Geldards LLP

Adam is a property lawyer experienced in all aspects of real estate work, including landlord and tenant, development, acquisitions and disposal, secured lending and property finance. He has significant experience acting for a range of property investors, financial institutions and end-users across the public and private sectors, including retail, investment, manufacturing and healthcare. Adam works with clients to understand their transactional and wider business objectives and by focussing on what is important to the client, helps them to achieve their strategic goals. Adam has a broad range of property experience from straightforward commercial leases, to complex multi-party forward-funded developments.

Adam Friel

Adam Otterway Friel, Partner and Head of Education Law, has over 10 years’ experience and expertise in this specialist field. His interest in education law was sparked as a consequence of his own learning difficulties (dyslexia) and the issues he faced both at school and university. He is therefore genuinely passionate about his work and totally committed to achieving outstanding results. During his career he has developed a modern approach to his practice and prides himself in achieving clients’ results as swiftly as possible, with a straightforward, jargon-free style. He is very passionate about education rights and has been involved in a number of pro bono projects, including free charity monthly advice clinics. Adam is regularly invited to be a speaker at events, talks, workshops and conferences to charities, parent groups and schools regarding educational issues.

Adrienne Donneky

Adrienne is an experienced family lawyer, having over 23 years’ experience advising and representing clients upon all aspects of relationship breakdown including; Divorce Financial issues upon divorce Child arrangements and specific issues in connection with children including relocation, medical treatment and schooling. Disputes between unmarried couples. An additional, and significant part of Adrienne’s practice is advising and assisting clients in the specialist area of relationship planning, drafting, negotiating and finalising pre-nuptial, post-nuptial and cohabitation agreements to protect their wealth. Adrienne is a member of Resolution, and endeavours to deal with cases in a conciliatory and non- confrontational way but is robust when necessary. Adrienne is known for her down to earth, no nonsense practical approach, to ensure cases proceed efficiently, and always strives to achieve the best results for her clients. Adrienne has acted in numerous mid to high-net worth cases including those with complex business, trust or pension elements for business owners, media and sports personalities and other professionals including doctors, lawyers, members of the armed forces and other uniformed services or their spouses. Adrienne also has significant experience in complex matrimonial farming cases. Adrienne is also experienced in representing clients in cases in which one party has received significant compensation following a personal injury or other claim, and for protected parties through a litigation friend when they unfortunately lack the capacity to provide instructions themselves. Adrienne has built strong relationships with leading accountants, independent financial advisors and matrimonial finance barristers in Wales, ensuring the best advice and representation is secured for all of her clients. Through her many years’ experience as a family lawyer, Adrienne has gained a true appreciation of how difficult going through a separation and/or divorce can be for some of her clients, and she is helpful and supportive every step of the way to enable them to navigate the process with the least acrimony and distress.

Alex Butler

Alex is an experienced Corporate Solicitor who specialises in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, equity investments and private equity transactions. Alex has worked in the corporate teams at a number of top tier law firms. He also has experience working as part of a legal advisory team, providing legal advice to the clients of a global corporate services provider. He has particular expertise in corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, equity investments and corporate finance and has acted for a variety of clients, from local owner-managed businesses, start up entities, through to private equity firms and global organisations.

Andrea Clayton

Andrea is an experienced litigator who advises a wide range of clients, helping them to effectively and commercially resolve complex high-value commercial disputes. Andrea advises clients across various sectors including Automotive, Retail, IT, Commercial and residential Landlords. She provides expert advice and guidance to businesses in disputes relating to contract, tort, civil fraud and landlord and tenant issues.

Andrew Jones

Andrew Jones is a solicitor and STEP member with over 25 years’ experience in the private client tax and estate planning field. His areas of specialisation include trusts and trust taxation; inheritance tax planning, especially for entrepreneurs, farmers and clients with high net worth; FATCA; and personal, and estate, income tax and capital gains tax. He has a particular specialisation in the affairs of clients with overseas aspects to their estates – both for non-domiciled clients with UK assets and for England and Wales-domiciled clients with non-UK assets. This includes working closely with overseas lawyers, ensuring that wills dovetail where more than one is used, and in advising on the EU Succession Regulation. Andrew is an enthusiastic trainer on private client law, both as the author of e-learning courses and as an engaging speaker.

Andrew Morris

Andrew is head of the Corporate and Finance team in Cardiff and is a highly experienced Solicitor who leads on some of the largest, most complex and high value corporate and private equity transactions in the Welsh market. He specialises in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, banking and corporate finance, equity and debt investments, joint ventures and corporate governance issues. Andrew has recently advised clients on transactions in the manufacturing, gaming, IT, healthcare, life sciences, financial services, retail, recruitment, leisure and food sectors. His key clients include Celsa, Novomatic, Business Growth Fund and Deloitte but he has a varied client base from large global corporates, private equity houses and venture capitalists, through to owner managed businesses, entrepreneurs and public sector organisations. The Geldards’ Corporate team has enjoyed a Tier 1 ranking in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 legal directories for over 20 years. Andrew has also maintained a Tier 1 individual ranking in Chambers & Partners and has been recognised in the Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame”. Andrew is a member of the Business Council of the Cardiff Capital Region and is heavily involved in helping to determine policy and structures to drive business growth in the region.

Anne Taylor

Anne is a Senior Associate and has over 10 years’ experience as a private client solicitor. She is highly experienced in all aspects of wills, trusts, powers of attorney and estate administration and leads a section of the team dedicated to effective trust and estate administration. A skilled wealth planner, Anne is a longstanding member of Camelot’s lottery advisory panel, providing expert advice and support to numerous winners over the years. She has worked closely with several very significant winners to implement effective long term personal planning strategies, and forged strong relationships as their trusted advisor. Anne is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is on the committee of the STEP Wales branch. She acts for both professional and lay executors in administering estates and has experience of dealing with high value estates, comprising of business and agricultural assets. Anne also carries out trust administration work. Anne has developed a niche area of practice in relation to compensation protection and court of protection work (including high value statutory will and gift applications and contentious court of protection proceedings). She regularly has matters referred to her by other law firms and other professionals, who recognise her specialism and reputation in these areas (including the Official Solicitor).

