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Andrew Garvie
Andrew Garvie
Partner and head of private client team at JMW LLP incorporating wills trusts and estates as well as Court of Protection and residential conveyancing. Specialising in all types of residential conveyancing including sales and purchases of leasehold and freehold properties for owners and investors alike. Acting for investors in disposals or purchase of buy to let property inc portfolios of property. Bespoke purchases or sales of high-net-value property as well as acting on shared ownership sales, purchases, staircasing and Help to Buy. Acting for banks and lending institutions on lender representation from initial loan through to repossession sales. Dealing with sole and joint representation lending for long and short term lenders / bridging companies. Acting for major auction house on sales & purchases of property sold under auction conditions. Specialism in acting on sales of property subject to CPS restraint orders subject to variation of restraint order for sale.
Andrew Stone
Andrew Stone
Andrew is a partner specialising in investment and portfolio management, complex commercial lease transactions, the real estate aspects of corporate deals and property work for the dental sector.  Key transactions include the purchase of Barton Arcade, a Grade-II listed shopping centre in Manchester for a Singapore family firm, acting on the purchase of Worcester Warriors Premiership Rugby Club, acting on the purchase of a group of eight dental practices, and the purchase and subsequent sale of a professional football club.
Andy Lilley
Andy Lilley
Andy is  a Trustee of Headway Preston and Chorley and runs a caseload of challenging brain and spinal injury cases. He has won his client’s damages over £20 million in cases transferred to him form other solicitors as ‘problem cases’. He is committed to ensuring that his clients receive the very best early rehabilitation and support and obtain the maximum possible settlement. He works closely with the Child Brain Injury Trust and is the firm's appointed representative for Headway and the Spinal Injuries Association. Andy is also  head of the industrial disease team and is responsible for marketing, supervision and training. He has run a number of ground-breaking mesothelioma and asbestos disease cases. These have included a reported High Court decision clarifying the position regarding disposal of tissue samples in a lung cancer/asbestosis case and settling a case after trial but before judgment was given which extended the scope of Chandler v Cape to visitors and obtained compensation for low level exposure between 1958 and 1960
Angharad Hughes
Angharad Hughes
Angharad has developed great expertise in a wide range of clinical negligence claims and now focuses on cases involving serious injuries to patients, including brain damage and spinal injuries. Settlements Angharad has secured for clients include compensation totalling £17 million in 2023 for a child who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after a delayed delivery, and £22 million in 2020 for another child with brain damage due to similar errors. The compensation will cover the cost of the lifetime of care these children require. In 2024, Angharad secured £4.6 million for a woman left with a spinal injury and vision loss due to mistakes made with her care, one of many high value settlements she has obtained in such cases. Angharad also has specialist experience in kernicterus cases and has previously obtained £8.8 million for a young boy with this form of severe brain damage due to mistakes made in the treatment of newborn jaundice. Appointed as a trustee of the charity bibic in 2023, Angharad helps to guide and support the organisation, which supports children and young people with brain injuries, disabilities, neurological or developmental difficulties. The 2024 edition of independent legal industry guide Chambers and Partners, praises Angharad for being “well equipped to deal with cases involving brain injuries during birth, cauda equina syndrome claims and matters arising from diagnostic errors”. Angharad qualified as a solicitor into the JMW medical negligence department in 2008 before progressing to the position of partner in 2015. In 2013 she was appointed to the Law Society's Clinical Negligence Accreditation Scheme in recognition of her extensive experience. Before joining JMW Angharad previously worked in historic child abuse cases, completing a training contract at Abney Garsden McDonald Solicitors. She completed a Law and French Degree at Swansea University before teaching English in Japan for two years. She then completed a Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, Birmingham. In her spare time Angharad enjoys walking her dogs near her home in Derbyshire and travelling. She is also involved in her partner’s microbrewery business and running her local community pub.
Ben Wilson
Ben Wilson
Ben is a Partner in the Will and Trust Disputes team, having joined in December 2020 from heading up the Wil and Trust Disputes team at another regional firm. Ben has been a strong addition to the team and has assisted in its growth. Ben operates in all aspects of contentious trusts and probate work. Since joining the team Ben has dealt with a number of high value and complex matters, often involving assets in multiple jurisdictions. Ben has a particular expertise in claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, where he assists clients who are in need and often vulnerable in order to secure provision from a loved one’s estate. He is tenacious in his pursuit of the right outcome for a client as quickly as possible to ensure they can move on with their lives with the provision they are entitled to. He is also acutely aware and understanding of the emotional element to disputes in this field and is able to guide clients through the process in a manner that is suitable for any given client. Ben has experience of acting as a professional litigation friend for children and protected parties in will and trust disputes.
Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson
Partner Ben has practised in commercial disputes in Manchester since 2012 and in that time has worked with clients to resolve a full range of commercial matters. Ben’s practise is predominantly focused on complex, high value litigation, specialising in:- corporate/Commercial dispute resolution (including High Court, arbitration and mediation) Director, Shareholder and Partnership disputes Contractual claims / Debt recovery Professional Negligence Fraud and insolvency Injunctive/urgent relief Insurance
Candy Stockton
Candy Stockton
I'm a Partner specialising in resolving disputes about wills, estates and trusts. I work with Beneficiaries, Executors and Trustees (including professional Executors/Trustees) in order to resolve disputes as quickly and efficiently as possible, with a view to minimising costs. I aim to use alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation, wherever possible, to resolve matters in a more timely and cost effective manner. However, I also have considerable experience of litigating matters up to the High Court where necessary. People involved with these disputes are often suffering the effects of bereavement at the same time. This can make it more difficult for them to cope with the dispute or to see how best to resolve it. I aim to give clear and pragmatic advice, while remaining sensitive to the effects of the bereavement on all sides. When dealing with Executors or Trustees, I advise how to protect their position, in line with their obligations, such as by maintaining their neutrality in sometimes difficult circumstances. My experience includes: Claims against estates or trusts by disappointed Beneficiaries Challenges to the validity of Wills Disputes between Executors, Trustees, and Beneficiaries Removal of Executors Disputes about the interpretation of Wills Disputes about Estate or Trust assets or their distribution Guidance for Trustees or Executors about their obligations Claims against professional advisors Disputes over property ownership (where a trust has arisen) Disputes involving the actions or removal of Attorneys Disputed deputyships.
