Lester Aldridge LLP

Adam Corcoran

Adam Corcoran is a Partner in the Real Estate team. Adam has had twenty years’ experience of advising clients on a wide range of property matters. He has acted for developers, charities, pension funds and others in the acquisition and sale of land and buildings, refinancing transactions as well as commercial landlord and tenant matters and business sales and purchases. Clients have appreciated Adam’s proactive approach to their matters. Having run his own law firm previously he is ideally placed to understand the needs of his commercial business clients.

Ann Lloyd

Ann Lloyd is a Partner and Head of the Litigation and Recoveries team. Ann handles a wide range of contentious asset finance and consumer credit matters, including satisfactory quality and title disputes, wrongful interference claims and the enforceability of consumer credit agreements, both regulated and unregulated. Ann also deals with defended mortgage cases for commercial mortgage lenders and handles business and personal banking cases including the recovery of secured and unsecured facilities and shortfalls.

Ben Kerley

Ben is a commercial litigator with experience in all forms of dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration and adjudication. He acts for individuals and corporate clients ranging from sole traders to publicly listed companies in a variety of sectors including charities, care, sport, construction, manufacturing and investment trusts. He is regularly instructed in contractual disputes, professional negligence claims, defamation matters and corporate and partnership disputes. Ben frequently acts for clients in relation to debt claims, including in the preparation and service of Statutory Demands and enforcement. Ben is experienced in advising on matters involving intellectual property including trademark registrations, trademark infringement disputes, advice relating to copyright infringement and passing off claims.

Chris Evans

Chris Evans is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team. Chris is a commercial litigator working with clients across a number of sectors. His work ranges from providing commercial, solution focused advice to clients involved in potential contract disputes, to advising and representing clients in high value court and arbitral proceedings. Chris has particular experience of complex contract disputes and financial claims, intellectual property claims, professional negligence claims and insolvency related matters. He also regularly advises on contentious and non-contentious Companies Act claims including schemes of arrangement and reductions of capital.

Danielle Montezuma

Danielle Montezuma is a Partner in our Litigation & Recoveries team. She is an experienced litigator who acts for finance houses, banks and other creditors in a variety of litigation. Client’s favour Danielle’s practical and commercial approach. Danielle advises both captive and non-captive asset finance clients on the recovery of high value vehicles, equipment, and resulting shortfalls. She regularly deals with related issues such as title disputes, satisfactory quality claims, and issues concerning regulatory compliance. She advises banks in relation to the recovery of secured and unsecured facilities, dealing with challenges to lending terms and director guarantees, and disputed claims for possession. Danielle also acts for Law of Property Act 1925 receivers and insolvency practitioners in recovering property and other debts.

Danielle Slater

Danielle is an Associate in the Corporate & Commercial team at Lester Aldridge. She assists and advises on transactional M&A matters, where clients are either buying, selling or merging companies or partnerships, and also advises on share buybacks and company restructuring. In addition to drafting and helping to negotiate the transaction documentation, Danielle has experience managing the due diligence and disclosure process. She remains calm and level-headed in situations that can be stressful and time-critical. Danielle often reviews and reports to the client on a variety of commercial agreements and arrangements, highlighting the potential risks and incorporating new clauses to ensure that the document achieves the client’s desired outcome. Another aspect of the services she provides is corporate compliance and company secretarial services. She conducts reviews of the company’s corporate books, registers and filings and advises the client accordingly.

David Healy

David Healy is a Partner and head of the Personal Injury & Medical Negligence team. David undertakes work for those seriously injured and has settled cases totalling well over £100 million. He has acted in a number of high profile cases. Typically these cases involve spinal cord damage, brain injury, amputations and/or serious burns. David has also practised in clinical negligence. David is very experienced in winning cases where his clients have been injured in road traffic accidents and accidents at work. He has a special interest in acting for members of the Armed Forces and for people with injuries caused by animals.

