Howes Percival LLP

Alan Millband

Alan is a leading regulatory and business defence lawyer with considerable experience across the regulatory spectrum, particularly in health safety and environmental matters. He advises on all kinds of regulatory compliance issues, and represents clients who are subject to action by enforcing authorities (such as HSE, Local Authorities, Environment Agency, Police, and CQC). He is an extremely effective magistrates’ and coroners’ court advocate as well as an entertaining and engaging public speaker. Alan acts for clients ranging from small businesses to national and multi-national organisations. In the health and safety field he is the editor of a leading sector text book and a guest lecturer at the University of Derby.

Alex Payton

Alex is a Director and advises on all types of tribunal dispute, with particular emphasis on those matters that are complex or multi-jurisdictional. Alex has a particular interest in restrictive covenant enforcement issues and defending claims of high value. Alex also advises on outsourcing issues and TUPE, redundancies and restructuring. He regularly conducts his own tribunal cases, including undertaking his own advocacy at full hearings. Alex is results-driven in his approach and clients praise his commercial, responsive and pragmatic style.

Anna Spriggs

Partner

Carl Mifflin

Carl specialises in all aspects of corporate and personal insolvency, in particular advising businesses and business owners on their duties, options and responsibilities when facing financial difficulties and acting for Insolvency Practitioners on insolvency appointments, business sales, investigations and asset recovery. Carl is recognised for commercial and pragmatic advice to insolvency practitioners and business owners. At his previous firm, the Legal 500 recognised Carl as “one of the best insolvency lawyers in Nottingham”.

Chris May

Chris advises on all aspects of town planning and development law. He has extensive experience in the coordination of development proposals, including student accommodation, motorway service areas and residential development at regeneration sites and greenfield sites, and in the preparation and negotiation of Planning Obligations. Chris also regularly advises on CPO, CIL, enforcement and EIA development. He is a legal associate of the RTPI. Chris has acted for national housebuilders, leading regional developers, landowners, local authorities and interested parties. As a partner in the Leicester Office, he seeks to build on the strong commercial property base to provide an excellent planning service.

Deborah Nigh

Deborah qualified as a solicitor in March 1999 and has specialised, since then, in all aspects of personal and corporate insolvency. Deborah deals mainly with office holder claims identifying recoveries to be made for the benefit of the insolvent estate. Deborah returns to Howes Percival where her legal career started, as a trainee solicitor in 1997, via the merger of niche insolvency practice, summers nigh law, with Howes Percival in June 2017.

Erica Gradus

Based in the Northampton office servicing clients around the country, Erica is a knowledgeable and experienced commercial property solicitor with a strong commercial perspective, who is able to provide sound and practical advice to clients. Erica deals with all aspects of commercial property, including corporate support on business acquisitions, freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals, banking and finance, property finance and pension related matters, acting for both seller and buyer and landlord and tenant.

Geraint Davies

Geraint is a partner and heads up the litigation team at Howes Percival and has over 20 years' experience in dealing with high-value commercial and property litigation disputes. Geraint moved from a London firm to join Howes Percival in 1996 and acts on behalf of a wide range of commercial clients, ranging from major PLC's to owner managed businesses. He regularly deals with complex High Court litigation as well as alternative dispute resolution, including mediation.

Gerald Couldrake

Gerald has primarily been a corporate and commercial lawyer and advisor to privately owned businesses in and around Northamptonshire. His practice has included advising on: corporate finance transactions of buying and selling and reorganising businesses, joint ventures, commercial contracts, strategy and shareholder/boardroom disputes. He has become the trusted advisor to many substantial family and owner managed businesses. He also has extensive experience of advising members’ clubs, being the company secretary to The British Racing Drivers’ Club and to Guards Polo Club. Gerald qualified in the City in 1985 and has been a corporate and commercial solicitor at Howes Percival in Northampton since 1986. He joined the partnership in 1989, and in his career has been head of the Northampton office, head of the corporate and commercial team across the firm, a member of the firm’s management board and was latterly the senior partner until he retired from the partnership in April 2022. He now practices part time as a Consultant within the firm’s corporate, commercial and banking team, still based in Northampton.

Graham Irons

Graham is a partner and provides advice to clients in both the private and public sectors. He is a regular speaker at a range of events and has a reputation for delivering fun and practical seminars and training.

Hannah Steggles

Partner

Hannah Ball

Hannah specialises in all aspects of Employment law and advises on both contentious and non contentious matters. Hannah has defended a range of Employment Tribunal claims including unfair dismissal and discrimination. Hannah regularly advises clients on non-contentious matters, such as contracts of employment. In addition, Hannah provides advice on disciplinary and performance issues, as well as assisting employers with grievances. Hannah has acted for a range of businesses including those operating in the healthcare sector and provides practical commercial advice to all clients.

Haydon Simmonds

Haydon is a Banking & Finance lawyer with a breadth of experience across a wide range of domestic and cross-border corporate banking and real-estate finance transactions. Haydon advises lenders (including banks, funds, alternative lenders and private capital) and borrowers (both corporates and sponsors) on leveraged and acquisition financings, general corporate banking, real-estate investment and development transactions. Haydon joined Howes Percival in January 2019. 2019 - Present: Howes Percival LLP, Partner 2018: Spearing Waite, Partner 2016: Addleshaw Goddard, Associate 2012 - 2015: Gateley, Associate 2006 - 2012: Shoosmiths, Trainee & Solicitor

Jahid Ali

Partner

Jenna Bruce

With over 13 years’ experience in Intellectual Property, Jenna’s practice encompasses both commercial and contentious Intellectual Property and IT matters. Whilst Jenna advises clients on all aspects of Intellectual Property law, she has a particular interest in the enforcement of rights in software, drafting and negotiating commercial Intellectual Property and IT agreements, trade mark portfolio management, and in supporting the firm’s Corporate teams with transactional matters. Jenna is also a member of the firm’s Data Protection Team, advising clients in relation to GDPR compliance and other data protection matters. Jenna joined Howes Percival’s Intellectual Property team in October 2008, having worked (and qualified) in-house at ITV Plc which equipped her with a sound understanding of commercial clients. Jenna acts for clients in a variety of sectors, including food and drink, fashion, media and creative, IT and education. Jenna is recognised in the Legal 500 for her experience in Intellectual Property, IT and Telecoms, and Media and Entertainment.

Jennie Loynes

Jennie has extensive experience in acting on sales and purchases of farms and estates, including equestrian properties, overages, and tenanted land. Jennie also deals with secured lending on agricultural land, auctions, entitlements and rural land generally. Jennie has a particular interest in dealing with charity property and compulsory purchases, particularly relating to HS2. Jennie qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and joined Howes Percival in April 2023.

Justine Flack

Justine has a breadth of experience in all issues relevant to relationship breakdown but particularly with regard to the financial aspects. She regularly advises clients with complex financial arrangements. She has two reported cases, both resulting from successful appeals in higher courts. Justine is a Collaborative Lawyer and has a thriving practice in this area of dispute resolution. Justine represents a wide range of clients. Advice is pragmatic and tailored to their circumstances based upon individual needs. Representation is robust and she has an eye for detail. As a Partner who has been with the team since it began, she is deeply committed to its development.

Katie Summers

Katie has over 25 years’ experience of dealing with all aspects of both personal and corporate insolvency. In particular, Katie specialises in contentious insolvency, acting predominantly for insolvency practitioner clients in pursuing Insolvency Act claims to achieve maximum recoveries for insolvency estates. Katie returns to Howes Percival, where her legal career started in 1990, as a result of the transfer of the niche insolvency practice, Summers Nigh Law LLP, to Howes Percival in June 2017.

Lucy Lord

Lucy is a partner and has wide experience in real estate transactions, including residential and commercial development work, acting for national and regional developers. She regularly deals with: all aspects of acquisition and disposal work including options and conditional contracts; freehold and leasehold portfolio acquisitions and disposals; landlord and tenant work; and property finance. Lucy also has extensive experience of corporate transactional support work. Lucy acts for a wide range of clients including national and regional property developers, investors, financial institutions and banks.

Matthew Talbot

Matthew is a partner and specialises in all areas of UK and European intellectual property law, particularly contentious matters. He advises clients regarding trade marks, copyright, design rights, passing off, patents, European food protection and defamation. Matthew also has substantial experience in IT disputes and has frequently appeared before the English courts, the European Court of Justice and the UK and European Patent Offices. Matthew is the head of the IP/IT team at Howes Percival, having joined in November 2006 to set up their IP/IT offering. He acts for clients across the UK and Europe covering all areas of intellectual property and large IT disputes.

Matthew Thompson

Partner Matthew is a Partner in our Corporate, Commercial and Banking team. Matthew provides advice on a broad range of corporate matters (including corporate deals of various sizes and restructurings), commercial matters (including commercial contracts, standard terms and conditions and franchising), loan agreements, and refinancing transactions. Matthew qualified into the Corporate and Commercial department at Howes Percival in September 2014 after successfully completing his training contract with the firm. Matthew is based in the Northampton office.

Miles Barnes

Miles is a Director in the Corporate, Commercial and Banking team at Howes Percival. He advises businesses on a range of commercial contracts (including terms & conditions, supply, distribution, manufacturing and franchising agreements) as well as advising on corporate transactions (including acquisitions, disposals, reorganisations and joint ventures). Miles has a particular interest in the food and drink sector, advising businesses on manufacturing, purchasing, marketing and distribution agreements for a range of household names and he also has expertise in e-commerce; including advising a specialist cyber-security firm on the roll out of its Software as a Service platform; and advising on the legal terms for e-commerce marketplaces. Prior to joining the Corporate, Commercial and Banking team Miles completed two in-house secondments with major multinationals and also spent time working for a local authority Legal team, giving him considerable first-hand experience in Commercial, Intellectual Property and Public law issues.

Nicholas James

Nick is a partner who specialises in commercial property law with particular expertise in advising developer clients on the acquisition and disposal of residential development and commercial land, landowner consortium agreements for the acquisition or disposal of land, option and promotional agreements. In addition to development work, Nick also acts on the acquisition and disposal of large investment portfolios. Numbering national and regional companies amongst his clients, Nick enjoys the challenge that the work brings, and the close involvement with the individuals at his client companies.

Nick Benton

Nick has experience in all aspects of employment law including both contentious and non-contentious matters. Nick regularly advises employer clients in respect of all HR issues as well as assisting clients with all employment tribunal claims. Nick has a particular interest in employment status and matters which arise for employers in respect of this issue. He also advises and assists clients with employment-related health and safety issues. Nick has acted for a range of businesses including those operating in the financial services and healthcare sectors. He is focused on providing commercial advice and business solutions to all clients.

Oliver Brookshaw

Partner

Oliver Pritchard

Partner

Paul Hunt

Partner

Paula Bailey

Paula is a Partner and Head of the Employment Law Team at Howes Percival.  She has extensive experience in all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious. She provides commercial and practical advice to a wide range of businesses and adopts a can do approach to ensuring that clients achieve their strategic aims.  Paula has developed particular expertise in outsourcing, TUPE and redundancies and restructuring projects. Paula regularly presents seminars and provides in-house training on employment law issues. Paula is a member of the Employers Lawyers Association.

Paula Dumbill

Partner Paula is an experienced commercial contracts and information technology specialist with particular expertise in advising on complex projects. She has a wealth of experience of commercial trading arrangements across a broad range of sectors and has a keen interest in innovation and technology. Paula is recognised as a ‘leading individual’ in Legal 500 (2021) and is noted to be ‘calm and considerate with a brilliant eye for drafting’. Before joining Howes Percival, Paula was a partner at Browne Jacobson solicitors where she was head of the commercial team in the East Midlands and lead health tech partner.

Robert Starr

Partner Rob is a specialist regulatory lawyer who advises companies and individuals on a wide range of regulatory issues. He has extensive experience of representing clients under investigation by enforcing authorities including the HSE, CQC, Environment Agency, Police and Fire Authorities. He also appears regularly before the Coroners court in relation to fatal accidents. A former prosecutor with the Serious Fraud Office, he not only has an in depth understanding of the approach of regulators, but has managed large complex cases and undertaken numerous internal investigations into fraud, corruption and whistleblowing allegations. Rob has lectured frequently on issues such as health and safety, director’s duties, crisis management and corporate compliance. In 2011 he was invited to speak at Washington University on the impact of the UK Bribery Act as part of an international panel of anti-corruption experts.

Sarah Dacre

Sarah is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney with extensive experience both in-house and private practice. Her experience covers all aspects of trade mark protection and enforcement including managing national and international trade mark portfolios. Sarah has a valuable understanding of the commercial pressures different business sectors face.

Satnam Chayra

Satnam is a partner and an experienced property litigator, advising clients in relation to all aspects of property-related disputes. Satnam deals predominantly with landlord and tenant disputes (including dilapidations, lease renewals, repossessions, rent arrears, landlord’s consent, break notices and insolvency) and also undertakes general property litigation such as trespass, boundary disputes and professional negligence. Satnam regularly presents seminars to clients and contacts. Based in the Leicester office, Satnam is recognised as a leading property litigator in the East Midlands. She acts for a range of high-profile clients, including national retailers and other household names. She has gained a formidable reputation for her no-nonsense, commercial approach.

Steven Maier

Steven specialises in both IP and commercial litigation, with particular expertise in publishing and media law, including copyright and trade mark infringement, libel and privacy, confidential information and internet domain name cases. He also handles a wide range of commercial disputes including breach of commercial agreements, warranty claims and negligence. Steven is an appointed domain name adjudicator to both the World Intellectual Property Organization and Nominet.UK panels.

Stuart Burns

Stuart has wide experience of all aspects of commercial property, including freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals, commercial and residential development, property finance and pension related matters, acting for both seller and buyer and landlord and tenant. He also has experience in dealing with the property elements of commercial transactions, both on company and asset sales and purchases. Stuart acts for a variety of clients, from local landowners and individuals to property development companies, investors, national retail companies and funds.

Sundip Mapara

Experts you can trust EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND Sundip advises clients in the insolvency and commercial sectors from small local businesses to large national and international organisations. Experienced in contentious and non-contentious transactional matters, as well as restructuring and turnaround advice, Sundip has the breadth of insolvency and corporate restructuring experience to help with all aspect of insolvency related issues Recent relevant experience: - Acting for the Trustee in Bankruptcy of members of the music band UB40 in the sale of the band’s music rights. - Acting for the Joint Administrators in the sale of a glass house spanning over 8 hectares. - Acting for the successful creditors in a reported misfeasance case against the Liquidator of a company in Top Brands v Sharma [2014] EWCA Civ 1140 - Acting for the Joint Administrators in defeating an application for their removal on the basis of conflict of interest in Re TPS Investments (UK) Ltd [2018]  EWHC 360 (Ch) - Acting for the Joint Liquidators of company operating a Ponzi scheme with a property portfolio valued at £5m. - Settled a tax avoidance claim for in excess of £9m acting on behalf of the Liquidators of a company. - Being instructed by the Polish arm of the world’s largest courier company in claim for unpaid duty and VAT in excess of £0.5m.