Cathy Leech
Cathy Leech
Cathy Leech has been recruited to head the JMW catastrophic injury team specifically on SCI, brain and complex injury claims because of her experience, knowledge and reputation for this area of work and her proven and driven commitment to her clients and the charities supporting them. Cathy has acted personally for well over 50 successful personal injury claims for SCI claimants, and many other catastrophically injured clients and won awards for her expertise. She has been a long-standing supporter of the Spinal Injuries Association and actively fundraises and promotes the charity (and others) seeing the excellent work they do for seriously-injured people and their families. She is also experienced in claims for individuals with traumatic brain Injuries and polytraumas. Several of her cases have made new and ground-breaking law to the benefit of people generally including the case of Woodland v Essex CC [2013] in the Supreme Court identifying a non-delegable duty of care by a school to its pupils, and more recently Colley v MIB [2022] in the Court of Appeal applying EU law to ensure the MIB could not avoid compensating the injured claimant. Cathy has secured compensation for clients in excess of £100M. Awards won by Cathy include: 2013 The Law Society Awards - Solicitor of the Year in Private Practice. 2013 SIA Rebuilding Lives  Awards- Excellence in Legal Care 2018 SIA Rebuilding Lives Award - Fundraiser of the Year 2019 Personal Injury Lawyer Awards - Catastrophic Injury Lawyer of the Year Cathy is identified as a highly-skilled PI lawyer in all the legal directories.
David Smith
David Smith
David is a partner and heads JMW’s London Dispute Resolution team.   David specialises in complex property litigation, mainly in relation to residential property. He has acted for landlords and tenants of all sizes in courts and tribunals from the County Court to the UK Supreme Court as well as advising landlords large and small, local authorities, and devolved governments on the law relating to residential property. He is often instructed for appeals and in relation to new areas of law affecting the property sector.
Derek Millard-Smith
Derek Millard-Smith
Partner and Head of Consumer and Parking Law at JMW Solicitors LLP. Derek is the leading Lawyer to the UK Parking Management Sector, he was appointed by the British Parking Association (BPA) as the approved Solicitor to their membership in 2016 and continues in this role through which he established and leads BPA Lawline, an advice line device to members of the BPA. His expertise extends beyond parking to complex motoring related regulatory issues affecting a wide variety of affected land owner and users, from private estates, through retail and entertainment venue, hospitals and other NHS facilities to national toll roads, tunnels and bridges. Derek is known for his ability to find effective and practical solutions reducing motorists’ misuse and anti social behaviours on private land, roads and key transport infrastructure locations.  In these roles Derek regularly advises and assists steering groups and their members, MPs and ministers and their civil servant advisors ensuring where possible immaculate rhetoric is balanced with facts and evidence to ensure as far as possible new and evolving legislation in the parking and related sectors is fit for purpose. Derek is committed to driving change in the parking industry and promoting the values of the British Parking Association BPA and Chartered Trading Standards Institute CTSI. On behalf of the BPA and its members , Derek is working closely with the ICO, DVLA, Trading Standards, Consumer Groups, MPs and Government to encourage consistency, transparency and a proportionate approach to consumer related parking matters and promote the fair treatment of all consumers and landowners alike.  Derek’s specialist consumer areas include, Parking and transport infrastructure, Trading Standards, Retail Due diligence and compliance, Manufacturing and supply chain, Product safety, Product recall, Parking enforcement legislation, Consumer Credit permissions, Consumer Credit authorisations, Debt and Claims management, Advertising Standards amongst others. In his capacity as a trading standards solicitor, Derek provides compliance advice as well as managing clients investigated by regulatory bodies including Trading Standards, Consumer Credit, FCA, OFT, FOS, MOJ, ICO, MHRA and the Police. In other roles, Derek also assists with the management and sponsorship of motorsports teams and drivers, in all levels of motorsport from grass roots to F1 including Haas and Renault (currently Alpine) F1 teams, W series drivers and teams in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). In addition to ongoing assistance with the drafting of the standards and framework accompanying the Parking Code of Practice Act 2919, notable cases Derek has been involved in include: ParkingEye Ltd v Beavis Supreme Court in 2015 with its companion case Cavendish Square Holding BV v Talal El Makdessi [2015] UKSC 67- these key precedent contract law cases concern the validity of penalty clauses and the application of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Directive. DPO roles and ICO investigation assistance to a variety of consumer facing sectors. Drink driving sleepwalker Rebecca Mason acquittal; Penalty points swapping of high profile football players; Significant OFT/FCA Consumer Credit Authorisation appeals MTR notices and determination, plus MOJ, FOS and Trading Standards interventions; successful pharmaceutical industry price fixing cartel defence; R v Paul Burrell; Dr Harold Shipman Inquest. Publications of note include guest editing the Consumer and Trading Standards Law and Practice (Pink Book). Derek also had significant involvement in the content of the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019. Derek has been a driving law pundit on BBC Radio 5 live and has also regularly appeared on National and local TV and Radio discussing Consumer and driving related matters.   Twitter: @DrivingLawyer.