Dean Drew

Dean is a corporate partner with over 20 years’ experience at national and regional law firms in the UK, during which time he has also held key business leadership roles. His principal areas of expertise include mergers & acquisitions, disposals (private sale and auction), equity investment and fund raisings, group company restructuring, reorganisations and demergers, joint ventures and shareholders’ agreements, commercial agreements and UK Companies Act compliance. Dean provides specialist advice to clients on the process and approach to closing successful mergers & acquisitions and other transactions. Over recent years he has won awards for his work on complex and high-value acquisitions and fund raisings. His work is mainly in the technology, automotive and real estate sectors where he is able to provide deal-related sector insight to clients based on wide-ranging experience.

Edward Adamson

Edward advises businesses in a range of sectors on transactional matters such as private mergers and acquisitions and corporate reorganisations. He has particular experience in the hotel and leisure sectors and the healthcare sector, including GP practices and care homes. In addition, Edward advises a variety of charities and social enterprises and their trustees on a range of commercial and governance issues.

Fiona Brooke

Fiona is an Associate in the Personal Injury team. She is also a qualified Chartered Legal Executive. Fiona has over 20 years of experience in personal injury litigation, including high-value and complex cases. She advises in all areas of personal injury, from employers and public liability to road traffic accident claims.

Grant Esterhuizen

Grant is a partner at Lester Aldridge who heads up the firm’s Commercial Group and Corporate Team. He is dual-qualified UK solicitor and South African attorney and has specialised in company and commercial law since qualifying in the UK. Grant has over 20 years’ experience advising on commercial and corporate matters.  His advisory scope includes joint ventures, commercial agreements and corporate transactions. He has particular experience in cross-border corporate transactions, having closed transactions involving buyers or sellers based in foreign jurisdictions such as China, Australia, Canada, USA, Brazil, French Polynesia and Europe. Grant has clients across a number of SME sectors and has specific specialism in advising clients in the software development, software licensing, manufacturing and export sectors. His clients regard him to be commercial yet tenacious in his approach.

Kate Stewart

Kate is a Partner and heads the property litigation team. She advises on complex real estate litigation and dispute resolution. Kate works closely with our real estate teams, providing guidance for the smooth procurement of property transactions and handling any property related matters which have become disputed or which are the subject of litigation both in the commercial and residential sectors. Kate’s client base includes property developers, national house builders, national lenders and property investors. In addition Kate also advises on high end residential property related issues or disputes.

Kevin Barnett

Kevin Barnett is a Partner in the Employment & HR team. Kevin has worked across both the public and private sectors, for high street practices, local authorities and RSLs. As a result of this diverse range of experience he has a good understanding of the various different pressures and considerations that apply when providing advice to individuals, businesses and public bodies. Kevin is experienced in all aspects of employment law, both claimant and respondent, from drafting contracts and procedures, through to providing representation before tribunals in cases involving multiple claimants, and advising on dismissal and re-engagement procedures in relation to contract variations for 500 plus employees. He has also acted for both applicants and local authorities in relation to a wide variety of licensing matters from the sale and supply of alcohol right through to the keeping of dangerous wild animals by private individuals. Having acted as legal adviser to a number of different licensing authorities, he is well-placed to advise on what is, and is not, likely to be acceptable to a local authority and how best to overcome any issues that may give rise for concern. Previous private clients have included a number of care homes, several defence contractors, and numerous small enterprises, particularly in the retail sector. In addition to the public sector work undertaken as an employee, he has also acted for a number of other public bodies including the DWP, the Environment Agency and a local fire authority. Kevin is admired for his pragmatic approach to most problems, and for finding solutions which minimise both cost and risk to clients.

Kurt Lee

Kurt Lee is a Partner and Head of the Tax, Trusts, Wills & Probate team. Kurt Lee advises individuals on complex tax, trust or will requirements and businesses on any aspect of tax from incorporating to demerging companies, employee share schemes or Enterprise Investment schemes for outside investment. He also advises on the availability of Business and Agricultural Property Reliefs for inheritance tax (IHT) purposes and Entrepreneurs Relief for capital gains tax (CGT). Kurt has over 17 years’ experience in tax and has a great deal of knowledge in IHT and CGT tax planning strategies. As a trust specialist, he can also advise on the creation, running and breaking of trusts. Kurt can advise on drafting complex, tax efficient wills.