Bethan Walsh

Bethan works with a wide range of not-for-profit organisations, from new start-ups to some of the largest charities in the country. The organisations she has advised are diverse, including art and culture, education, animal welfare, religion, community regeneration, youth and age, sport and health. Bethan takes time to get to know her clients and build long-term relationships, offering practical advice and supporting them with their strategic aims. She regularly shares her experience and knowledge by writing articles and speaking at seminars. As a charity trustee herself, Bethan has a strong understanding of the issues facing charities in the real world. Bethan works with all types of charities, foundations and not-for-profit organisations, including charitable trusts, charitable companies, CIOs, Royal Charter bodies, community benefit societies, unincorporated associations and clubs. She advises charities and not-for-profits on issues of charity law, governance, charity formations, restructurings, grant-making, fundraising and regulatory engagement with the Charity Commission, Financial Conduct Authority and Companies House. She also advises charities on mergers and collaborations, constitutional concerns, trustee duties, setting up trading subsidiaries and general operation. Bethan also assists with preparing policies & procedures and delivering training for charity staff and trustees.

Charles Felgate

Charles supervises the Planning and Environmental team, which has a significant contentious and non-contentious practice acting for both the private and public sector. The team advise on planning processes and decision making, appeals, judicial reviews, statutory challenges, enforcement and certificate applications and appeals. They also have expertise in compulsory purchase and associated compensation matters, including certificates of appropriate alternative development and references to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). Charles advised Calderdale Borough Council in relation to the land assembly for a number of strategic transport and regeneration projects. He represented the Welsh Government in relation to the M4 Corridor around Newport proposals and in relation to marine planning policy matters and represented Powys County Council at the Mid Wales Conjoined Windfarm Inquiry. Charles advises all three of the Welsh National Park Authorities and he also has a significant section 106 practice, acting for both the private and public sectors. He recently completed a minerals planning appeal on land at Tir Pentwys, Torfaen, a planning appeal in relation to a mixed use scheme at Castlewood Business Park in Nottinghamshire and defended an application for a declaration that an historic planning permission could be implemented at Aberdyfi.

Chris Williams

Chris is Head of Commercial Law in Cardiff. He advises private, public sector and voluntary organisations on the negotiation and structuring of complex commercial contracts including trading agreements, agency and distribution contracts and partnership agreements. He advises clients on complex commercial contracts helping them to identify and manage any risks and negotiate terms. He is able to draw on experience from sectors such as health, local and devolved government and travel so that the legal arrangements are tailored to the context as appropriate. This helps clients in saving time and ultimately money in the negotiation process.

Chris Hawrylak

Chris is considered by his clients to be “extremely proactive” and excels in regeneration projects, funding transactions and complex commercial developments. He is recognised by the Legal 500 as a ‘leading individual’ in the sector. Chris has a strong reputation for high levels of client service combined with a strong sense of commercial awareness, and is considered the ‘go-to’ construction specialist for several of the East Midlands’ largest developers and contractors. With an in-depth understanding of the industry, Chris will support you wherever you are in the supply chain, including local authorities, developers, contractors, funding institutions and other construction professionals. Chris has a proven track record in risk management and project delivery and has extensive experience of: Interfacing multiple construction contracts and consultants’ appointments on fundable terms Insurance issues and the interfacing of the different policies; namely Works Insurance, PL and PI Market expectations on contractual terms which limit the liability of the project team. Chris has particular expertise in funding arrangements and advises large regional and national clients on security requirements for high value projects. His knowledge of regeneration work means he has been retained to advise public sector clients on some of the East Midlands’ largest regeneration projects.

Claire Laviers

Claire is a Senior Associate in the Construction team, experienced in transactional construction matters advising on all aspects of construction contract drafting and negotiation, from standard industry forms to bespoke project specific contracts. She has expertise in assessing and advising on responsibility for construction risk, both during and after the construction period and putting in place measures to mitigate such risks. Claire regularly acts for public sector entities such as local authorities, government departments and higher education establishments as well as private sector banks, energy providers, developers and charities. Claire is adept at advising from differing perspectives whether for a landlord or tenant, contractor or developer, funder or borrower. She provides comprehensive commercial advice to assist the parties in reaching agreement, whilst meeting the client’s objectives and risk profile. In addition to advising on building contracts and the usual ancillary documents, much of her private sector work involves advising on and drafting construction elements of property sale agreements or agreements for lease.

Claire Dean

Claire is a senior family solicitor, practising since 1990 and a partner in the family team at Geldards LLP. Claire is head of Geldards children team and sits on the local Family Justice Board in respect of children matters, and is a renowned expert in complex private children cases. Her reputation is as a strong and determined advocate for clients. She is frank but fair and will go the extra mile to ensure her clients get the right outcomes. Claire is also head of Geldards agricultural team and acts for farmers and land owners in the very niche area of family law that applies to them on separation and divorce. Claire drafts pre nuptial agreements and cohabitation contracts to help protect farms, land and business’ from the consequences of a divorce. Claire is an experienced mediator and advocate of alternative dispute resolution wherever appropriate. Claire will always try to find a resolution for her clients that wherever possible avoids the need for protracted and expensive litigation. Claire is a trained domestic violence advocate and adviser. She is a member of the national Resolution Domestic Abuse Committee a. Claire has more knowledge that almost all other lawyers of the impacts of controlling relationships and can help clients move forward in very frightening situations. Claire’s financial practise is extensive and she specialises in high net worth cases and financial planning on and after marriage. Claire will try and find a financial outcome for clients that is fair.

Clare Hardy

Clare is a Partner who advises on a range of public law matters. Her experience includes advising on governance on constitutional issues, local government law, disclosure of information, member conduct, school governance and organisation and public procurement. She has worked on a range of complex projects, assisted and advised on investigations and reviewed guidance and other documents. Clare’s experience includes acting on a range of complex projects, involving public bodies. This includes advising on powers and governance, carrying out options appraisals, drafting and negotiating agreements and advising on land disposal.

David Watson

David leads the Nottingham property team and has extensive experience in a broad range of property transactional work. He acts for numerous regional commercial and residential property developers in relation to site assembly, development and disposal, and has been involved in a number of regionally important development projects. David manages the team’s lease renewal group, a multi-disciplinary team which provides a dedicated and highly cost-effective service, and which has generated significant cost savings for clients in recent years. Those clients include Boots UK Limited and associated companies (which have a portfolio of 3,000 plus properties) and the Eurocell group of companies. David also advises a number of local and regional investors in relation to portfolio acquisitions and disposals, and other portfolio management transactions.

Debra Martin

Debra heads up the Corporate practice in the Midlands. She specialises in corporate finance and has worked on a range of transactions including mergers and acquisitions, disposals, private equity deals, transitions to employee ownership and joint venture investments and shareholder arrangements. Her clients range from corporate bodies, owner managers, family-run companies, management teams, employee ownership trusts, business angels and institutional funds. Debra’s strength and depth of experience is reflected by the broad range of needs she manages for her diverse client base. Debra regularly undertakes transactions for owner managers and corporates looking for investment to grow their businesses, either organically or through a buy and build strategy, and business angels and institutional funds looking to make equity investments in privately owned companies in the UK. Transitioning the ownership of businesses is also a regular feature of Debra’s work, either to a third party by way of a sale, or to a management team through a Management Buy Out, or to employees by transition to an Employee Ownership Trust.