Eddie Jones
Eddie Jones
Eddie Jones is head of the clinical negligence department at JMW. As well as overseeing the running of the department, Eddie handles serious and high-value compensation claims arising from avoidable patient injury. This includes maximum severity cerebral palsy claims relating to birth and neonatal care errors. He has won many of these complex claims and secured a £26m care package for a boy who sustained brain damage during his birth after signs that he was in distress were not acted on and his delivery delayed. Eddie also has extensive experience of cauda equina syndrome claims and is recognised as a leading practitioner nationally. He secured one of the highest compensation settlements paid by an English hospital trust on a cauda equina syndrome claim of £9.3m. Eddie has led his practice to develop significant expertise in cauda equina claims and its average compensation settlement is significantly higher than the national average. Eddie was Partner of the Year in the 2019 Manchester Legal Awards. He is also involved with numerous charities and support services.
Evan Wright
Evan Wright
Professional Regulation Evan represents professional and commercial clients before regulatory panels and in the related courts. He is highly regarded for his detailed preparation and understanding of issues faced by clients who are alleged to have breached professional standards and regulations, including fitness to practice issues. Clients include solicitors, medical practitioners, politicians, accountants, architects, senior directors and sports professionals. Business Crime Defence Evan has been instructed to defend in a great many serious fraud, restraint, asset recovery and confiscation cases in the UK and abroad. He is highly regarded by forensic accountants, who have described him as ‘having a rare ability to grasp the central issue when faced with complicated scenarios’. He has represented clients in many of the largest cases prosecuted in the North West and some of the largest cases nationally. These include matters brought by The Crown Prosecution Service, The Serious and Organised Crime Agency, The Department for Business and Enterprise, UK Border Force and HM Revenue and Customs. Evan presents seminars to other solicitors and barristers on fraud-related topics. Recent cases include: high profile politician in a corruption investigation; misconduct in a winding up petition; eight-defendant £35m; finance fraud; doctor involved in a corporate manslaughter investigation following a death in custody; large Trading Standards prosecution involving a council tax re-banding enterprise; 12-defendant fraud on a local authority involving loss to the public purse of £1m; 14-defendant excise duty fraud whereby £6m of excise duty and VAT was avoided; extradition of defendants from the EU to face contempt of court and confiscation enforcement proceedings; multimillion-pound importation of pharmaceuticals from China in contravention of licence; six-defendant property management fraud resulting in confiscation proceedings where the prosecution applied for recovery of over £2m; large-scale ‘long firm fraud’ conspiracy involving multiple frauds on various companies; and judicial review proceedings against SOCA in a property development fraud. Evan has appeared on radio and TV commenting upon fraud related topics. Evan is increasingly involved in civil asset fraud recovery and Part 5 POCA cases arising out of financial investigations.
Gemma Tracey
Gemma Tracey
Gemma Tracey is a Partner in the Employment team; Gemma specialises in UK immigration law. Gemma advises clients on a wide range of UK immigration law issues; she helps UK and multi-national organisations with sponsoring workers, and often provides advice – and undertakes mock audits – to ensure that sponsor licence holders are abiding by the extensive sponsorship compliance issues imposed upon them. Gemma also provides advice in relation to right to work policies, and helps employees and private individuals with their immigration applications for permission to enter or remain in the UK.
Gordon Cartwright
Gordon Cartwright
Joint head of the Personal Injury department at JMW and a Special Ambassador for the Child Brain Injury Trust. Gordon has over 20 years’ experience and specialises in very high-value personal injury claims. He is well recognised as a leader in the field in respect of paediatric brain injury claims and regularly secures seven figure settlements for his clients.  Recent notable cases include settlements of £5m and £3.5m for children who suffered brain injuries as a result of road traffic accidents and over £7m for an adult who suffered a spinal cord injury. He is heavily involved in building linkages with external charitable organisations specialising in helping victims of catastrophic injuries, such as the Child Brain Injury Trust, Spinal Injuries Association and Day One Trauma Support. Gordon is a passionate advocate for his clients and their families to ensure that injury victims of catastrophic accidents receive a quality standard of care for the remainder of their lives.  Current caseload consists of paediatric brain and spinal cord injury claims where seven-figure settlements are expected.
Graham Small
Graham Small
Partner Graham has practised commercial law in Manchester for over 25 years and in that time has handled most forms of commercial disputes.   He handles complex commercial disputes including applications for urgent interim relief, professional negligence claims and shareholder disputes including appeals to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He acts on contentious insolvency matters including claims against directors under the Insolvency Act. His work increasingly involves allegations of fraud and dishonesty and often in regulated industries and professions. Graham also handles civil claims for malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office.
Hojol Uddin
Hojol Uddin
Partner and Head of Motoring Department.  Hojol has extensive experience in all motoring offences with particular niche expertise in evidentially and legally complicated cases relating to dangerous driving, careless driving, (including death cases) drink driving, drug driving and speeding offences.  Hojol has also established a reputation for his expertise and experience in the field of DVLA Medical Revocation of Driving Licences, having an in-depth knowledge of the DVLA’s Guidance on Fitness to Drive and the process of challenging a revocation. Hojol advises and undertakes Judicial Review of the decisions of Magistrates’ Courts. Hojol has previously represented defendants for drink driving and been successful in challenging cases to the High Court. In addition to the above Hojol deals serious criminal matters whether it be in the Magistrates, Crown Court, Court of appeal of High Court. Hojol predominantly deals with such matters on recommendations only. Such cases, he deals with relate to Perverting the Course of Justice, Drugs Conspiracies, Fraud, Money Laundering, Serious Violence and Health and Safety offences.
James Williams
James Williams
Partner James has extensive experience in: contentious and non-contentious corporate recovery and insolvency; all types of distressed business and asset sales and purchases; disposal of real property on behalf of office holders, particularly involving complex title issues; board advisory and transactional matters, including advice on restructuring, turnaround and director's duties; pursuing and defending officeholder claims against directors; distressed lending and refinancing; and personal insolvency matters.
Jason Harwood
Jason Harwood
Partner in the personal injury department specialising in catastrophic injury claims. Has a particular interest in brain injury, amputation, serious orthopaedic injury and fatal accident claims. Jason takes a tough stance on behalf of his clients, using his considerable skill and knowledge to drive an appropriate settlement. Heavily involved in training and supervision of junior lawyers to ensure they receive a solid grounding in personal injury law. Willing to consider difficult or complex cases. Recent success stories include a settlement of £1.275million for a motorcyclist who suffered a severe brachial plexus injury when knocked off his motorbike on the way to work, £1million for a client who was knocked off her pedal bike resulting in a below knee amputation and £750,000 for a client who eventually had to have a below knee amputation following an accident in November 2011. A clear marker of Jason’s ability and skill is the consistently high level of referrals he receives via word of mouth. Numerous amputation, fibromyalgia and head injury clients have all either been referred to him directly by previous clients for whom he has acted, or via case studies on the JMW website. Other notable successes include; a fibromyalgia case settlement for £290,000, in which the defendant’s representative made an initial offer to settle of £25,000; a £400,000 compensation award for a client who suffered multiple severe injuries in a road traffic accident, £350,000 for a client who suffered a serious wrist injury after falling from a mobile scaffold at work and £525,000 for the widow and dependents of a man who was killed after being knocked off his bicycle on his way to work.Jason’s ongoing caseload is proving just as robust, with a wide-ranging set of claims, including several worth £1million plus.
Jean Warde
Jean Warde
A robust all-rounder who enjoys getting stuck into a spectrum of personal injury claims, from accidents in the workplace or trips and slips, to road traffic accidents, preferring to embrace complex, challenging and technical issues arising from the field. Has outstanding technical ability and takes a no-nonsense approach to work and litigation, with a great deal of advocacy experience. Jean’s passion is getting the absolute best settlement on behalf of her clients and she uses her broad experience, skill and a straight-talking approach with the other side to ensure just that. Her caseload supports this, with regular six-figure awards in cases as diverse as complex RTA's, occupiers liability and accidents at work.  Jean also heads up the Road Traffic Accident team within JMW where she has been instrumental in the team’s establishment and progression, remaining heavily involved in its improvement and development, passing on her vast knowledge and experience to them and encouraging them to adopt a flexible, committed and efficient approach to a large caseload.  She works closely with the team to manage and train them and adapt them to any Governmental changes to ensure their continued efficiency and profitability.  Jean is also heavily involved in the development of JMW’s in-house case management system ‘Proclaim,’ regularly enhancing the system to facilitate better fee earner experience and ultimately creating bespoke solutions that meet the needs of an ever-evolving personal injury department.
Jodi Lund
Jodi Lund
Partner acting on behalf of a variety of specialist lenders. Jodi has over 15 years’ experience in property law and has a particular interest in representing the buy to let investor and lender clients from private bridging lenders on a separate representation basis to institutional banks and PLC’s on a dual representation basis. Testament to Jodi’s dedication, consistent commercial attitude and technical ability is the fact that she has retained repeat clientele spanning the length of her legal career, working alongside the buy to let investor to maximise their property portfolio offering and lenders and brokers, including fintech companies, to streamline procedures and processes to maximise service levels and output.
Joe Cobb
Joe Cobb
Partner & Head of Private Client Joe joined JMW in July 2019 in the Private Client Department, having spent ten years at Addleshaw Goddard. His expertise relates to providing tax, estate and succession planning to ultra-high net worth individuals, institutional clients and entrepreneurs, with a focus on owner-managed businesses and corporate vehicles. He also has extensive experience advising on trust formation and administration, high value and international estate administration, and contentions trusts and estates.
Julian Richards
Julian Richards
Julian advises on all aspects of occupational pension schemes, including scheme organisation, restructuring and dispute resolution. Most recently he has advised extensively on pension scheme mergers following employer restructuring. He specialises in advising on managing section 75 debt on employer cessation events and has been particularly involved in advising trustees and employers on modifying debt and re-assigning scheme liabilities through both scheme and flexible apportionment arrangements. Julian is skilled at liaising with scheme administrators, consultants, actuaries and insurers during merger and de-risking projects and has extensive experience in advising on, and drafting, the necessary documentation. He acts for trustees and employers on pension litigation matters including equalisation, rectification, and professional negligence. He is experienced in managing the litigation process through to compromise settlement and court hearing. Julian acts for a number of trustee boards of schemes provide by trade unions for their employees. His background as a trade union pensions officer prior to becoming a solicitor gives him a unique understanding of the particular issues faced by trustees of trade union sponsored schemes.
Laura Wharton
Laura Wharton
Laura Wharton is a Partner in the Employment team. Laura Wharton is a notable Employment Partner at JMW Solicitors with over 15 years of experience, Laura is recognised as a leading advisor in, corporate employment transactions, sports employment law and general advisory employment law. Sports Laura’s practice encompasses multifaceted legal challenges endemic to the world of professional sports, including contractual negotiations on behalf of football players and coaches as well as negotiating settlement agreements and exit packages between clubs, athletes and executives. Laura is also adept at advising on disciplinary proceedings, handling disputes and general advisory work related to employment rights within professional sports and representing football clubs and other sporting bodies throughout Employment Tribunal litigation claims. Laura has also provided bespoke training to different sporting bodies from social media protocols to contentious disciplinary and grievance hearings. Corporate In the corporate arena, Laura is the lead contact working with the firm’s corporate team to provide strategic counsel to businesses on employment issues during the due diligence piece on mergers and acquisitions.  Laura also frequently advises corporate clients on TUPE transfers, drafting and negotiating of high level senior executive contracts, and warranties and indemnities. Menopause Laura is spear-heading the Menopause awareness initiative on behalf of JMW's employment clients due to the influx of enquiries and litigation within the area. Laura has also drafted tailor-made policies and provided niche advice to individuals and businesses in relation to maternity, paternity and shared parental leave and employees returning from maternity leave. General Employment Laura’s core client roster is SME’s but she advises, football clubs, professional athletes and basketball clubs, sports agencies, multinational corporations, and golf clubs. Laura’s deep understanding of both employment law and the client’s needs enables her to deliver pragmatic solutions that protect her clients’ interests while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. She is distinguished by a rigorous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to safeguarding her client’s commercial interests. Laura frequently shares her expertise through speaking engagements at prestigious industry conferences and contributing to online webcasts discussing niche employment law topics making her a sought after commentator on employment topics.
Lee   Ranford
Lee Ranford
Lee is dual qualified as a solicitor and a licensed insolvency practitioner, authorised by the Insolvency Practitioners Association. His role as a solicitor and insolvency practitioner means that he can offer a broad spectrum of insolvency advice to those involved in the insolvency process. Lee’s insolvency work covers all aspects of personal and corporate insolvency from bankruptcy through to administrations and liquidations. He acts for a wide range of clients, such as  insolvency practitioners, companies, directors, creditors and debtors on restructuring and recovery options. Lee  is an expert in dealing with  complex  misfeasance claims, as well as many other types of insolvency related disputes. Lee advises companies and directors where financial difficulties have arisen and advice is needed to avoid breaching the relevant duties owed by those directors. Lee also deals with advice regarding business and asset sales by insolvency office holders, including pre-pack transactions. That work often involves acting for office holders in dealing with their appointment as administrator or liquidator.
Marc Yaffe
Marc Yaffe
Until May 2021, Marc was the Head of Commercial Litigation at JMW managing a dynamic and multi award-winning department of 60 people, making it one of the largest litigation teams in the North West.  From May 2021 , Marc was promoted into the Central Management function at JMW and now works alongside both the Managing Partner and Senior Partner as the Head of Business Development. Marc remains very client focussed and his client base permeates a number of industries, including sport, media, and online retailing. His client base included the likes of eBay, PayPal and the Hut Group as well as many other successful entrepreneurs and sports stars. Marc’s current role involves helping others within the firm develop their personal profile by using their own networks to develop business relationships and cross-sell opportunities to other areas of the firm. Marc is hugely passionate about Business Development and has introduced a number of products, tools and techniques to both Partners and junior fee earners to help them progress. Particular products include “Barn Door” – a platform that connects Sports stars to businesses to help them prepare for life beyond sport, and “The Inside Man” JMW’s very own news channel that posts topical videos and creative content via social media.
Mark Heppell
Mark Heppell
Corporate M&A. Mark is a partner in JMW’s corporate team, over his career he has built up a strong client base, acting on behalf of private investors, entrepreneurs, owner-managed businesses and companies across a variety of sectors within the Northwest region. Mark is experienced in advising on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters across a variety of sectors, including: acquisitions and disposals, MBO’s, joint ventures, private equity and investment structures, share option schemes, re-structuring, refinancing and corporate governance matters.
Megan Christie-Copeland
Megan Christie-Copeland
Megan joined JMW in September 2020 as Partner and Head of Court of Protection (COP). She acts as deputy, trustee and attorney and is also a director of JMW Trust Corporation Limited. Megan manages one of the largest and fastest-growing COP teams in the country.    She also: Handles the team’s most complex cases (10% pro bono) involving multi-million-pound estates, international assets, contested legal proceedings and fraud allegations.  Supports clients with the most profound disabilities, reduced life expectancy and challenging behaviours. She builds trust with clients, their families and their support network. Provides free training/seminars to care providers, local authorities and charities, promoting awareness and collaboration to support vulnerable children/adults. 
Mike Rainford
Mike Rainford
Partner specialising in financial crime and regulatory matters for over 35 years. He has dealt successfully with a number of high profile cases. His expertise are wide ranging and include cases involving: Company fraud Carousel fraud Boiler room fraud Investment share dealing Taxation fraud. Mike’s Regulatory experience also encompasses many areas including Trading Standards, environmental, health and safety, tax investigation, business innovation and skills investigations, insolvency service investigations, FCA investigations re banks, accountants and IFAs, cyber crime including theft of intellectual property and hacking. Chambers and Partners 2016 say Mike "regularly acts in major investigations led by leading enforcement agencies including the BIS, CBI and FCA. He specialises in a number of areas including tax fraud, commercial fraud and POCA related work.
