Leading commercial law firm Hill Dickinson has announced three senior appointments in its growing Leeds office. Paul Matthews joins the firm as national head of regulatory, while Liz Graham joins its pensions team and Sarah Pace joins the health team, further strengthening the office’s business services and health offerings.
With a career spanning almost two decades, Paul Matthews steps into the role of national head of regulatory at Hill Dickinson, bringing a wealth of expertise and leadership to the firm’s national regulatory practice. Paul joins from Clarion, where he led the regulatory team. He is recognised by The Legal 500 UK as one of the country’s leading health and safety lawyers and has acted on some of the most high-profile regulatory investigations and prosecutions of recent years, such as the Grenfell Tower Fire Public Inquiry. Clients comment that Paul is “highly impressive” and he brings with him a roster of clients who trust him with their regulatory reputation including energy and utility companies and household name retail clients.
Paul is accompanied by Lucy Alderson, a highly experienced senior associate, with specialisms in food law; product compliance and marketing and advertising practices, and who also joins from Clarion to further strengthen Hill Dickinson’s regulatory offering.
Meanwhile, Liz Graham joins as a pensions partner from Walker Morris where she was joint head of the Pensions team. Highly regarded by The Legal 500 UK, Liz has a wealth of experience advising on all aspects of pensions law and practice, including buy-outs of scheme liabilities for a range of defined benefit clients in the private sector, as well as advising trustees and employers of schemes in the charities and education sectors dealing with scheme transfers and complex employer debt issues. She has also advised on governance and investment issues for several substantial funds within the Local Government Pension Scheme.
In the health team, Sarah Pace joins as a partner, bringing more than 20 years’ experience in procurement and commercial contracts across the health and logistics sectors. Joining from DHL where she served as a legal director, Sarah has experience advising on complex procurement projects and contract negotiations. She is recognised for her understanding of sector-specific regulations and her ability to guide both bidders and contracting authorities through every stage of the procurement lifecycle – from bid preparation to ongoing contract management.
These latest appointments come amid a period of continued investment in Hill Dickinson’s northern operations. Since opening its Leeds office in 2017, the firm has grown from a small health-focused team into a full-service practice supporting clients across both business services and health. Having moved into 11 Wellington Place last year, the Leeds team has since expanded to more than 60 colleagues, reflecting the firm’s ongoing commitment to the region.
Taking on the role of national head of regulatory at Hill Dickinson is an exciting opportunity to grow and shape a practice that is widely recognised as already-strong; and the aim is to position the team as a market-leading nationally coordinated practice that delivers clear, practical solutions to complex compliance and regulatory challenges.Paul Matthews
National Head of Regulatory
Paul Matthews, national head of regulatory at Hill Dickinson, said: “Taking on the role of national head of regulatory at Hill Dickinson is an exciting opportunity to grow and shape a practice that is widely recognised as already-strong; and the aim is to position the team as a market-leading nationally coordinated practice that delivers clear, practical solutions to complex compliance and regulatory challenges. I’m joined by Lucy Alderson, whose experience further strengthens the team as we expand our regulatory offering across the UK. My focus has always been on helping organisations and individuals navigate risk and regulatory challenges with clarity, confidence and commerciality, and I’m looking forward to bringing that expertise to new and existing clients.”
Liz Graham, pensions partner at Hill Dickinson, said: “Hill Dickinson’s reputation for collaboration and client focus really stood out to me. It’s a firm that values long-term relationships and invests in the development of its people and services. I’m looking forward to working with clients to provide strategic, practical pensions advice and supporting the continued growth of our practice both in Leeds and across the wider UK.”
Sarah Pace, health partner, said: “Hill Dickinson has a long and respected history of supporting clients across the healthcare system, so I’m thrilled to be joining such a strong and forward-thinking team. I’m passionate about helping organisations achieve their objectives through well-structured, commercially sound contracts, and I look forward to contributing to the continued success of the firm’s health practice.”
Fiona Parry, head of business services at Hill Dickinson, said: “Paul and Liz are highly respected business services lawyers who bring valuable experience and specialist knowledge to our expanding Leeds office. Paul’s appointment as head of regulatory also strengthens our national team, reinforcing the depth of expertise we offer clients across the UK. Their arrival reflects our commitment to investing in leading legal talent across our regional offices, supporting our place-based growth strategy while enhancing the national capabilities of our business services team.”
Andrew Craggs, head of health at Hill Dickinson, said: “It’s rewarding to see our health team in Leeds continue to grow and evolve. Sarah’s experience in procurement and commercial contracting will be a real asset to our clients across the firm, helping us build on our reputation for providing high-quality, pragmatic advice to organisations across the healthcare sector and beyond.”