Blake Morgan rings in 2026 with three new partners

National law firm Blake Morgan has started the new year with the appointment of a trio of new partners across its corporate, real estate, and insolvency teams.

Scott Hilton and Joan Yu will expand Blake Morgan’s senior team in its London office – bringing the total number of new London partners hired in the past year to seven – while Melia Hirst will join the firm’s Southampton office. The additions reflect the success and growth of the corporate, real estate and insolvency teams in 2025, with record demand for the deep expertise and high-quality service for which Blake Morgan is known.

Scott Hilton will bolster Blake Morgan’s real estate offering, bringing with him over 15 years’ experience. Scott advises developers and landowners on complex strategic developments, and investors and occupiers on lease transactions – focusing on the Central London prime office and retail markets. His client base is drawn from a mix of sectors, including fashion, retail, and the arts, alongside private office high-net-worth clients.

Joan Yu will strengthen the firm’s corporate team, with over 20 years’ experience focused on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, venture capital and equity capital markets.  Joan regularly advises clients in the natural resources sector with additional sector experience across transitional energy, media and consumer goods. She is an experienced practitioner in cross-border matters, working with UK and international companies across the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and Africa.

Meanwhile, in Southampton, Melia Hirst has re-joined the firm’s insolvency team. Melia has over 20 years of experience within restructuring and insolvency and previously worked at Blake Morgan between 2007 and 2015.  Melia acts mainly for insolvency practitioners in the South and Thames Valley, providing strategic advice to them on their appointments as administrators and liquidators (including solvent winding-ups). She frequently acts on sales and purchases out of insolvency, including ‘pre-packs’ and uses her expertise to assist banks, lenders and other stakeholders who are impacted by the insolvency of another party, as well as board level advice to directors navigating distress. Melia has been regularly recognised in Chambers and Partners and by the Legal 500 directory, where she is praised for her depth of knowledge.

Helen Bunker, Chair at Blake Morgan, said:

New partners: Joan Yu and Scott Hilton in Blake Morgan’s London office, and Melia Hirst in the Southampton office.