Nicola Wainwright
Nicola is a specialist clinical negligence solicitor with over 20 years’ experience in the field. She practices exclusively in clinical negligence. She specialises in cases of serious injury, particularly those arising from brain damage caused by birth injuries resulting in cerebral palsy, infectious diseases, such as meningitis, TB or HSV, and/or neonatal illness. Nicola also has vast experience in cases arising from surgical errors and delays in diagnosis, for example, of ectopic pregnancy, appendicitis and cancer, and fatal cases. In 2018 she achieved one of the highest awards of compensation in England and Wales for a case of its’ type for a 9-year-old-girl who was left with permanent brain damage as a result of the misuse of forceps. Her successful settlements in 2019 include six figure sums of compensation for a man left brain damaged and suffering from epilepsy as a result of negligent sinus surgery and for a lady who suffered permanent spinal injuries. She also successfully concluded a long-running complex case arising from failures in psychiatric care for a client who had been an inpatient in psychiatric units for over 20 years.
Paul Breen
Paul Breen
Paul is head of JMW’s catastrophic injury team. He handles a varied caseload of high value, complex personal injury matters, along with the rest of his team.  Paul also spearheads the department’s relationship with several key referes, which inclues several spinal injuries charities. He has developed a distinctive style over his career that places client care at the heart of every case, building strong relationships not only with his clients, but their families too, in order to ensure that he secures a settlement that will best meet his clients’ needs post accident.Paul’s many past client success stories include his client of M; a 24 year old lady who had attended a friend’s wedding and was on the way home. Her sister was driving and unfortunately lost control of the car and crashed. M was unrestrained in the rear of the car and sustained a very serious and high level injury to her spinal cord rendering her tetraplegic. Initially she was ventilated in hospital however was subsequently weaned of this.  Following liability investigations Paul established fault against the driver despite the fact that M got into a car knowing the driver was under the influence of alcohol and additionally was not wearing a seatbelt.  Paul engaged the services of a case manager, who in turn and in conjunction with the legal team, identified a property which was suitable to purchase and adapt for a full time wheelchair user, which included the provision of disabled bathroom facilities, a hydrotherapy pool, as well as employing a full time care team and arranging for the relevant aids to be provided. In addition an extensive package of assistive technology was purchased and implemented for the benefit of the client, all paid for by the other sides insurance company. The case subsequently settled for a figure in excess of £5 million.Paul was also successful in securing an extensive settlement for his client of J; a City worker who was involved in a cycling collision on his way to work that led to his sustaining serious head injuries that left him in a coma for several weeks. Following his recovery from coma, it was identified that he had significant left sided hemiplegia, loss of his ability to speak, significant cognitive and violent tendencies which made looking after him very difficult. He was also deemed to lack mental capacity and a professional deputy was appointed by the court of protection. Following extensive inpatient rehabilitation he was discharged back to his previous home, which had been adapted and was provided with an extensive team of support workers. The case settled just before trial on a part lump sum and periodical payment basis to provide for care, loss of income and case management going forward for the rest of J’s life. If the case had been capitalised it would have been worth £12 million pounds.
Pauline McNamara
Pauline McNamara
Pauline McNamara joined JMW's Liverpool office in February 2024 as a Consultant Partner in the Family Team. Pauline’s area of specialisation are:- Acting in high conflict divorces. Negotiations of difficult financial settlements. Litigation concerning family business. Disputes relating to property owned by family members/third party trusts and third parties within divorce proceedings. Particular interest in acting against narcissistic and borderline personality types. A conflict contested cases relating to children. Pre and post nuptial agreements Referred to as brilliant in the 2015 Legal 500, Pauline was said to head an excellent team. The 2019 edition of the guide described Pauline as a strong and experienced negotiator who is supported by a close group of fee earners, a force to be reckoned with. Pauline has been consistently ranked within the Chambers and Partners legal directory since 2017. Pauline is also a recommended family lawyer on the Spear's 500. Pauline enjoys travelling. Pauline can also be found supporting through thick and thin Everton Football Club and particularly enjoys supporting all of the team members who she has previously mentored throughout the years of her practicing and seeing how they all thrive.
Peter Barnard
Peter Barnard
Partner. Peter advises across a range of commercial and property disputes for both UK and overseas clients and has 15 years’ experience as a litigator. Peter’s work includes contractual disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, professional negligence claims and urgent applications for injunctive relief. His property litigation practice encompasses vacant possession strategies, breach of covenant claims, forfeiture and possession claims, dilapidations, right of way and boundary disputes, break notices, nuisance and trespass claims, rent arrears and service charge disputes.
Philip Cooper
Philip Cooper
Partner. Philip specialises in divorce and medium-to-high net worth financial settlements representing homemakers, city professionals, celebrities, entrepreneurs and sports people. His work regularly involves family companies, offshore funds and trusts and he has extensive experience with the international relocation of children. With a strong equine background, Philip has a real interest in farming families and all things involving horses. He is a “go to” for Pre and Post Nuptial Agreements and has negotiated agreements involving significant national and international wealth. Philip also advises non-married clients on family and property issues arising on relationship breakdown and represents non-married parents with “Schedule 1” claims for the benefit of their children.
Rebecca Young
Rebecca Young
Rebecca is a Partner at JMW and heads up the Media and Reputation Management team.  Rebecca’s team provide specialist media and reputation management advice to clients predominantly based in the UK.  The team is known for working collaboratively with clients’ PR teams and key stakeholders to manage, often at short notice, reputational or privacy issues.  The team has considerable experience in dealing with the Media and in injunctive matters. Rebecca is known for being dedicated to assisting her clients to enforce their legal rights, to defend their legal position and to achieve positive outcomes.
