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Peter has a deep-rooted history across the North East. He was born in Darlington, where his family traded as butchers for nearly two hundred years. Peter has lived in Newcastle since his university era.

In the early days of his career Peter graduated in law from the University of Newcastle, going on to train with local firm Dickinson Dees, which is now the international law firm known as Womble Bond Dickinson, following successful mergers between multiple firms.

Although he is now partner and leads the chemicals and manufacturing sector team and heads up the firm’s Teesside practice, he left the firm shortly after qualifying as solicitor and didn’t rejoin until 2001. He was keen to make a move into industry, when he moved to Teesside to be an in-house lawyer for ICI and then INEOS, where he worked closely with another of our board members at the time, Malcolm Kidd.

It was this move that developed his passion for the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors in the North East. Noticing a niche for private firms to focus on the chemical sector, Peter moved back to Womble Bond Dickinson:

“I wanted to build a team that supports the chemical industry, with the kind of specialists the sector needs and who could properly understand the industry and get their boots dirty on site. I encouraged a multidisciplinary team of people around me to become as enthusiastic as I was about the industry. What initially began with just me, is now a team of more than fifty.”

Peter works between Womble Bond Dickinson’s Teesside office at the Wilton Centre (back in the corridors where he used to work with ICI) and their Newcastle office, at The Helix. The chemicals group spans across Teesside, Newcastle, Leeds and other offices, including London, led by local specialists on the ground who immerse themselves within their client’s sites and projects.

Working closely with NEPIC members, including SABIC, Alpek Polyester and Mitsubishi Chemicals as well as Sterling Pharmaceuticals and others amongst NEPIC’s more northerly members, Peter has a strong understanding of the support existing chemical and pharma companies and inward investors require in the region, whether it be help with strategic projects or day-to-day business, or landing or expanding in our region. Peter helps them join the dots, putting the whole of the North East on the map for potential inward investors and making connections with other local consultants.

Peter has a long history with NEPIC, even being involved before our creation:

“I was actually associated with the organisation before its inception, when the North East Pharmaceutical and Speciality Chemicals Cluster (P&S Cluster) combined with the Teesside Chemical Initiative to become NEPIC.

“From here I was involved in the Marketing and Communications sub-group, helping to promote NEPIC and the region, before naturally progressing to a board member in 2018.”

During this time Peter has watched both NEPIC and the industry evolve significantly:

“Over the years a lot has changed, NEPIC has needed to keep evolving to ensure we deliver what our members asked for. It’s not come without its challenges, Covid-19 for example, but during this period we showed resilience and proved that in tough times, NEPIC offers a central point that brings our regional businesses together.”

During his time on the board Peter has played a key role in the development of our Future Leaders Network, which aims to inspire upcoming leaders by sharing best practice from industry figureheads across the region, creating important links between current and future leaders.

Discussing some of his favourite memories of NEPIC, Peter said:

“It’s very rewarding to know you’re helping to make a difference to the cluster, which is in the midst of its next industrial renaissance, with so many NEPIC members leading the way on innovations around renewables, materials recycling and sustainable fuels and clean growth as well as the next generation of drugs and medicines.

“It’s great to celebrate the industry at the annual dinner and take part in round tables helping  NEPIC members to share experience and best practice, listening to their issues first-hand and helping them to connect and grow together. By building those ever-important connections we can truly highlight the power of the collective.

“We have the only network that is going to bring you together with other local businesses that have the same challenges and opportunities, allowing you to gain expertise you won’t get anywhere else. If you’re fighting for your business and for our region, you need to be a part of something bigger, and that is NEPIC.”