Donna Makin

Donna heads up the Corporate Claims team and has specialised in defendant personal injury claims since 1992. She defends public and employer liability claims on behalf of insurers, devolved government, local authorities and public bodies, charities and large corporates. Her practice encompasses injury claims (ranging from slips/trips through to catastrophic injury and death) and occupational disease claims (including asbestos related diseases, occupational deafness, cancers, vibration white finger, and dermatitis). She also advises on risk management and policy and undertakes insurance and corporate archaeology, claims audits and internal investigations. Donna has specialised in defendant personal injury work since qualification. She was previously a Partner at Eversheds and headed an employer liability team there before joining Geldards. She regularly defends asbestos related claims in the High Court as well as multi track injury and occupational disease claims in the County Court. In addition to her employer liability practice, Donna regularly is instructed to defend public liability claims in negligence and under the Occupiers’ Liability Acts.

Douglas Hamer

Douglas is a specialist SEN support solicitor, advising and assisting parents and young people on a variety of education issues, with a particular focus on appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal and ECHP negotiations. Douglas has diagnoses of autism and ADHD, which although presenting challenges to him, also present strengths and give him a high level of insight into what his clients’ children go through. With over nine years of experience as an education law solicitor, Douglas’ focus is on Education, Health and Care plans – ensuring they secure the right provision and placement for the child or young person. As part of this process, Douglas also ensures that they are worded robustly and protect the child or young person in the future. He also provides services concerning section 444 attendance issues, care issues, admissions appeals, disability discrimination, exclusions appeals, higher education and disability benefits. One of Douglas’s key competencies as a solicitor is in the ‘working document’ stage, where both parties negotiate an EHCP’s wording. He attributes his extreme attention to detail and perfectionist approach in this area to his neurodivergence, an example of it being a blessing rather than a curse in a professional context, which Douglas is keen for his clients’ children to experience. Douglas has also developed expertise in connection with Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS). He represents clients to secure highly bespoke EOTAS packages, often for children who have reached autistic burnout or a prohibitive state of anxiety. EOTAS can be achieved both through section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014, by way of an EHCP, and also through section 19 of the Education Act 1996, a lesser-known route that can yield results in urgent circumstances. He also advises clients on elective home education (EHE). Douglas has successfully appealed to have children placed in numerous specialist settings, including the following: Grateley House School (weekly residential). Swalcliffe Park School (weekly residential). Hurst Lodge School. Unicorn School. Moor House School and College. Blossom House School. Side by Side School. Gesher School. Hardwick House. Douglas has secured placements at dozens of other special schools around the country, as well as securing numerous EOTAS packages. Douglas takes every one of his cases extremely seriously and puts maximal efforts into helping clients identify the best school or educational route for their child and fighting tenaciously to achieve the results they need.

Ed Meggitt

Ed advises owners and occupiers of commercial properties to help manage, protect and enforce their property rights. He is a vastly experienced litigator and negotiator of mediated settlements. Ed has acted for a wide range of clients across many different sectors including retail, industrial, utilities, public sector and development, many of which are household names. Ed is able to draw on his wide experience of handling cases, some of which have reached the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, to help identify a bespoke strategy for the best legal and/or commercial solution to a property problem. He advises property clients on all issues arising from their estate management, including service of notices, damages claims for breach of covenants and advice on the court process for lease renewal claims. He also advises clients on disputes which may arise as an occupier or developer of land. Activities by adjoining occupiers can give rise to a variety of claims in nuisance or trespass and easement/access disputes and Ed has unique experience in acting for landowners in resolving mass trespass situations. He also advises clients on problems arising from property related transactions including rectification of agreements and professional negligence.

Erica Thomson

Erica is a Partner and Head of the Private Client team in the East Midlands. She has over 20 years’ of legal and tax experience and regularly receives recommendations from clients and other professionals, including accountants and financial advisers. Erica has extensive expertise in advising high net worth clients in wealth preservation and tax planning. She has an expanding client base of business owners who require advice on Inheritance Tax and succession planning. Erica also advises clients on the administration of complex estates (including BPR and APR claims), the creation of trusts and all aspects of private client work. Erica is known for her pragmatic and empathetic expert legal advice and has a loyal client base, often acting for different generations of the same family. She advises on sophisticated will and lifetime trust planning, high value and complex trust and estate administration work for farm and business owners, wealthy families and vulnerable beneficiaries.

Fiona Apthorpe

Fiona is a Partner and heads Geldards’ Family team across the four Geldards’ offices. She is an experienced specialist family lawyer, Family Mediator, Family Arbitrator, Private Financial Dispute Resolution Judge, Collaborative Family Lawyer and experienced Deputy District Judge/Specialist Financial Remedies Judge. Fiona is the only Chambers Band 1 ranked family lawyer in the Derby area and is recognised as one of the top three leading family lawyers in the East Midlands by the Legal 500. Fiona specialises in more complex medium to high net worth financial cases (particularly those involving businesses, inherited assets, farms and family-owned or controlled assets/Trusts), wealth protection, Pre-Nuptial Agreements and same-sex marriage/civil partnership breakdowns. Fiona’s extensive experience and reputation in financial remedy cases have attracted instructions from many wealthy businessmen and women and high net worth individuals including the Trustees of Family Trusts, sports managers, footballers and an MP. She negotiates multi-million-pound complex financial settlements and is regularly instructed by affluent London clients at the recommendation of their barristers. Her firm but fair, pragmatic and determined yet respectful approach has led to instructions on several occasions from parties whom she acted against in their first divorce!

Gillian Crouch

Gillian is an experienced Senior Associate in the Probate and Estates administration section of the Private Client team. Although Gillian advises on all areas of private client work, she specialises in the effective administration of high-value estates, probate, complex trusts and matters and vulnerable beneficiary trusts. Gillian acts for and advises lay executors and trustees, as well as dealing with estates where Geldards are appointed as executors, or act as Trustee via the Geldards Trust Corporation. Gillian deals with numerous high-value trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries and works closely with the vulnerable person and those who support them. She puts in place investment strategies in conjunction with independent financial advice, to ensure that such benefit may be provided for the vulnerable person. Gillian works closely with executors, trustees, beneficiaries and family members providing empathetic and pragmatic advice and support to her many clients.

