Hugh Welch

Ranked by leading independent law guide Chambers & Partners as an ‘Eminent Practitioner’, Hugh has over four decades of experience advising on corporate law.

Hugh has handled a vast variety of corporate transactions during years as a partner in our corporate team.  These range from smaller acquisitions or disposals for local private companies to much larger deals with national or international elements.

Recent transactions which Hugh has handled include the multi-million-pound investment by Pricoa Private Capital in Nixon Hire and the sale of mobile telecoms specialists Activ Telecom and 8020 plus a £100 million-plus deal for luxury residential care home provider Hadrian Healthcare.

As the firm’s Senior Partner, he has played a vital part in the firm’s development since he joined in 1985. Alongside his transactional work as a corporate lawyer, Hugh has led the development of the firm’s award-winning Corporate Social Responsibility and, more latterly, Environmental, Social and Governance work. Hugh firmly believes that business in general, and Muckle LLP in particular, should use its success to be a “force for good” in the wider North East community.

Hugh’s experience in the manufacturing sector has been built up over many years whilst advising a variety of companies in that sector. That advice has covered a broad spectrum of issues with a particular focus on transactional work and deals, including the multi-million-pound sale of MKW Engineering, the sale of Whitley Murphy Group and, more recently, the sale of Hydram Engineering.

In addition, he has acted for several companies as a trusted adviser, including Roman Limited, where he handled the management buyout in 1987 and is still the lead legal adviser to this award-winning Newton Aycliffe-based family-owned private manufacturing company.

Hugh has been the driving force behind the firm’s commitment to responsible business, particularly the belief that business can and should be a force for good. Hugh instigated in 2002 the concept that the firm should give 1% of its annual profits to a newly created charitable fund, which has continued over the last two decades, with the firm making grants in excess of £600,000. Alongside this, he has played a part in our complete CSR programme and, more latterly, its transition to the ESG concept. Now Hugh is leading further development through our work in becoming a registered B Corp. Hugh has been a trustee of several charitable bodies and was chair of trustees for many years of the Community Foundation and the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust.