Debt recovery expert joins Muckle as partner

A renowned and experienced lawyer has returned to his roots to help grow our debt recovery team.

Colin Churchward, from South Tyneside, has been appointed partner in the dispute resolution team at Muckle and will be responsible for growing its debt recovery offering, including its people and client base.

Leading advice

Muckle’s debt recovery team has been consistently ranked Tier 1 by Legal 500 for over a decade and prides itself on its high success rate of delivering commercial and consumer debt recovery work for its clients.

Colin has 15 years’ experience in debt recovery and 20 years’ experience in law.  He has worked at several North East law firms with a strong track record in driving growth, before moving to a Bristol-based law firm in 2023 to head up its debt recovery firm.

Colin is delighted to return to the North East and is excited for his new challenge.

Local expertise

He said: “I started as an office junior in 2001 and soon after transferred to debt recovery. I absolutely loved it straight away – you hear some crazy stories and the work is both interesting and really rewarding.

“Debt recovery, which sits in the dispute resolution team at Muckle, is on a completely different level and this is what excites me. In particular, the bespoke Muckle Collect system and the expertise within the team is absolutely top-notch; it’s like a match made in heaven.

“I am really looking forward to driving growth within the team, increasing volume and boosting our client base. I brought two more clients on board within the first week. 

“Although based in the North East, I work with clients from London, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham and have built up a very strong network around the country.  However, I have really missed working in the North East and I’m very happy to have made this move, I’ve received such a warm welcome at Muckle and everyone has been lovely. It’s like coming home in every sense of the word!”

Susan Howe, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Colin to our team. As an expert in his field and a well-respected lawyer, he has expanded the debt recovery function at every law firm in which he has worked.

“I have no doubt that this is a fantastic appointment for Colin, our team and for Muckle and I look forward to working closely with him to drive continued success.”

Learn more about what our debt recovery team does here.