Giselle Davies

Graham Banks

Graham is the head of the Derby office and heads up the Derby Property team. His particular specialism is commercial and residential development acting on behalf of Developer, Landowner and Occupier. Graham’s experience extends to strategic land and short-term development land, with deal size varying from anything from small single-use developments to sites comprising 3000 units. He is known for his good, sound practical advice on how to get from A to B. Graham spends the majority of his time dealing with residential development sites comprising conditional contracts, option agreements, promotion agreements, collaboration agreements and all manner of infrastructure and planning documents. He also undertakes similar work in the commercial sector but including forward funding and investment agreements, joint ventures and project management structures. Clients enjoy discussing ideas with Graham to reach a practical commercial solution.

Harriet Morgan

Harriet is head of the Charities and Third Sector team, a specialist in charity property. She is ranked in the Legal 500 and Chambers directories as a Leading Individual. She regularly advises a broad range of local and national charities on property and governance matters. She also advises on charity structures and incorporations, as well as group structures for housing associations and charities with trading arms. Charities that Harriet acts for include; English and Welsh housing associations, the Royal Voluntary Service, Arts Council of Wales, Wales Millennium Centre, Assemblies of God Churches, and the Church in Wales. Harriet advises churches of all denominations, specialises in Ecclesiastical law, and is the Registrar of the Diocese of Llandaff in the Church in Wales. She advises churches on incorporating to become charitable companies or CIOs, guiding them through the process of registration at the Charity Commission and the transfer of assets, as well as on constitutional and property issues. Harriet’s work in the Housing sector includes advising general needs housing associations on residential and mixed-use developments, social and intermediate rented properties as well as low cost home ownership. Supported living structures and developments are a niche area of expertise.

Heather Dixon

Heather has an excellent track record delivering pragmatic advice to developers and landowners on a comprehensive range of transactions relating to the acquisition, development, letting and disposal of commercial and residential sites. She successfully works with a client’s internal and wider professional team to proactively identify key issues and find solutions to achieve the best possible outcome for her client. A source describes Heather as “exceptionally committed and diligent, she makes deals happen whilst protecting our legal interests.” Heather’s principal focus is acting for developers dealing with site assembly, conditional build agreements and forward funding in the industrial and logistics market. Heather also deals with the acquisition and disposal of residential development sites and has assisted a number of local FE Colleges with site disposals to generate substantial inward investment in learning facilities.

Ioan Owen

Ioan is a senior property Partner in the Cardiff office. He advises a wide range of private, public and third sector clients including office owners and occupiers, national retailers and investors. Ioan works primarily in the landlord and tenant sphere of property, acting for landlords, tenants or investors. He acts for a number of investor landlords and office occupiers on acquisitions disposals renewals and estate management issues. Ioan has extensive experience advising national retailers on their retail leases across England and Wales and also acts for a number of companies on their office portfolio requirements including lease renewals termination and dilapidation issues. His experience includes advising a FTSE 100 company on a £60m new headquarters development, comprising a purpose-built 12 storey 220,000 sq. ft building. Ioan advised on all pre-letting requirements, approval of funding, construction and overage requirements. Ioan also advised on a £20m 80,000 sq. ft development which included dealing with all pre-letting requirements approval of funding and associated issues

Jaclyn Barnes

Jackie is a Partner in the Private Client team, advising clients on wills, tax and estate planning, estate administration, trust administration and court of protection matters. Jackie became a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners in 2008. Clients are often referred to Jackie by other professional advisers with whom she works to provide a joined up approach to the client’s personal planning. Jackie works closely with client’s other key advisors to provide a holistic approach to their planning. Jackie helps to administer a number of large family trusts and is often involved with estates with cross border assets and/or people.

Jamie Goldberg

Jamie is a commercial contracts and corporate lawyer with a particular focus in the sport, media and entertainment sectors. Jamie acts for investors, national and international sport governing bodies, sports agents, national selectors and other sport and media executives, rights holders, sports clubs and associations, media agencies, athletes, brands, theatre groups, ticketing businesses and a host of other commercial organisations. Jamie represents: Sports rights holders in relation to sponsorship, partnerships, licensing and media rights agreements. National sport governing bodies for all commercial requirements (he advised on the hosting and staging agreements for the 2019 Cricket World Cup). World-renowned athletes in relation to sponsorship and endorsements, appearance agreements, representation agreements, image rights, joint ventures and other commercial opportunities. Media and entertainment clients such as theatre groups, ticketing businesses, live music events, venues and digital media businesses in relation to production and distribution, software and services agreements and digital media contracts. The organisers of major events

Jamie Gordon

Jamie is a veteran property lawyer who joined Geldards in 1996, having previously spent 11 years at Hogan Lovells in London. He established the firm’s Nottingham property practice and developed and led the Networks team, the largest department in the firm, managing thousands of electricity and gas network transactions for numerous utilities network operator clients. He also conducted some of the region’s highest profile and most significant deals and projects, such as Trinity House, E.ON’s landmark HQ in Nottingham and the Markham Vale regeneration scheme. After decades of success, Jamie has handed over the reins of the 40+ strong Networks team of lawyers, paralegals and administrators, specialising in delivering high volume, time critical property solutions for electricity and gas distribution operators – the largest team of its kind in the UK – to Jay Atubra and become a part time consultant. Under Jay’s leadership, the team will continue to demonstrate its cutting edge expertise regarding the interface between independent distribution network operators, independent connection providers and distribution network operators, leverage its unrivalled industry experience to devise innovative time saving processes and systems, seamlessly take on large caseloads from previous legal services providers and exemplify its unique dual client and customer focus.

Jane Cowley

Jane is an experienced Family Lawyer and Collaborative Practitioner. She advises clients on all aspects of relationship and family matters, focusing on complex financial and company issues involving owner managed businesses, company re-structuring, and national and international assets. Jane regularly supports high net worth individuals with complex asset structures, many involving private and public limited companies, and focusing on shareholding and taxation issues within a family context. She deals with cases with substantial assets and offshore structures and has acted for many professionals amongst the business community. Jane is Director and former Chair of Leicestershire Business Voice, a member of the De Montfort University Legal Advisory Board and is retained as a Legal Advisor for ITV Studios, Emmerdale programme. She is often called upon to advise the media in relation to family law matters.

Janine Hobday

Advising on a wide range of family law matters, Janine specialises in dealing with the financial repercussions of relationship breakdown. By taking the time to fully understand a client’s individual and business needs, Janine gives practical and pragmatic advice to spouses and civil partners. She has successfully represented city professionals, medics, entrepreneurs, farmers and sports personalities. Janine increasingly drafts, negotiates and advises on nuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements to protect and safeguard family wealth. Janine is solution driven; aiming to resolve disputes as swiftly and constructively as possible.

Jenny Chatten

Jenny is an experienced corporate lawyer, advising companies through periods of change and helping them to achieve their business goals. She also leads the Banking team in the Midlands, helping companies and banks negotiate and make sense of funding documents. She acts for the major UK banks, as well as for public and private sector lenders and borrowers. Jenny works with businesses and owners to help them strategise and plan for their future, whether for a sale, succession planning or investment. She is known for applying commercial solutions to complex issues, for her level head and good business sense. Jenny performs a wide range of corporate and corporate finance work, including advising on buying and selling businesses, mergers and acquisitions, MBOs, shareholders’ agreements, joint ventures and general company law. Jenny also provides advice on the full range of banking matters, including loan documentation, guarantees, security documents, deeds of priority and intercreditor arrangements. Jenny also has particular expertise in agriculture, where she advises on farming partnerships, and in the care sector, where she advises on provision of finance for and sales of care homes and pharmacies.

Joga Singh

Joga is an experienced employment and immigration lawyer who has extensive experience in providing strategic advice in complex employment law, immigration and HR matters. Joga has a wealth of experience in tribunal litigation and regularly appears in the Employment Tribunal defending all types of claims, from single day hearings for unfair dismissal claims to multi-day hearings for complex, high value claims, such as discrimination and whistleblowing. Joga’s diverse client base includes national employers from a variety of sectors, including fintech, insurance, retail, manufacturing, life science and healthcare. Joga also acts for local authorities and governmental departments. Joga acts for clients in contentious and non-contentious matters providing advice on all aspects of employment law. He specialises in providing advice on TUPE, business restructure, collective consultation, redundancy, contractual disputes, enforceability of restrictive covenants, complex high-value industrial action, discrimination, workplace disputes and performance management. Joga also advises on employment law issues relating to corporate mergers and acquisitions. With regards to immigration law, Joga advises clients in relating to obtaining a sponsorship licence and ongoing compliance with the sponsor requirements. He also delivers bespoke training sessions on a variety of employment law and HR issues.

Jonathan Griffiths

Jonathan is an experienced dispute resolution Partner, advising both public and private sector clients on a range of disputes and litigation issues. He is currently most active advising on public law disputes in the Administrative Court and in procurement-related cases. He also advises on contract, defamation and sports-related issues and has participated in public inquiries. His work has involved acting for commercial organisations, central government (and central government-sponsored bodies), local government and other public bodies. He also acts for sports governing bodies and occasionally individuals. Jonathan’s cases in the Administrative Court have involved judicial review applications in relation to planning and procurement decisions as well as the exercise of powers. He has also conducted numerous statutory challenges and statutory appeals. Since 2020 he has successfully represented contracting authorities on five separate challenges to contract award decisions and managed to avoid legal action in each case. In addition, he is experienced in representing clients on procurement disputes in the Technology and Construction Court where litigation has been issued. He has also been involved in advising on sports disciplinary procedures and where those procedures have been escalated to Court action and before Sports Resolution Arbitration panels. He has resolved disputes via mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution across the entire range of his practice.

Jonathan Butler

Jon is a Partner handling large and complex commercial disputes across a broad range of sectors. He is joint head of the Automotive team, described in Legal 500 UK 2020 as a “powerhouse”. The Automotive team represent manufacturers and some of the largest franchised motor vehicle retailers across the UK. Jon is a Board member of The Vehicle Remarketing Association Limited (The VRA) which seeks to protect the interests of businesses involved in the used car market for the greater good of the re-marketing sector. He is a member of LawInSport and ranked in Legal 500 UK as a Leading Individual and Recommended Lawyer for Dispute Resolution in the East Midlands.

Justin Harrington

Justin is a technology lawyer with over 25 years’ experience in the industry and is acknowledged by the legal directories as a ‘leading individual’. Having previously worked as a partner in a major technology practice in the City of London, he has a particular interest in IT outsourcing, cloud, IoT, system integration and complex technology contracts. Justin has advised on some of the largest technology deals in the UK. He advises numerous leading IT and outsourcing suppliers and their customers on their provision, procurement and use of the latest technology and related services. Justin has particular experience in financial services IT, both PRA and FCA, but advises across all regulated sectors including, education, healthcare and the wider public sector.

Karl Baranski

Karl’s area of expertise in corporate banking includes advising banks and businesses on a wide range of banking matters including, loan agreements, security documents, deeds of priority, subordination arrangements and intercreditor agreements. He also advises clients in relation to debt restructuring and rescheduling of debtors. Karl advises banks, financial institutions and government on a wide variety of project funding including, residential and commercial property development, renewable energy products (including wind and solar power) and asset funding.

Kate Keenan

Kate is an experienced Family solicitor advising on all aspects of financial matters arising from the breakdown of a relationship; whether married, cohabiting, or same sex couples. Cases often involve complex issues such as significant business interests, pensions and third-party involvement. Kate assists clients looking to protect their interests and assets, whether at the outset or in the early or later stages in a relationship, advising on Pre- and Post-Nuptial Agreements and Cohabitation Agreements (‘Living Together Agreements’). She also represents and advises on the arrangements for children following a relationship breakdown. Kate regularly deals with financial matters arising through divorce, helping clients reach agreement, whether in or out of the Court process. She is well-versed in considering alternative ways of resolving disputes, without resorting to Court proceedings. She has advised on two reported cases, involving business worth £50m+. She advises cohabitees, drafting Living Together Agreements or assisting them in reaching an agreement on separation. Kate helps clients resolve the arrangements for children, dealing specifically with who they are to live with and/or spend time with as well as advising on specific issues, such as a change of school or surname.

Kevin McManamon

Kevin is a Partner specialising in Education law and Mental Capacity law, and acts for families across the whole of England and Wales. He is the only solicitor in the country to have genuine expertise in special educational needs law as it applies to the separate jurisdictions in England and Wales, combined with Mental Capacity law in both jurisdictions. Having previous practised in City of London firms, Kevin has also headed up a Court of Protection Department and is a member of the Education Law Association and the Court of Protection Practitioners Association. With over 15 years’ experience and expertise in these specialist fields he has advised a huge number of families and individuals on education law, disability-related matters and public law.

Kim Howell

Kim has over 20 years’ experience of delivering strategic solutions in the field of employment. Kim is an Employment Law Consultant at Geldards and is renowned for her strategic approach to complex employment issues, and for designing innovative solutions to a variety of key challenges. Her work includes all aspects of Employment and Discrimination law and she is known for her unique understanding of cross public sector issues, including schools. She is well-regarded for her achievements in developing an All Wales strategy for the management of multiple equal pay litigation and pay modernisation, her keen interest and innovative approach to public service redesign, and a pragmatic and commercial approach to the resolution of associated workforce issues. Kim’s technical expertise in areas such as TUPE, organisational restructure and redundancy management, as well as dispute management, resolution a

Laura Alliss

Laura is a Partner who specialises in the area of disputed wills, trusts and probate. Laura is regularly instructed by charities, executors, trustees and beneficiaries in relation to the challenge of wills/trusts, disputes between executors/trustees and beneficiaries, claims for reasonable financial provision, court of protection proceedings and professional negligence claims. In 2018 Laura was recognised as a specialist in the field of contentious probate and trusts when she was accepted as a member of ACTAPS (the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists). Laura is also a member of the Court of Protection Practitioners Association (CoPPa).

