Gorvins Solicitors

Almas Patankar

Almas qualified in 2018 and joined Gorvins in 2020 as an Associate in the Wills, Trust and Probate Team. She is on track to become STEP qualified by the end of the year. Almas deals with difficult family situations and always aims to act in a sensitive yet efficient manner for all clients. She acts for a wide variety of clients and matters including providing advice on contentious Court of Protection, deputyships, asset protection and complex estate administration. Almas also advises on the use of trusts and set up of trusts within the will or during lifetime.  

Amanda Isherwood

Amanda was promoted to Senior Associate in the Employment team in December 2022. She acts for both employees and employers in a wide variety of employment law matters, including providing advice on complex grievance and disciplinary processes, settlement agreements and exit negotiations. Having initially started her career as a litigator, Amanda has extensive experience in the contentious aspects of employment law representing clients in a wide variety of employment tribunal cases, in recent years with a particular focus on disability as well as maternity and pregnancy cases. Amanda regularly conducts her own Tribunal advocacy with great success, having represented clients in preliminary hearings right up to a multi-day complex TUPE case.

Amanda Porter

Amanda is a Partner in the Commercial Property Team, having joined Gorvins in December 2019.

Andrew Curwen

Andrew is Head of the Corporate - Commercial practice at Gorvins Solicitors. He has been named as one of the Legal 500's leading lawyers for 2022/2023. Noted as excellent to deal with and a no-nonsense approach which has proved very persuasive in debates with the other side on transactions. Andrew advises clients ranging from institutions to owner-managed businesses. He specialises in corporate transactions; advising on acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, MBOs and MBI's, venture capital and debt finance. Andrew regularly secures some of the departments high profile deals and has an enviable list of long-standing clients.

Christian Mancier

Partner

Claire Beaumont

Partner

Colin Mellor

Colin is a Consultant Solicitor in the Gorvins Commercial Property team. He has been qualified for over 40 years and has a wealth of experience in commercial property and corporate matters of all types including very high value transactions. His efficient and practical approach twinned with real enthusiasm for the work and client issues makes the experience as smooth and trouble free as possible. Colin has significant experience dealing with very high value software licensing and associated transactions. Colin is also a qualified mediator and has a wealth of mature experience in dealing with all forms of disputes and property and commercial matters.

Danielle Clements

Danielle is a Partner in Gorvins' Commercial Litigation department. Danielle has a superb reputation for providing practical, tailor-made solutions for a diverse range of commercial and private clients. Having qualified in 2006, her specialism lies in contentious probate matters where she advises on complex cases involving high-value estates on behalf of personal representatives and multiple beneficiaries. Danielle is an ACTAPS Member who has experience in a vast range of matters including claims under the Inheritance (PFD) Act 1975, revocation of wills, claims to dispute the validity of a will and claims brought against executors based on breach of duty. Danielle also specialises in commercial/residential landlord and tenant disputes and advises on consumer issues.

David Rogers

Head of Gorvins' employment team, David has widespread experience in all aspects of employment law having provided specialist advice to employer and employee clients for over 20 years. David qualified in 1999 and was a Partner in a North West regional practice for 10 years and, more recently Group General Counsel in a leading UK manufacturing business. David is a very experienced litigator and advocate in the Employment Tribunal with an impressive track record acting for both Respondent and Claimant clients. David provides day to day advice on disciplinary and grievance issues as well as advising on and drafting employment contracts, policies and procedures in addition to dealing with more complex issues such as TUPE transfers, collective redundancy consultation exercises, shareholder director disputes and senior executive exits.

Gary Boyd

Gary is a Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. He has worked exclusively for Claimants in personal injury claims since qualifying as a Solicitor in 1997. Gary is a Partner at Gorvins and Head of Department, specialising in military and serious sports injury and other life-changing injury claims including spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and amputations. Gary prides himself in his holistic approach to his client’s needs and prioritises not only maximising compensation but also securing early and appropriate rehabilitation and financial advice. Gary was the third person in the UK to be awarded the ‘Military Injury Specialist and Assessor “ status by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).

Gemma Lingard

Gemma is a Senior Associate in the Corporate - Commercial department. She joined Gorvins in 2006 and has a great deal of experience advising SME clients on a range of corporate and commercial matters. Over this time , she has continued to develop her experience on corporate acquisitions and disposals and often plays a key role in some of the highest value transactions undertaken by the team. Gemma has developed her specialism by advising family business owners and shareholders. Taking the time to get to know and understand her clients and their business and developing close working relationships with clients and colleagues alike is part of the job she loves the most. Her other expertise includes shareholders agreements, company restructuring, terms and conditions of business and negotiating commercial contracts (distribution and supply).

Guy Lightowler

Guy is not only a Leading Lawyer for Commercial Litigation but also heads up Property Litigation at Gorvins LLP.  He has been at Gorvins for more than 25 years.  Guy has a great deal of experience and expertise in advising all types of client from owner managed businesses and SMEs to PLCs and multinationals. As well as dealing with a whole range of commercial matters, Guy has a particular expertise in Property Litigation.  He likes to become involved in disputes at an early stage so that litigation can be avoided if at all possible.  Wherever possible, Guy will not only look at things from a legal perspective but also a commercial one with a view to trying to exploring Alternative Dispute Resolution and the possibility of a resolution through negotiations.”

