John Ellis, director at Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors, is retiring on 30 April after 51 years as a solicitor.
Ellis qualified as a solicitor in 1970 and has provided high-quality legal services to individuals, business, and the farming community across his extensive career.
He is well known and respected for his work across a range of legal services, including wills and probate, commercial, residential and agricultural conveyancing, and partnership advice. Ellis was president of the Yorkshire Law Society from 1995 to 1996.
Ellis joined his father, Barnet Ellis, in his Pickering office in 1964 and, after being admitted as a solicitor in 1970, became a partner in Barnet Ellis Son & Lakin (later Ellis Lakin & Co).
In February 2018, Ellis Lakin & Co joined forces with Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors and Ellis became a director at the merged firm.
Richard Watson, senior director of Crombie Wilkinson, said: “I have had the good fortune of knowing John for some 35 years, and both he and I considered our joining of forces in 2018 to have been a great opportunity for both firms.”
“It has been a great pleasure working with John over the past three years. His reputation for providing an excellent legal service to his clients, and supporting the local community, is second to none, and I know he will be missed as much by his clients as he is by all of us here at Crombie Wilkinson.”
Isobel Willoughby, director and head of the Crombie Wilkinson Pickering office, added: “Working with John has been both an honour and a privilege. The breadth of his knowledge—both of the law, and of the families and businesses for whom he acts—is incredibly inspiring, and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from John over recent months.”
“I am incredibly proud of our team in Pickering, and of the excellent service which our teams in both Ryedale offices provide, but this is in no small part due to John and the exemplary foundation which he has built in Pickering throughout the course of his career. As a firm, we work tirelessly to deliver on our Service Pledge; John, however, has been doing so for 51 years, and the Pickering team will always strive to live up to his high standards, and to continue to support the local community in the same way as he has done.”
Ellis commented: “The variety and nature of my work has been interesting and rewarding and I would like to take the opportunity to thank the firm’s clients, for entrusting me and the firm with their legal work.”
He continued: “I have enjoyed 51 years of working with delightful clients, but I must also give thanks to my various colleagues over the years (whose camaraderie and support have been invaluable), and of course the many other professionals with whom I have had the great pleasure of working (including surveyors, estate agents and accountants), both in Pickering and further afield, for their professional friendship over the years.”
“I wish every continued success for the team at Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors; a highly experienced and professional team more than capable of providing Pickering and the wider Ryedale area with first-class legal advice and support.”
Ellis has no plans to use his retirement for relaxation, as he will continue to enjoy playing cricket with Thornton Dale Cricket Club, playing table tennis with Ryedale Sports Club, and cycling.
