12 Feb 2026
Blake Morgan appoints Scott Hilton, Joan Yu and Melia Hirst as partners
"Blake Morgan appoints Scott Hilton (real estate, London), Joan Yu (corporate, London) and Melia Hirst (insolvency, Southampton) as partners."
Scott Hilton joins Blake Morgan’s London office as a partner in the real estate team. He brings over 15 years’ experience advising developers and landowners on complex strategic developments and advising investors and occupiers on lease transactions, with a focus on Central London prime office and retail markets. His client base includes businesses in fashion, retail and the arts, as well as private office high-net-worth clients.
Joan Yu joins Blake Morgan’s London office as a partner in the corporate team. She has over 20 years’ experience focused on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, venture capital and equity capital markets, and regularly advises clients in the natural resources sector with additional experience across transitional energy, media and consumer goods. Joan is an experienced practitioner in cross-border matters, working with UK and international companies across the Middle East, Latin America, Europe and Africa.
Melia Hirst has re-joined Blake Morgan’s Southampton office as a partner in the insolvency team. She has over 20 years of experience in 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 on appointments as administrators and liquidators, including solvent winding-ups, and frequently acts on sales and purchases out of insolvency, including pre-packs. She also advises banks, lenders and other stakeholders affected by a counterparty’s insolvency and provides board-level advice to directors navigating distress. Melia has been regularly recognised in Chambers and Partners and by the Legal 500, where she is praised for her depth of knowledge.