Liz Ganderton

Liz specialises in commercial property and acts for a broad range of clients including national plc’s, educational and broadcasting institutions and registered social landlords. She has particular expertise in the fields of social housing, utilities and telecommunications. She advises national plc’s such as Western Power Distribution and has dealt with all aspects of their property portfolio since 2000, including their operational and investment properties and their portfolio of telecommunications sites. She also has substantial experience of acting for registered social landlords, both in relation to developments sites and secured lending. Liz deals with all aspects of commercial property including acquisitions and disposals, leasehold and freehold. She has particular experience in the utilities and telecommunications sector, having dealt with many telecommunications agreement acting for both landlord and tenant and has written articles and given lectures on the subject. She also has expertise in the social housing sector, in particular in relation to secured lending, having dealt with many securitisation transactions, some involving many hundreds of units. She has been recognised by Legal 500 for a number of years as a “Leading Individual” in the social housing sector.

Llinos Davies

Llinos is a Senior Associate in the Property Dispute Resolution team. She has acts for a wide variety of clients, including well-known high street retailers, charitable organisations and utility providers. Llinos advises on a wide range of property disputes and assists senior members of the team on complex and high value litigated matters. Llinos has developed an excellent working relationship with a number of national retailers and frequently advises these companies on lease renewal proceedings under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. She prides herself on understanding the commercial requirements of clients and her approach to litigation is tailored accordingly. She has experience in advising clients on recovering possession of property against former tenants and trespassers, having recently acted on behalf of a Local Authority to recover possession of its land to enable planned development to proceed in accordance with the client’s timetable.

Lloyd Smith

Lloyd is a Partner in the Nottingham Dispute Resolution team with over fourteen years’ litigation experience and with particular expertise in dealing with complex cases spanning multiple jurisdictions. Lloyd is experienced in resolving business owner disputes as well as helping clients with technology disputes, financial regulatory issues and franchising disputes. He regularly advises on issues including breach of contract or warranty claims, advising on contract termination in business owner disputes (shareholder and/or partnership disputes) as well as in the Technology sector (both telecoms and internet). In the Financial Services sector, Lloyd provides support in relation to regulatory issues, fraud claims, corporate finance issues and miss selling of financial products. Whilst in the Franchising sector, advising franchisors in relation to managing their network. In addition, Lloyd advises on Regulatory issues and Parliamentary investigations. In the current environment, supporting clients with their business interruption claims advising on all aspects as well as reviewing their insurance policies to ensure that they are robust should another unforeseen incident occur.

Lowri Phillips

Lowri is a Partner in the Employment Department with over 20 years’ knowledge and hands-on experience of all aspects of employment law. She is a trusted adviser to some of the firm’s large commercial clients. Lowri’s role is to steer organisations through the complex world of employment law whilst providing practical solutions to difficult HR issues. Lowri also advises the public and third sector on both contentious and non-contentious employment matters. She is the Head of the Information Law team and advises in connection with GDPR compliance and all aspects of data protection law and freedom of information. Lowri enjoys dealing with tricky HR issues such as disciplinary and grievance matters, interpreting terms of employment and managing redundancy exercises. One of Lowri’s main areas of expertise is handling complex and high-value litigation, such as whistleblowing, discrimination and equal pay claims. An example of this is her leadership of a team advising an international bank on a multi-million-pound claim for whistleblowing. More recently she has been responsible for managing the defence of multiple equal pay claims for Local Authorities across Wales and in England. Lowri is also a renowned expert in information law and has trained clients and fellow practitioners on compliance with the GDPR. Lowri advises on all aspects data protection compliance, which includes dealing with employee data breaches and complex subject access requests from employees.

Mark Hacking

Mark is a property litigation specialist, dealing with disputes about land or anything attached to land. He enjoys guiding commercial and private clients through the complex and technical world of litigation and property management with his own individual blend of commercial acumen and humour. He also handles professional negligence work, particularly regarding property matters. Mark is seen by his clients, both blue chip household names and private individuals, as a trusted adviser, providing not just legal advice, but commercial and strategic guidance. Mark also practises as a Notary Public and is a qualified commercial Mediator. Mark has particular expertise in landlord and tenant disputes and property management work, acting for both landlords and tenants. Issues can arise both during and at the end of a commercial lease; Mark and his team are there to help whenever the need arises. He also handles issues relating to freehold property, title disputes, rights of way. Mark advises the Firm’s major household name clients in the utilities, motor retail and retail sectors, as well as private commercial businesses, developers and investors.

Michael Lindsey

Michael is a leading intellectual property lawyer advising on all aspects of IP law, including trade marks, designs, copyright, database rights, patents and confidential information. He is an experienced IP litigator who also has significant experience as a transactional IP lawyer. Working from our London and Cardiff offices, Michael’s client base is broad and includes public and private companies, charities, universities, museums and libraries, and local and national government. Michael’s sector experience includes retail, charity, fashion, automotive, engineering and design, art and photography, travel, sport, IT, music, film and broadcasting, and life sciences. Michael has a wealth of experience, having specialised as an intellectual property lawyer since 1992. He has conducted IP cases in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (formerly the Patents County Court), High Court and Court of Appeal, and also the Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and an Affiliate Member of the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, and sits on (and formerly chaired) the latter’s Design and Copyright Working Group. He has also advised on many significant IP licensing deals and corporate due diligence exercises.

Michael Evans

Michael is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team, advising national and regional businesses, public bodies and third sector clients. He is a responsive and experienced commercial litigation solicitor, providing tailored, practical and effective dispute resolution advice. Michael specialises in commercial disputes, advising on commercial contracts claims, competition law claims and disputes involving director, company shareholders and/or partnerships, as well as professional negligence claims. Michael regularly assists clients to recover debts of various values and complexity. He also advises clients and officeholders in relation to personal and corporate insolvency matters. Michael regularly advises clients on contractual disputes covering a wide variety of breach of contract claims, including for example; general breaches, debt recovery and breach of warranty. In addition, he works with clients to resolve professional negligence claims and disputes between shareholder(s) and/or director(s) and within partnerships. Michael has experience in handling high value, complex multi-party disputes and of working on cross-border disputes with international clients and issues. Michael regularly advises clients, insolvency practitioners, creditors and debtors in relation to personal and corporate insolvency. He has also successfully resolved disputes using alternative dispute resolution methods, including virtual and in-person mediations.