Julie Burgess

Julie qualified in 2004 and joined Gorvins in 2018 as a Senior Associate in the Wills, Trusts and Probate team. She was then promoted to Partner in December 2021. Julie is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE). Julie specialises in high value complex estate administrations involving trusts and offshore assets. Julie also advises clients in relation to Wills, estate and inheritance tax planning and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Mark Deverell

Mark is the Firm's Managing Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution and Commercial Litigation. He has been named as one of the Legal 500's leading lawyers since 2015 to the present day. He specialises in commercial litigation, acting on behalf of both businesses and their principal shareholders and directors. Most of his work being contractual, shareholder, and partnership disputes. With an exceptionally strong client base many of whom have been with him for a considerable length of time and excellent knowledge in all aspects of commercial litigation, he is recognised for his practical approach and to see the commerciality of a case very early on. Mark is also a trained mediator and fully believes in the benefit of ADR to get to the real issue of a case, quickly and in a cost-effective way.

Martin Hoare

Martin is a Partner and Co-Head of the Real Estate team. Martin is one of the leading lawyers in the North West Real Estate market and has an enviable list of clients both on a local, regional and national basis. Specialising in commercial and residential development and investment work. Martin is instrumental in advising his clients which include leading businesses, agents and property developers. Martin has been involved in many of the major city-centre office developments including the sale of King Street and the sale of Urban Splash properties to Places for People. Recognised as an influential commercial property solicitor his work includes forward sales and purchases, forward funding and pre-let agreements, strategic land options and development agreements. Clients include Urban Splash, Peel Group, Seddon Developments, NPL Estates, Oldham Council, Marcus Worthington Developments, Oddfellows, L2 Properties and Cannon & Kirk.

Michael Smoult

Michael is a Partner and Head of the Private Client team at Gorvins Solicitors. He advises clients on will preparation and estate administrations as well as inheritance tax planning. He also works on a number of contentious probate and estate disputes building on his previous experience in the dispute resolution team. Mike gives practical, hands on, constructive and realistic advice to business owners in relation to their tax planning, making sure that his advice fits in with the reality of their business. Mike also handles a number of statutory will applications and acts as deputy and attorney for a wide range of clients.

Nicola Fraser

Nicola is a Partner and the Head of Family Law team at Gorvins. Nicola Fraser qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and has a wealth of experience in all aspects of family law. She has provided lectures, training and assistance to Public sector organisations including the Police, Local Authorities and charities. She is an expert no-nonsense litigator with a wealth of experience and success in all aspects of family law with a particular flair for financial matters . She blends compassion with common sense and keen legal acumen. Equipped with a postgraduate qualification in family law and qualified as a collaborative lawyer, Nicola deals primarily with financial settlements, including those with complex commercial aspects and pensions. She also deals with contentious private law applications in respect of children. Her experiences span 3 decades and include several senior positions in family law departments across the North West. She has headed up our family law department since 2019.

Paul Lupton

Paul is a Consultant in the Corporate - Commercial team at Gorvins Solicitors since 1998. Paul has a wealth of experience advising small to medium sized businesses and their owners on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters. This can include advice on acquisitions and disposals, corporate restructuring and insolvency but Paul’s speciality is in drafting and negotiating commercial contracts and IT/IP contracts.  

Paul Reddy

Paul is a Partner and Co-Head of the Crime and Regulatory team. Paul is regularly instructed in the full-range of road traffic matters ranging from speeding, drink-drive and totting up cases to the most serious allegations of causing death or serious injury by dangerous driving.  He has vast experience of advising on these matters and working with the best-in-class experts and counsel where necessary. Paul has been involved in some of the most high-profile and serious Police Fed cases in recent years including charges of murder, police shootings, sexual assault and serious injury driving cases.  He is often instructed at the very outset of a case, whether that is an arrest or Post Incident Procedure and works with Police clients through to the conclusion of their case, whether that is at interview, trial, Gross Misconduct hearing or inquests.

Paul Dowdall

Paul is a Partner in the Commercial Property Team and has a broad experience advising a range of key commercial clients (retail, office, housing, logistics and institutional) on development and funding projects, disposals and acquisitions, landlord and tenant work, and the commercial management of property portfolios.

Rowan Uren

Rowan Is a senior Associate in the Corporate Commercial Team at Gorvins and has been since 2013.

Stuart Biddle

Stuart has been working in personal injury since 1996 and has extensive knowledge of this area of law. A member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), he understands the stresses and strains that an injury can cause; physically, emotionally and financially. Stuart prides himself on his compassionate and empathetic approach with particular specialisms in dealing with complex injuries involving debilitating and life changing effects. He works closely with medical professionals, rehabilitation providers and insurers to ensure issues are taken care of.

Sunita Patel

Sunita has worked in the debt recovery arm of Gorvins dispute resolution team for 10 years. Her work includes issuing claims, dealing with defended work and enforcement, small claims, fast track and multi-track claims and debt collection out of jurisdiction. She has established long standing relationships with clients.

Tom Nutter

Tom is a Partner and Co-Head of the Crime and Regulatory Team. Tom qualified in 2007 and has acted for members of the Police Federation since 2004. He specialises in acting for Police officers in criminal and misconduct proceedings, as well as Inquests arising from deaths in custody, fatal pursuits and shootings. Tom has vast experience in high profile and complex cases, including investigations into Police corruption, the Hillsborough stadium disaster and alleged Police failings concerning child sexual exploitation. Tom is known for his expertise in Post Incident Procedures and regularly provides educational inputs locally and nationally on this topic.