Leading legal firm lands business expert to head corporate team

A HIGHLY experienced legal expert who has been working at the heart of an area’s business community for 16 years has landed a top job with a leading law firm.

Sam Lyon, 39, has joined Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors as Head of Corporate and Commercial.

Sam, who has senior experience at both Burnetts and Cumberland Building Society, is looking forward to working with businesses of all shapes and sizes, including SMEs and family businesses, in a range of diverse sectors across Cumbria and beyond.

Sam said: “I’m really excited to be starting a new role with Cartmell Shepherd. It’s a well-respected and genuinely progressive law firm, with a culture of delivering exceptional legal services through an authentic personal approach.”

Sam’s extensive knowledge of both the legal world – he was previously a corporate partner at Burnetts Solicitors in Carlisle where he worked for ten years – and the business world – as head of legal at Cumberland Building Society – puts him in an ideal position to understand and help businesses achieve their aims.

Sam said: “My experience of the Cumbrian business community over the last 16 years is that our businesses can get the vast majority of the advice they need right here, locally on their doorstep.

“They don’t necessarily need to go to big city firms. In most situations, some professional services firms in the county have all the experience and expertise needed.

“The added-value I bring is my own first-hand commercial and strategic experience gained from executive roles in industry, which allows me to deliver truly holistic legal business advice and solutions to my clients in Cumbria and beyond.”

Sam is keen to work with business on new acquisitions; those looking to exit their business in both the short, and long-term, including succession planning; those entering into new commercial relationships or experiencing some difficulty with existing relationships, whether with suppliers or customers; and those looking to start their own business, whatever the size.

Growing up in Cumbria, Sam attended Nelson Thomlinson School in Wigton, before going on to study Law and Accountancy at Newcastle University and two years ago completed a Masters in Leadership and Management at Loughborough University, which he studied for in his own time.

Now living near Carlisle, Sam loves life in Cumbria. A fan of all competitive sports, he coaches his sons’ Crusaders football team in the Carlisle youth league. He also enjoys running, cycling and getting out into the countryside on family dog walks.

Peter Stafford, managing director of Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, said: “We are delighted that Sam is joining us as Head of Corporate and Commercial. It’s great news for Cartmell Shepherd and even better news for all the clients who are going to benefit from Sam’s expertise.

“We are also extremely excited that Sam will be linking up with our Head of Employment Law and HR Joanne Stronach who is highly respected for her work with businesses and who Sam knows from his time when they worked together at Burnetts.

“Sam starting with us now is perfect timing because at Cartmell Shepherd we are now supporting more businesses across more sectors than ever before.”