Mike Jeffs

Mike has advised a wide range of commercial real estate investors, developers and funders. He advises both individual and corporate investors dealing in properties in the retail, leisure, office, health care, industrial, manufacturing and residential portfolio sectors. His expertise extends to a range of private and public sector clients including the Welsh Government, the Ministry of Defence, universities and housing associations. Working with our Construction team, he has advised developers and funders on construction projects ranging from offices and hotels to sports stadiums and wind farms. Mike has over 30 years of experience in the funding of commercial property, investment, acquisition and development projects and expertise in all aspects of secured lending, including syndicated lending transactions and portfolio finance. Lender clients include major clearing banks, second tier funders, building societies and public sector finance providers.

Natalie Haydon-Yeung

Natalie advises clients on a full range of family matters. She regularly represents married clients in divorce and financial remedy cases. She advises unmarried couples on the separation of assets following a relationship breakdown, including incorporation of any agreements into legally binding documents. Natalie also acts for parents and grandparents in relation to arrangements concerning their children and grandchildren. This includes day to day arrangements along with cases of relocation both domestically and internationally. Natalie is regularly involved in complex financial remedy cases involving large property portfolios, trust assets and business interests. In respect of children matters, Natalie represents clients in high conflict and protracted proceedings involving sensitive issues such as domestic violence, substance misuse, mental health and parental conflict. Natalie has represented clients at various Finding of Fact Hearings.

Nicola Lawrence

Nicola is a Partner in the Property Litigation team. With an emphasis on commercial property, she is experienced in all aspects of real estate and landlord and tenant practice both commercial and residential. She specialises in portfolio management for landlords, including high-value dilapidation disputes, break clause compliance, forfeiture, interpretation of lease covenants, restrictive covenants/easements, adverse possession claims, trespass and nuisance. She acts for national corporate clients, public bodies, utility companies, building societies, and equity investment companies providing advice on: Termination of commercial tenancies including advising on conditions connected to the operation of a break provision; service of statutory notices and common law notices to quit. Lease renewal proceedings, including contested and uncontested applications for a new lease. Enforcement of lease covenants, including forfeiture for non-payment of rent or other breaches of lease covenants high-value dilapidation disputes. Representing clients in the First-tier tribunal (Property Chamber) in claims for adverse possession. Representing clients in professional negligence cases, including surveyors and solicitors in connection with property transactions. Advising on nuisance claims arising from interference with easements.

Nino Simone

Nino is head of the Dispute Resolution team in the Midlands and specialises in all areas of Dispute Resolution, complex Commercial Contract disputes, Shareholder disputes, Adjudication and Contentious Intellectual Property. He also co-chairs the Firms Automotive Sector and is an Accredited Mediator with ADR. He is a facilitator bringing together experience of commercial negotiation and strategic advice to find a commercial solution for all concerned. He oversees Geldards’ German desk. Nino has acted for large and small businesses in contractual disputes as well as acting for Directors in Shareholder disputes with fellow Directors or Shareholders. He applies Mediation skills to every situation to try and find a solution for all concerned.

Paul Hopkins

Paul heads up Dispute Resolution in Cardiff. He has over 30 years commercial litigation and dispute resolution experience, with particular expertise in handling high value, large and complex commercial disputes. His practice covers commercial contract, product liability, intellectual property, international, company shareholder and director issues, partnership disputes, insolvency, civil fraud, sports disputes, competition and professional negligence cases. His clients include manufacturing and construction, financial and professional services, technology, sports and public sector clients. Paul’s experience includes representing the Welsh Government and NHS in substantial competition law cases. He has also obtained injunctive relief for corporate clients, including obtaining a freezing injunction over a company director’s assets and recovery of misappropriated assets. He has been involved in some leading shareholder and sports related cases and pursued professional negligence claims against surveyors, accountants, financial advisors and solicitors amongst others. He has appeared at all levels of the court system including the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, where he was involved in the first case relating to the Welsh devolved settlement.

Paul Feenan

Paul is a highly experienced corporate lawyer advising businesses of all sizes on the full range of company law matters, from M&A transactions to strategic advice to shareholders and directors. Clients particularly value Paul’s ability to focus on the points that matter, his approachable nature and his appreciation that getting the right deal at the right price applies as much to legal services as it does to buying and selling your business. Paul’s main area of expertise is M&A transactions and he regularly advises clients on strategic acquisitions and disposals, whether for owner managed businesses or larger corporate groups. Paul also has a wealth of experience of group reorganisations and capital restructurings. He has also advised on private equity transactions and investments, as well as day to day advice to directors and shareholders.

Peter Seary

Peter is a partner in the Corporate team and heads the food and drink group. His experience includes M&A work, often with cross-border aspects, international due diligence projects, joint ventures, reorganisations and corporate governance. He has particular experience of advising on transactions in the food, manufacturing and technology sectors and co-ordinating large UK due diligence projects for overseas clients and their advisers. Peter has been recognised as a leader in his field for many years by Chambers and Legal 500.

Rachel Mills

Rachel is a Senior Associate in the Employment law team and is experienced in contentious and non-contentious matters, for both individuals and companies. Rachel advises a wide range of sectors in all aspects of employment law, including general HR advisory matters such as redundancies, grievances, disciplinaries and performance-related issues through to Tribunal claims. This includes claims such as unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, discrimination and contractual issues. She regularly assists the Corporate team in relation to TUPE advice. Rachel provides training, seminars and case law updates for her clients on a regular basis. Rachel is regularly called upon by her clients to provide pragmatic and commercial solutions to workplace disputes. She regularly provides advice on termination procedures, being mindful of any subsequent litigation that may follow. She frequently drafts or advises upon Settlement Agreements where an expedient, commercial settlement is a more favourable outcome to the parties. Dealing with breaches of contracts in respect of restraint of trade or defending Tribunal claims is also part of Rachel’s vast repertoire in this area.

