & Dispute Valuation (damages, shareholder disputes) (FSAEAHAI)

Keywords

• Commercial legal services
• Private client law
• Corporate transactions
• Dispute resolution law
• Residential conveyancing

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Professional legal services billed primarily through hourly fees, fixed fees for specific matters, and success/contingency fees for certain litigation matters. Services span corporate transactions, property transactions, family law, dispute resolution, employment law, and private client work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hay & Kilner is a full-service law firm delivering legal advice and representation across more than 25 practice areas, split into two distinct service lines: business services (corporate transactions, commercial property, banking & finance, employment, dispute resolution, IP, data protection, restructuring & insolvency) and personal services (divorce & family, wills/trusts/estates, residential conveyancing, personal injury, clinical negligence, criminal defence). The firm operates from offices in Newcastle upon Tyne and Wallsend, serving regional clients with occasional cross-border matters handled through the Eurojuris network.

Product overview

Hay & Kilner is a full-service law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services across business and personal client segments. The firm provides approximately 26 distinct practice areas organized into two main categories: Business Legal Services (including Corporate, Commercial Property, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Banking & Finance, and specialized sector services like Care Homes and Education) and Personal Legal Services (including Family Law, Wills & Trusts, Residential Property, Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, and Criminal Defence). The practice serves clients from offices in Newcastle and Wallsend, operating as a limited liability partnership established in 1946 and celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Banking & Finance Specialist banking and finance law advice for lenders and businesses, covering borrowing, security, investment and funding transactions with clear, focused legal support.
• Care Homes Specialist legal advice for buying, selling and operating care homes, delivered by experienced solicitors with particular expertise in the care home sector.
• Charities Dedicated charity law team offering tailored, comprehensive and practical legal solutions for charitable organisations, including governance and compliance.
• Commercial Contracts Commercial law advice for businesses across all sectors, offering sound advice and practical solutions for contract-related matters.
• Commercial Property Commercial property law services for owners, occupiers, investors and developers, providing swift and accurate legal advice on transactions.
• Commercial Property Disputes Property dispute resolution services providing quick and effective advice to save time and money on property-related disputes.
• Construction & Engineering Expert advice on the full spectrum of construction law issues, including dispute resolution in the most appropriate forum.
• Corporate Corporate transaction services working alongside private investors and businesses on all aspects of corporate matters with consistent, straightforward and friendly advice.
• Data Protection Data protection compliance assistance for businesses of all sizes across a wide range of sectors, helping protect personal data and manage breach consequences.
• Dispute Resolution One of the largest dispute resolution teams in the North East with experience across a wide range of disputes and sectors, helping resolve matters at an early stage.
• Education Commercial, regulatory and compliance advice for independent schools, academies, local authorities, further education colleges and universities.
• Employment Law & HR Employment law services working with organisations of all shapes and sizes in various sectors on HR issues from both a legal and commercial perspective.
• Intellectual Property IP services supporting clients in managing their intellectual property including trademarks, patents, designs, copyright and licensing across all sectors.
• Information Technology & Software Legal services covering technology and software-related matters for businesses.
• Professional Negligence Professional negligence claims handling against various professionals with a strong reputation for recovering financial compensation.
• Restructuring & Insolvency Advice and assistance on the full range of corporate insolvency disputes, providing support quickly to limit damage.
• Agriculture & Rural Expert legal advice for farmers, rural landowners and estate managers covering farm business law, tenancy, land succession and rural disputes.
• Children & Safeguarding Expert children law services including PLO, care proceedings, private children law and domestic abuse matters.
• Clinical Negligence Medical negligence law services, recognised as one of the leading medical negligence law firms in the North East.
• Court of Protection Support for Court of Protection deputyship, applications and financial management for those who lack capacity.
• Criminal Defence Expert criminal defence legal services covering fraud, murder, manslaughter and all criminal offences.
• Divorce & Family Family law expertise covering all aspects of family law including divorce, financial matters, child arrangements and international cases for high-net-worth clients.
• Personal Injury Claims Personal injury compensation claims including accident compensation advice offered on a 'no win no fee' basis.
• Residential Property Expert residential conveyancing services providing the highest standard of legal services for property transactions.
• Wills, Trusts & Estates Expert advice on wills, trusts and estate planning, including lasting powers of attorney and administration of estates.
• Wills, Trusts & Estates Disputes Dispute resolution services for wills, trusts and estates matters.
• Rural Litigation Specialised rural litigation dispute resolution helping parties resolve issues for orderly division of partnership assets.

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LawNetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHay & Kilner is a member of LawNet, the UK's leading network of independent law firms. LawNet's annual awards celebrate the success, innovation and creativity of member law firms. Membership provides access to expertise from a network of quality accredited law firms.
• EurojuriscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHay & Kilner is a member of Eurojuris, providing access to expertise from a network of quality accredited law firms across Europe. This enables the firm to assist clients with cross-border legal matters through trusted European partner firms.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sintons: Newcastle-headquartered law firm with a similar full-service model, comparable practice areas including corporate, private client, real estate, and dispute resolution, serving the same North East business and individual client base.
• Mincoffs Solicitors: Established Newcastle law firm offering comparable full-service legal coverage with overlap in commercial property, corporate, employment, and private client work for the same regional market.
• Muckle LLP: Newcastle-based independent full-service law firm serving North East businesses and individuals, with overlapping practice areas in corporate, commercial property, employment, and dispute resolution. Direct head-to-head competitor in the same regional market.
• Ward Hadaway: One of the largest full-service law firms in the North East of England with comparable headcount, similar practice area breadth (corporate, commercial property, dispute resolution, private client), and directly competing for the same regional clients and talent.
• David Gray & Company: Long-established Newcastle-based law firm with similar multi-generational regional presence and full-service offering across business and personal legal services in the North East.

Broad incumbents

• Irwin Mitchell: National law firm with a Newcastle presence offering corporate, commercial property, employment, and private client services. Competes for the same larger corporate clients while offering broader geographic and resource coverage.
• Weightmans: National law firm with a Newcastle office, competing for corporate, insurance, dispute resolution, and public sector work in the North East with deeper specialist benches and broader geographic coverage.
• Eversheds Sutherland: Global law firm with Newcastle presence providing corporate, commercial, employment, and dispute resolution services. Represents the larger, well-capitalised competitor that can absorb major North East corporate mandates.
• Womble Bond Dickinson: Major UK law firm with significant Newcastle office and broader national reach. Overlaps with Hay & Kilner across corporate, commercial property, and dispute resolution but operates at much greater scale with deeper specialist resources.

Regional players

• Swinburne Maddison: North East-based law firm with comparable full-service offerings across corporate, commercial property, and private client. Operates in the same geographic market with similar client segmentation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HayKilner

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hay & Kilner Law Firm