Rebecca Brown
Rebecca Brown
Solicitor and FSE Partner of JMW Solicitors LLP, Director of the JMW Trust Corporation   Rebecca joined the Court of Protection Department of JMW Solicitors LLP in January 2023. Rebecca specialises in all aspects of mental capacity work including advising on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and acting as an expert witness on Court of Protection matters in high value personal injury and clinical negligence cases.   As a Director of the JMW Trust Corporation, Rebecca acts as Deputy for clients who have received substantial damages awards following personal injury. She regularly delivers training on Court of Protection and capacity issues both nationally and locally.   Rebecca has a particular expertise in:   Deputyship and Personal Injury Trust general management work in high value pre and post settlement litigated cases Court of Protection applications Expert witness work and litigation support Rebecca completed her training contract at Pannone Solicitors LLP, qualifying as a solicitor in 2011 into their Court of Protection department at the time led by Hugh Jones. In 2013 she joined Hugh Jones Solicitors, a specialist Court of Protection practice founded by Hugh Jones, where she remained for nearly 10 years, becoming a Director of the firm in 2020, before joining JMW in January 2023.
Richard Parkinson
Richard Parkinson
Richard is a partner and head of the firm's commercial contracts team. He joined JMW from national law firm Pinsent Masons in August 2014 having spent 12 years there. Richard has experience of advising clients on a wide range of commercial matters including key long term supply agreements and outsourcing agreements assisting clients to maximise value from key relationships. He has advised clients on a variety of methods to get product and services to market including the establishment of strategic partnerships, the appointment of agents and distributors and the establishment of franchise networks. Richard also advises clients on the associated consumer issues including sales promotions and consumer protection legislation. Richard regularly advises clients in relation to IT contracts including SaaS arrangements, the procurement of hardware and development of software. He also advises clients in relation to the commercialisation of their intellectual property. He also has wide experience in the recruitment sector,      Recent experience includes: advising on the structuring of and documentation in relation to the pilot for the national parking platform, advising a leading provider of engineering maintenance services in relation to a long term framework agreement for maintenance services for a major fast food provider, advising a new entrant to the UK hotels market on their contracting suite (including management terms and terms for customers) and advising a fast growing sports apparel business in relation to a variety of partnering agreements with global sporting brands.
Ruben Sinha
Ruben Sinha
Specialist family and asset protection lawyer with a career spanning the leading family teams at top City and international firms across the UK and Hong Kong. Advises on protecting wealth and issues following divorce/separation with a focus on complex international cases involving HNW/UHNW and often high-profile clients. His clients are based across Manchester and the North, London and internationally. Particular expertise in cases involving offshore trusts, corporate structures and substantial family wealth. Has acted in a number of reported cases which have shaped the law in this area and most recently Sir Frederick Barclay following his widely publicised divorce in one of the largest and most complex cases to have come before the English courts.
Russel Forward
Russel Forward
Partner, Real Estate Finance Real Estate RestructuringRussel is also a real estate work-out and restructuring expert who assists lenders in creating and implementing work-out strategies for distressed loans secured against property. This includes advising on the initial appointment of receivers and administrators, post-appointment management issues, sales strategies and subsequent sales. Russel undertook a 9-month secondment to RBS where he provided assistance on the legal aspects of refinancing, restructuring and re-banking property portfolios.
Sally Leonards
Sally Leonards
Sally Leonards is a longstanding partner in the clinical negligence department at JMW. She handles high value clinical negligence compensation claims but has particular expertise in unusual, complex and catastrophic injury cases especially birth injury, brain and spinal injury claims. In her 25+ years career Sally has secured numerous multimillion-pound settlements for children and adults in need of specialist care and accommodation due to cerebral palsy and other brain injuries. Sally's most recent settlement amounts to £25 million. Sally’s most recent settlements for children with brain injuries have included 2 cases with compensation of £25 million each and another settlement of  £15 million. Cauda equina syndrome claims are another specialist area for Sally and she is currently representing numerous victims of this type of medical negligence across the country. 
Sam Healey
Sam Healey
Sam Healey is a partner in the Business Crime and Regulation team and has substantial knowledge and experience in handling complex and serious cases. He works nationally with many of his cases having an international element. His experience and expertise is vast, having particular emphasis in handling matters relating to: Fraud and Financial Crime; Corporate Governance (Bribery and Corruption); Trading Standards; Organised and Serious Crime Serious Motoring Offences (where death or significant injury is caused); Regulatory offences; Criminal Restraint and Confiscation; Tax Investigations & Prosecutions Sam is regularly instructed to represent corporates, individuals and professionals. He is someone clients always want by their side given his robust and pragmatic approach in representing and protecting their position. He identifies immediately the salient issues, is able to navigate his way around complex legal and factual issues in a case and has a meticulous eye for detail.  
Scott Bell
Scott Bell
Scott is a Partner and Head of JMW’s Commercial Road Transport Team. Scott specialises in the operation of commercial vehicles subject to operator licensing which includes representation at Public Inquiries & Driver Conduct hearings before a Traffic Commissioner.  Operator licence applications arising from mergers & acquisitions or insolvency and finally DVSA, Police and other enforcement body investigations into commercial vehicle operators. Scott acts across the HGV, Coach and Bus sectors with client’s ranging from large multinational corporates to SME transport and logistic providers. Scott further provides proactive consultancy, training and auditing to businesses to ensure that their obligations for road safety are met.