Laura Guntrip

Laura Guntrip is a Partner and Head of the Healthcare team. Laura leads the Healthcare Team in advising providers of adult care homes, nursing homes, supported living facilities, independent hospitals, children’s homes and schools, throughout England and Wales, on a range of issues. Laura regularly represents clients in challenging inspection reports and defending enforcement action by regulators such as CQC, CIW or Ofsted. This includes action by the regulator to refuse or vary registration, impose conditions of registration or cancel registration, including appeals to the Care Standards Tribunal and urgent actions before a magistrate. Laura also has defends clients in criminal investigations and prosecutions, by either CQC, HSE, Fire Authority, Environmental Health or the Police. She is experienced in the field of criminal law and is able to represent providers from PACE interviews under caution, through to prosecution. In addition, Laura regularly represents healthcare providers, GPs and others in Coroner’s Inquests, throughout England. Her work also includes local authority or CCG contractual disputes, disputes with residents, Court of Protection cases, safeguarding investigations and community care cases. Laura also has experience of representing clients in relation to professional misconduct hearings or disputing their inclusion on the barred lists; as well as public law judicial review proceedings within the care sector. Laura also has a strong reputation for her regulatory due diligence work which she frequently undertakes for purchasers, vendors or funders, dealing with acquisitions, sales or refinancing of all types of care facilities, including care homes, day schools, children’s homes, independent special schools, fostering agencies, acute medical units and fertility clinics. As a result of her expertise in these niche areas and her excellent reputation as a legal advisor in the sector, Laura is often asked to speak at conferences nationally and regularly writes for sector publications, including Caring Times.

Linda Jacques

Linda Jacques is a Partner in the Marine, Shipping & Logistics team. Linda acts for clients all over the world and has an excellent understanding of trade issues which arise out of the carriage of goods by ship, air and land. It is common to find lawyers specialised in one of these fields but rarer to find a lawyer who fully appreciates the entire trade chain. She offers a pragmatic and incisive view to try and get issues and disputes resolved as cost effectively as possible.

Mark Benham

Mark Benham is a Partner in the Real Estate team. Mark is an experienced property lawyer and has regional and national clients including national housebuilders, PLCs and care home providers. Mark advises developers and landowners generally on land development, strategic issues, and structuring transactions. Mark also advises on commercial landlord & tenant matters.

Matthew Barrow

Matthew is the Managing Partner and COFA of the firm, as well as a Partner in the Real Estate Group at Lester Aldridge. He advises on a wide variety of commercial property matters including: Distressed property realisations Secured lending All aspects of non-contentious landlord and tenant work Marina based property matters Portfolio management Investment acquisitions and disposals

Michelle Musker

Michelle has been with the firm since 2003 and is a Partner and Chartered Legal Executive who heads up the operational side of Real Estate Finance, our volume services property team. Michelle generally deals with a wide range of volume services for commercial and residential mortgage lenders. Her experience includes acquisitions and disposals of portfolios, individual repeat transactions, lease extensions, buy to let purchases and remortgages, residential and commercial loans as well as plot sales. Some of her clients include private individuals, landlords, developers, relocation companies, telecommunications as well as residential and commercial lenders.

Nicole Ridgewell

Nicole is a Senior Associate specialising in health and social care law. Nicole’s work has ranged from advice and advocacy for registered healthcare professionals in fitness to practise investigations to challenges against CQC and Ofsted on behalf of private providers and NHS Trusts. She has significant experience in public and administrative law matters, including judicial reviews; challenges to DBS certificates; regulatory due diligence for purchasers, vendors and funders; preparation for and representation at inquests; healthcare and professional disciplinary actions; safeguarding investigations; and ICO investigations. Nicole also advises on local authority fee disputes, on behalf of both care home residents and care home providers, and special educational needs provision, including appeals to the Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal. She also has experience in a wider range of health and welfare matters, including Personal Health Budget eligibility, hospital discharge assessments, best interest decision-making and engagement with Court of Protection proceedings. She also advises on discrete matters of public law and personal injury. Nicole writes regularly for health and social care publications and presents at conferences and seminars on health and social care matters. She is the co-author of the Nursing & Midwifery section of the Legal Action Group book ‘Professional discipline and healthcare regulators: a legal handbook’ (1st edition 2012, 2nd edition 2018).

