Meet the Private Client Team with Melissa Gill

What is your role in the private client team and how long have you been at Sintons?

I am a paralegal in the Court of Protection team and joined the firm in 2017.

Tell us about your career to date…

I worked at Womble Bond Dickinson for 13 years as a legal secretary specialising in private client matters, including wills, trusts and probate, as well as family law. I joined Sintons in 2017 as a legal secretary in the wills, trusts and probate team and then joined the Court of Protection team as paralegal in September 2019.

I now work exclusively in the Court of Protection team.

What attracted you to Sintons?

Having worked within the Newcastle legal sector for some time, I have always been alive to the excellent reputation Sintons holds. Many of my legal contacts held Sintons in such high regard that when the opportunity to join the firm arose, it was one I couldn’t turn down.

What does your role involve?

As a member of Sintons’ ever-growing Court of Protection team, I oversee the day-to-day management of many of our clients’ property and financial affairs matters. Due to my vast experience as a Court of Protection paralegal, I not only assist Sophie Moore with her files, but also manage my own.

My specialisms include both elderly client matters, as well as managing the affairs of those who have sustained a catastrophic injury. I enjoy working alongside the firm’s Neurotrauma team to provide the highest level of client care, for which Sintons is renowned.

What have been your personal highlights to date?

I was delighted to be promoted to the role of paralegal in September 2019.

I have also built a reputation within the firm for assisting with the supervision of junior fee earners and trainee solicitors within the Court of Protection team. This is something I am very passionate about and I am very excited to see the team expand.

It is great to be part of a firm which offers opportunities for professional development and is keen to invest in its people.

The private client team is one of the most highly-rated in the North of England. What are the advantages of being part of it?

Sintons’ Court of Protection team has a superb dynamic – not only do we have some of the North East’s most talented COP practitioners, but we also have excellent emerging talent.

Sophie Moore is an outstanding solicitor who has an excellent knowledge of complex Court of Protection law. She is a true asset to the firm and goes out of her way to support the professional development of the team. We were also delighted to welcome Hannah Mitchell into the team in late 2022, who has added invaluable skill and expertise to the team.

The team is regularly rated highly by the Legal 500 and Chambers UK, which is a testament to the teams’ hard work.

How does Sintons differ from other firms you have worked in?

There is an excellent dynamic at Sintons and I consider many of my colleagues to be some of my closest friends. There is no hierarchical structure and having senior members of the firm available to chat to at any time should you need to, is very telling about of the culture of the firm.

Sintons has a great ethos and is very supportive of it staff, both as professionals and as individuals.

What are your interests outside of work?

I enjoy spending time with my husband and ten-year-old daughter. We enjoy trying out new restaurants and cuisines and travelling.