Simon Bloch
Simon Bloch
Partner   Simon joined JMW in 2017 as a Partner in the Employment team.   Simon’s expertise primarily relates to advising in relation to clients and suppliers in the recruitment sector. Simon is regularly called on to provide advice in relation to employment status, Agency Workers’ Regulations, National Minimum Wage advice and inspections, restrictive covenant disputes and regulatory matters arising from running a recruitment business.  Simon also acts for senior executives in relation to terminations and provides general practice employment advice and representation.
Simon Maddox
Simon Maddox
Partner specialising in investment/owner occupier work. Simon has a wealth of experience across the commercial property spectrum, having acted for a broad mix of clients, ranging from individual entrepreneurs to large corporates. Simon undertakes work for a number of national and regional Investors, and boasts a strong retail specialism having worked for many years in a tailored Retail team acting for high profile national retailers and managing extensive portfolios.He also undertakes extensive work in the care sector, having acted for various day nursery and social care providers assisting with their growth programmes.
Simon Gerrard
Simon Gerrard
Simon joined JMW in May 2023 as a Partner in the Restructuring and Insolvency Team, having previously worked at heavyweight international law firms in the UK and Australia. His clients include insolvency practitioners (on both corporate and personal matters), accountants, asset-based lenders, directors and shareholders. Simon specialises in all aspects of insolvency and commercial litigation, with expertise in the following areas: Pursuing and defending office holder claims against directors, including claims concerning overdrawn directors loan accounts, transactions at an undervalue, preference payments and misfeasance; Advising on and defending director disqualification proceedings; All types of distressed business and asset sales and purchases; Disposal of real property on behalf of office holders; Advising on distressed lending and refinancing, including pursuing and defending enforcement action; Advising office holders across all forms of formal insolvency processes; Pursuing and defending applications for injunctive relief, including applications for freezing injunctions and the delivery up of property. Simon has been named as a ‘recommended lawyer’ in the Legal 500 UK since 2015 where he has been described, by his clients, as “tenacious yet pragmatic and agile” and “extremely competent and efficient”. Simon is also noted for adopting a “practical and tactical approach”, as well as being “really effective at what he does, and the type of person you want acting for you”, “incredibly commercially minded” and “enjoyable to work with”. Reported cases: Hope Capital 2 Limited v Mr Stephen Michael Jones [2022] EWHC 3206 (Ch)
Sobashni De Silva
Sobashni De Silva
Sobashni is a director in the litigation department at Duncan Lewis Solicitors. She litigates across a broad range of areas including professional negligence, banking disputes, builders’ disputes, defamation, contractual disputes, civil fraud, misrepresentation claims, and international cross-border litigation. Sobashni has over ten years’ experience dealing with high-net-worth clients that include individuals, PLCs, SMEs, pharmaceutical companies, homecare companies and unincorporated associations. Her areas of expertise encompass contract and tort actions and a wide range of disputes including: corporate and company disputes; shareholder disputes; partnership disputes; debt recovery claims; and cross-border litigation. Sobashni handles commercial matters as well as professional negligence, defamation and selected employment disputes. She has obtained formidable success through strategy and technical awareness with considerable experience in settling claims using alternative dispute resolution through negotiations, mediation and conciliation. Sobashni has extensive experience in the High Court and the County Courts litigating numerous matters. She recently advised a client on a complex £300m High Court litigation involving international law.She encourages ADR throughout proceedings and regularly settles claims through extensive negotiations, mediation, and conciliation.
Stephen Taylor Heath
Stephen Taylor Heath
Stephen Taylor Heath is a  FSE Partner(Head of Sports law) and specialist Sport and TMT Lawyer.   Stephen has specialist experience of multi territory media rights agreements particularly broadcasting and sponsorship rights. Stephen also has expertise in protecting  client’s commercial interests particularly through Ambassador, Sponsorship and Image Rights agreements.   Recent matters have included the rights agreements for Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder/Anthony Joshua, assisting BT with a Blocking Order against Pirate streams and Ambassador agreements for clients with sportsmen such as  Trent Alexander Arnold  and Anthony Joshua. He also acted for Prenetics EMEA in their commercial contracts with the EPL, ECB, SoccerAid, the RCA and Matchroom Sport  to conduct Covid testing as part of the return to professional sport after lockdown.    
Steve Morris
Steve Morris
Partner in the Commercial Litigation team.  Steve acts in respect of general commercial and corporate disputes for a wide variety of clients, including warranty claims, shareholder and partnership disputes, breaches of contract, fraud, professional negligence and all forms of injunctions.His experience includes: Obtaining judgment for £10.8million and obtaining a finding of fraud on a fraudulent warranty claim; Successfully defending a contractual claim for £58m in an adjudication; Successfully defending an unfair prejudice shareholder claim which was discontinued by the Petitioners after 3 days of the trial; Acting as a High Court appointed Supervising Solicitor in the execution of numerous search & seize injunctions; and Representing clients in over 50 mediations.
Tracey Rodford
Tracey Rodford
Partner.    An all-rounder with real commitment, Tracey represents parents resolving complex disputes regarding their children, separating couples unravelling their matrimonial finances and those planning marriage, looking to obtain some certainty if things go wrong.   Tracey has represented high profile clients such as sports personalities, celebrities and international businessmen in complex high net worth and ultra-high net worth court proceedings and has been involved in reported cases such as Alireza v Radwan & Ors (2017) EWCA Civ 1545 Re R (Children) (2016) EWCA Civ 1130 MT v FY [2020] EWFC 48 (17 July 2020)