Rachel Kirby

Rachel is an experienced Senior Associate who specialises exclusively in medical negligence work. She represents claimants and their families who have suffered as a result of negligent care, pursuing both private and NHS medical practices. Rachel has a varied caseload which includes claims relating to obstetric/gynaecological negligence, delayed/misdiagnosis of cancer, fatal claims, surgical errors and claims involving children. She has a particular interest in orthopaedic injuries including avoidable amputations. Rachel is an approachable, compassionate and pro-active lawyer who believes in always putting the interests of her clients first. Prior to specialising in medical negligence cases, Rachel handled complex, high-value personal injury claims, having trained at a niche clinical negligence and personal injury firm. She has considerable experience in dealing with clients who have suffered serious life-changing injuries and acting on behalf of bereaved families. Rachel sensitively guides her clients through the medical negligence process and treats all cases equally irrespective of value. Rachel is recognised in the Legal 500 as a key lawyer in her field. Awards & Accreditations

Rebecca Stojak

Rebecca is a Senior Associate solicitor in the Dispute Resolution team. She has experience dealing with a wide range of disputes, including disputes relating to; business, contracts, theft of confidential information, franchise agreements, charity, education and the healthcare sector, this also includes complex injunctions. Specialising in equine law, Rebecca acts for individuals, professional riders and large equestrian companies and international charities as well as writing for several well-known publications on all matters relating to horses and the law and is a keen horsewoman. Rebecca has advised large automotive sporting companies together with national and international sporting professionals and Olympians on a range of sporting and competition disputes. Rebecca advises individuals, organisations, sports professionals, celebrities, political parties and politicians on a range of defamation matters. Rebecca is well regarded for her straightforward, commercial and personable approach.

Ruth Thurland

Ruth is an insolvency specialist acting for companies, individuals, directors, creditors and office holders in relation to all aspects of insolvency, both contentious and non-contentious. Ruth deals with both personal and corporate insolvency and acts for Insolvency Practitioners in relation to all aspects of their appointments. She advises both creditors and companies in financial difficulties on their options and is experienced in defending claims by office-holders and advising company directors in relation to proceedings for disqualification or breach of duty. Ruth’s recent experience includes: Appointment of administrators and receivers. Sale and purchase of businesses out of administration and liquidation. Pursuing and defending applications in relation to preference, transaction at undervalue, wrongful and fraudulent trading, transactions defrauding creditors, misfeasance and breach of duty. Asset recovery and preservation. Retention of title. Advising companies in financial difficulties, particularly those that are the subject of winding up petitions, including applications for validation orders. Advising directors on their duties and responsibilities. Dealing with director disqualification proceedings and applications for leave to act while disqualified.

Saima Shabir

Saima is a Senior Associate in the Commercial team. She is an experienced commercial and data protection lawyer who advises a wide range of clients, from sole traders and international corporations to schools and MATs. Saima supports clients on various aspects of contractual work (including IT contracts, licensing and intellectual property, supply, agency, distribution and early help services agreements) and regularly advises on data protection. Her experience in data protection ranges from assisting clients in conducting risk audits, advising on personal data breaches and responding to subject access requests, reviewing and/or drafting data protection policies and providing training / presentations on ensuring compliance with the law.

Salise Dourmoush

Salise Dourmoush, Senior Associate, has over 10 years’ experience in the legal field and 6 years with a specialist practice in SEN. Salise has worked on behalf of parents at a leading Appellant City Law Firm and on behalf of local authorities as their in-house SEN and Education Lead. This has provided her with 3-dimensional understanding of the field and an enhanced approach to her practice. Salise uses this experience to assist children and young people with SEN to achieve their best possible outcomes in their education and future lives. During her career, Salise has developed a jargon-free, practical, and collaborative approach, to try and achieve the best results for her clients as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible. Salise is an experienced advocate and holds many training sessions for those wanting to learn about SEN Tribunal processes and final hearings. She is a member of the Education Law Association. Salise is also bi-lingual and can speak fluent Turkish.

Spencer Collier

Spencer is a Partner in the Medical Negligence team which handles all kinds of medical negligence claims. From the maximum severity cerebral palsy, spinal and amputation cases, to the mid and lower end missed fractures. He also handles delayed diagnosis of cancer and fatal claims. Acting solely for the injured victims of medical negligence, the team has recovered many millions in damages for clients injured as a result of negligent medical occurrences. Spencer has over 30 years’ experience in acting on behalf of the victims of medical negligence to achieve justice and compensation. He has handled all types of cases, including cerebral palsy, spinal injury, amputations, surgical errors, delayed diagnosis of cancer and claims under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. Spencer has developed a formidable reputation in this specialism and has devoted the last three decades to helping victims of medical negligence. He has secured life-changing awards of damages for claimants. He has never been afraid to fight and pursue the pioneering and frontier pushing cases that others may decline.

Susanne Bradley

Susanne is a senior property Partner with over 30 years’ experience in delivering real estate and development advice. She is head of the property department in Cardiff and her work covers a variety of property transactions in both private and public sectors; including buying and selling individual properties and investment portfolios, granting and taking commercial leases, estate management, providing strategic advice, leisure, retail, office and mixed use development and major public regeneration schemes. Susanne’s varied caseload ranges from a private two-plot luxury housing development, to major town centre regeneration schemes, from the sale of a motorway service station to the purchase of an industrial warehouse for conversion to a ballet studio and from a small anaerobic power generation plant in rural Wales to a city-centre shelter for the homeless. She deals with public and private sector projects in equal measure and her insight into the driving factors for each sector aids her in assisting the parties to reach agreement on a project where both sectors are involved.

Tomos Phillips

Tomos is a member of the Public Law team specialising in planning, environmental, highways and compulsory purchase law. He regularly acts for local authorities, landowners, developers and statutory undertakers on all aspects of planning law and matters concerning development, including drafting and negotiating complex section106 planning obligations and highway adoption agreements. Tomos has significant experience in compulsory purchase and compensation, having successfully acted on numerous schemes for local authorities as well as objectors. He has experience of major planning and compulsory purchase inquiries, judicial review and statutory challenges in the High Court and Court of Appeal. Tomos is experienced in acting for local planning authorities and developers in negotiating complex section 106 agreements relating to major developments. He also advises on all aspects of development control and regularly advises on matters concerning planning committees and appeals. Tomos is very experienced in compulsory purchase law, particularly in relation to highway schemes. He has successfully acted on all stages of the process on numerous schemes, from the preparation of orders through to obtaining confirmation of the orders and their subsequent implementation. He has also acted on statutory challenges and proceedings in the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).

Tony Norris

Tony is a Member and heads up the National Infrastructure & Construction Team. He specialises in project work, disputes and has been an accredited Adjudicator for 20 years. His clients include central government bodies, local and other public authorities, regulatory bodies as well as acting for specialist private sector contractors in the infrastructure & construction space. Projects – he regularly advises on frameworks, call offs, joint ventures, public and privately funded projects under JCT and NEC; the Welsh MIM model and has particular experience in the waste sector with MF/1 and IChemE contracts. Disputes – renowned as a specialist, particularly in adjudication having been involved in adjudication under DOM/1 before the 1996 came into being but also with substantial experience in Arbitration, Litigation and Mediation. He is seen as an industry expert and sits on the Board of Constructing Excellence Wales and also has been chair of the South East Wales Club for over 10 years.

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