Mills & Reeve LLP

Amy Starnes

Senior Associate, an experienced children lawyer, specialising in all areas of children law, adoption, child arrangements, domestic abuse, relocation, child abduction and surrogacy.

Andrew Tobin

Partner – Insurance and Reinsurance Disputes

Claire Roake

Claire has been a professional indemnity lawyer since qualifying in 2003.  She has extensive experience of the London insurance market and of resolving claims against a variety of professionals.  In more recent years Claire’s work has focused upon defending claims against solicitors and financial professionals such as pensions advisors, professional trustees, IFAs and insurance brokers. She also advises insurers in relation to policy coverage. Claire has significant experience of resolving claims by alternative dispute resolution and has successfully defended claims to trial in the English High Court

Joanna Grandfield

Partner and specialist financial and children lawyer who heads up Mills & Reeve's London family team, Joanna is a trained barrister who is also a mediator and collaborative lawyer. Joanna’s work involves advising clients both within and outside of the jurisdiction who have complex financial and children issues arising from family breakdown, often involving trusts, business assets and pensions. She works with clients on wealth protection, drafting and advising on pre and post marital agreements. From a client: “A tremendous asset….Calm, assured, diligent and clearly very knowledgeable, Joanna performed superbly throughout proceedings” From Counsel: “Brilliant and has a steely determination to do the best for her clients” From Counsel: “Joanna is clever and charming.  Her clients love he. She has a real warmth and sense of humour that disguises her determination to win.  She commands a dedicated team and leads by example – fearless hard work

Michael Mitchell

Partner in the London insurance group. Specialises in professional negligence (financial lines) and property claims as well as advising upon policy disputes and construction.

Neil Davis

Neil joined Mills & Reeve in 2000 and became a partner in 2004. Since 2008 Neil has led the London insurance and reinsurance team and in 2012, he became head of the firm’s national insurance group with responsibility for developing and delivering the firm’s strategy for this core sector. Neil’s own experience is principally in relation to professional negligence disputes and his particular areas of focus are in defending claims against solicitors and insurance brokers, where he is currently dealing with a number of substantial and complex claims. In addition, he has a growing practice defending professional negligence and breach of contract claims against IT companies. Neil has significant experience of advising on coverage issues. He is client partner for a number of the firm’s key clients including AIG, Allianz and WR Berkeley.

Nicolas Oldham

From our London office, I head up the firm's Construction and Engineering Risks practice - a national offering across five offices. Over the last twenty years or so, I have dealt with claims against most professionals.  Since 1995, I have dealt exclusively with claims against construction professionals, including surveyors and valuers. I have substantial experience of court proceedings, arbitration proceedings, adjudication and ADR. I very much enjoy being instructed to advise on policy coverage and have been appointed coverage counsel for claims not only in this country, but also abroad, including Australia, Canada and Turkmenistan!  Clients say that: "strong technical skills provide the platform for an innovative and commercially focused approach." and "Nik's ability to build up trust and rapport enables messages to be conveyed quickly and effectively and is a major contribution to the facilitation of the settlement of complex and multi party disputes." Legal directories report: “Highly rated against other firms, especially in the construction area…” and “Nicolas Oldham provides ‘excellent service’ and is a hit with the clients.” "... enjoys ‘a real presence in the construction professional negligence market’. It advised Aspect Contracts on a claim against Higgins Construction. Nik Oldham has ‘first-class legal acumen’; "first rate". June 2015 success in the Supreme Court: Aspect Contracts (Asbestos) Limited v Higgins Construction Plc [2015] UKSC 38.

Suzanne Kingston

Consultant Suzanne is widely known for her expertise in all aspects of family work, in particular the resolution of complex financial issues for high net worth individuals. Suzanne’s cases often have an international element and she has considerable experience in dealing with prenuptial agreements and cohabitation issues. Often referred to as “the Queen of Arbitration and Mediation’, Suzanne has a thriving mediation and arbitration practice and teaches both

Virginia Hickley

Partner and Head of Financial Claims. Virginia has specialised in insurance litigation with a professional indemnity bias since qualifying and the majority of her work involves defending claims against financial professionals on behalf of their professional indemnity insurers. She has also drafted policy wordings and advises on policy coverage. Her focus is predominantly on financial lines work (accountants, auditors, IFAs, finance brokers, hedge fund managers, trustees, pensions administrators) and defending solicitors’ claims.  However, since qualifying in 1998 she has defended a wide range of professionals and claims of all values and levels of complexity. Her current caseload includes claims against solicitors, accountants, trustees, fund managers, pension administrators, brokers and independent financial advisers. The claims range in value from £100,000 to several million pounds. Virginia also advises underwriters on claims against French insureds, liaising with French lawyers and reporting to UK insurers.

Zoe Fleetwood

Head of National Children Team, Partner, Solicitor specialising in all areas of children law, adoption, child arrangements, domestic abuse, relocation, child abduction and surrogacy. Resolution Accredited Specialist in Child Abduction, Adoption and Children Law, Law Society Children Panel Solicitor, Solicitor-Advocate with Higher Rights of Audience.