Oliver Phipps

Oliver Phipps is a Partner & Head of the International Private Client team.Oliver Phipps specialises in probate with a particular focus on the administration of estates with assets located in multiple jurisdictions. To complement his specialism, Oliver is a practising notary public, which enhances the understanding of private international law issues between common law and civil law jurisdictions.As well as dealing with international estates, Oliver regularly prepares wills for individuals resident outside of England and advises on UK inheritance tax exposure for individuals domiciled outside of the UK. Oliver has administered estates with assets located in a wide variety of jurisdictions throughout Europe. Beyond Europe, examples of jurisdictions that Oliver regularly deals with include: South Africa, USA, Canada and Singapore.

Parisa Jones

Parisa Jones is a Partner in the Tax, Trusts, Wills & Probate team. Parisa is an experienced solicitor specialising in wills, powers of attorneys, trusts, estate administration and tax planning. She has acted for a broad spectrum of clients dealing with matters of varying degrees of complexity. Parisa prides herself on the level of service she provides her clients. She is approachable, sympathetic and offers clear practical advice. Parisa tailors her service to her clients’ needs and works quickly and efficiently to deal with matters on their behalf.

Rachel Gimson

Rachel Gimson is a Partner in the Property Litigation team. Rachel has considerable experience of a wide range of property dispute matters, including a variety of commercial and residential lease disputes such as contested lease renewals, break notices, breach of covenant, forfeiture, dilapidations and service charge disputes. Rachel also advises on land issues such as boundaries, restrictive covenants, rights of way and rights of light, acting for both companies and private individuals.

Rebecca Stubbs

Rebecca is an Associate in the Property Litigation team. Rebecca assists with all types of landlord and tenant disputes, including dilapidations, forfeiture, lease renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and rent reviews. She also assists with residential property disputes, including possession proceedings, service charge disputes, restrictive covenants, rights of way issues and boundary disputes. Rebecca’s clients comment on her rapport and making them feel at ease with legal jargon. Rebecca is actively involved in business development. She has been Vice Chairman of a chamber of commerce in Dorset. She has also assisted with setting up inaugural networking groups for young professionals.

Roger Woolley

Roger is a Partner in the Real Estate team. Roger specialises in major development projects, including site acquisitions, financing, development agreements and construction documentation and disposals. He regularly advises on joint ventures and collaborations. Whilst dealing with a broad range of development projects, Roger has a particular interest in waterside developments, acting for several ports and marina operators, and the Healthcare sector. He deals with substantial and complex property transactions and property-related projects on behalf of a range of clients across the UK. Roger has a broad range of clients, including developers, banks, port and marina operators, housebuilders, and care home operators.

Rosemary Sharp

Rosemary Sharp is a Partner and Head of the Family team. Rosemary advises on a wide range of clients on all aspects of private family law. Her work predominantly focuses on divorce, financial claims arising on divorce, businesses and complex income arrangements, farming assets, armed forces personnel, landed estates and Trusts. Rosemary’s work also includes private children matters, contact & residence and financial provision for children following an unmarried relationship breakdown. She also regularly advise on wealth protection issues such as prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Rosemary’s approach and strategy is always tailored to each individual client and focuses on what they want to achieve. Where possible she always tries to find a pragmatic solution for clients. If a court application is necessary, her advice is robust and practical.

Suki Samra

Suki Samra is a Partner in the Real Estate team. Suki acts for a broad range of commercial clients including companies, financial institutions, high net worth individuals and household names, advising on their property requirements. He has a strong focus on landlord and tenant work and enfranchisement, acting for landlords and property investors with a wide portfolio of commercial property. Suki and his team also provide volume property services to financial institutions on their secured lending work to telecom companies on their infrastructure projects and housebuilders on plot sales.

Susan Cowan

Susan Cowan is a Partner in the Corporate & Commercial team. Susan is Lester Aldridge’s training principal, co-ordinating the recruitment and rotation of all trainees. Susan’s main areas of work are company acquisitions and disposals, company reorganisations, shareholder agreements, partnership agreements and Limited Liability Partnership members’ agreements. Susan’s transactional work is largely in the care sector, acting on the acquisition and disposal of care home companies and businesses including care of the elderly, children’s homes and schools. Susan’s partnership work is focused mainly on NHS GP medical practices.