Crutes Law Firm has appointed a new assistant solicitor to work on a number of new instructions which the firm has recently acquired.

Katherine Hannah, 26, from Durham has joined Crutes’ Newcastle office and will work in the firm’s litigation department specialising in defending Health and Safety prosecutions.

She is returning to her native North East after spending nine months as a Crown Prosecutor in London with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Having studied an LLB degree at Durham University, Katherine completed placements in South Wales and Leeds through the CPS trainee solicitor programme and she became a qualified solicitor in October 2010.

She will now work alongside Crutes partner and head of litigation, Rod Searl.

Katherine said: “I’m ecstatic to get this job. Crutes is a well known firm with an excellent reputation and I’m delighted to be here. In London I built up a lot of experience in criminal law and now I’m eager to use my knowledge in other sectors.

“Health and Safety is an exciting and growing area of law and I’m really looking forward to working on a variety of private practice law cases. Hopefully in the next 12 months I will establish myself at Crutes and make a real impact here.”

Rod Searl said: “Our litigation department has a specialist Health and Safety Unit, which was established over four years ago as a result of a marked increase in prosecutions in the public and private sectors.

“As a result of her background at the CPS, Katherine’s specialist advocacy experience will be invaluable to us and the clients we represent.

“At Crutes, the quality of our people is one of our main strengths, and I’m sure Katherine will be a real asset to us. She has an impressive track record and we are delighted to welcome her here. I’m sure she has a fantastic career ahead of her.”