Geldards LLP

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.

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.

Chris Hawrylak

Partner

Claire Dean

Partner

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

Partner

Erica Thomson

Partner

Fiona Apthorpe

Partner

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.

Heather Dixon

Partner

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 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.

Jamie Goldberg

Partner

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

Partner

Jonathan Butler

Associate Partner, Dispute Resolution Midlands

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.

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.

Mark Hacking

Partner

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.

Nino Simone

Partner

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.

Rebecca Stojak

Associate

Ruth Thurland

Senior Associate

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.