Mills & Reeve LLP

Angus Turner

Angus has been a partner since 2000, having qualified with Mills & Reeve in 1995. He is recognised by the legal directories, and clients, as a leader in his field and specialises in acting on professional indemnity claims against law firms, as well as advising insurers on policy response. Angus is regularly instructed on complex and high value claims, arising from all areas of the profession including property investment schemes, corporate transactions, matrimonial settlements and ‘lost’ litigation. Angus heads up the firm’s Legal Malpractice sector, and is also an accredited mediator.

Charlotte Webster

Principal Associate

Christian Bull

The Birmingham office’s lead real estate-education lawyer helping with the property needs of a range of education clients from the higher, further, academies, studio schools and university technical colleges sectors. Also the Birmingham real estate lead on helping commercial property organisations and businesses with the legal aspects of their estate. Specialises in all areas of real estate law in England and Wales for education institutions and companies. Christian is Mills & Reeve’s North America desk. 

David Varnham

Banking lawyer specialising in international and UK syndicated and bilateral lending, acquisition and leveraged finance, property and development finance, project financing and restructurings.

David Faulkner

Principal Associate working with employers of all sizes in a variety of different sectors, with a particular focus on Mills & Reeve’s nationally-renowned higher education practice.  Has advised on some of the highest-profile disputes in the sector, regularly advises on sensitive and complex internal disputes, restructurings and Tribunal litigation, and also has the experience of having worked on secondment in a university HR department.  David was appointed as a part-time Employment Judge in 2013.

David Gooding

David is a professional indemnity and policy coverage specialist. His practice is focussed on advising lawyers, accountants and financial professionals and their insurers on defending and resolving claims as well as assisting accountants and solicitors with disciplinary investigations. He also advises insurers on policy coverage disputes and dishonesty investigations. David is head of the national accountants disputes practice. David is regularly instructed to assist and defend businesses facing high profile and significant claims. He recognises the financial, personal and reputational impact of a claim on professionals and their businesses. David is able to reduce that impact by relying on 20 years' experience, working closely with clients and by providing insightful, commercial and clear advice.  His recent experience includes helping strike out an unmeritorious multi-million pound claim against a professional firm pursued by a determined litigant in person. This year, he successfully led the defence of an accountants claim at the Supreme Court, Matthew & Others v Sedman & others [2021] UKSC 18 

Jagvinder Singh Kang

Jagvinder is a Partner and the International & UK Head of IT Law (CIPP/E, CIPM) at Mills & Reeve. He is an award winning and market leading technology lawyer. He is featured in Legal 500's ‘Hall of Fame’ - which Legal 500 confirms: “highlights, to clients, the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession.” He has been recognised for 10 consecutive years in Legal 500’s 'Elite List of Outstanding Technology Lawyers Nationwide', and consistently been ranked number one for IT and technology law by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners for a decade. He is a specialist technology and GDPR/data protection lawyer (CIPM, CIPP/E – he has attained amongst the world’s highest certification score on this internationally regarded specialist data protection qualification), as well as a qualified software engineer (First Class BSc (Hons) Computer Science & Software Engineering), with over 20 years of expertise from having advised on billions of pounds worth of UK and international technology transactions, involving the full range of organisations from innovative start-ups to FTSE100, NASDAQ listed and other world-class corporates. He also advises on UK and global GDPR compliance projects as well as cyber-breaches.

Jill Mason

Jill is Head of our Health and Care Sector – a growing and dynamic sector with over 200 lawyers working across a wide range of clients. She has over 25 years’ experience in healthcare law – the law relating to patients. As Head of the Healthcare and Mental Health law team nationally she also advises on a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious matters for clients in both the NHS and private sector. This includes inquests, judicial reviews, Mental Health Act advice, Mental Capacity Act advice, support and training around investigations, risk management, duty of candour, NHS Continuing Healthcare and consultation issues. Jill has also handled clinical negligence claims particularly complex, sensitive and high-value matters for NHS clients.  Jill is client relationship partner for many of the sectors key clients. Jill sits on the firm’s Audit Governance and Oversight Panel, is on the Governance Board of the Zero Suicide Alliance and is a Trustee of The Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

Jill Weston

Principal Associate advising commissioners and providers on a range of health-related matters including confidentiality and information governance issues, disclosure, continuing healthcare, the interpretation and application of the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty issues, inquests and judicial reviews.

Jog Hundle

Has over 25 years’ experience in employment law and leads the firm’s health and care sector employment practice. Widely recognised as one of the country’s leading advisers on employment law and practice to the health and care sector, acting for a large number of health bodies including the West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.   Advises on a wide range of employment matters including disciplinary issues and grievances, contractual terms and conditions of very senior managers and clinical staff and complex discrimination and whistleblowing disputes. Is currently advising a number of clients on TUPE and the employment aspects of  national reorganisation, acquisitions and mergers, major projects and contracting out of services. Has also advised a number of health bodies in respect of their legal responsibilities under large scale redundancy programmes. Is advising a number of Trusts in respect of doctors’ disciplinary and capability procedures. Regularly provides training on all aspects of employment law and practice.

John Grundy

Personal tax and estate planning including wills, trusts, family investment companies, powers of attorney, estate and trusts administration, inheritance and capital gains tax planning for both UK and non-UK cased individuals/families. Examples include advising a multi-national family on estate planning and structuring, including residence and domicile issues, creating excluded property trusts and protecting the family wealth through a combination of trusts and pre/post marital agreements; advising a successful business owner on the use and establishment of an unlimited liability investment company structure to mitigate inheritance tax, income tax and capital gains tax and protect the family wealth; will structuring for UHNW individuals with foreign, business and agricultural property, including liaising with lawyers in Spain, Australia and US over the course of the last 12 months; advising on trustee residence issues, including the application of the double taxation treaty with Australia.

Julian Smith

Julian is a corporate partner who concentrates on general corporate work, including acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, reorganisations and large projects. Julian’s particular experience is in the health sector as well as in working with in-house counsel from a variety of businesses ranging from FTSE 100 companies through to sole in-house counsel. Julian leads Mills & Reeve’s independent sector health team. Recent work includes leading the teams advising Bupa, Virgin Care,  Partnerships in Care, Healthcare at Home, AmSurg, Allied Healthcare and Synlab.

Katherine Kennedy

Partner, Birmingham Family Team

Kevin Lowe

Kevin leads the corporate tax team at Mills & Reeve and advises on the variety of tax issues that arise for the firm’s private and public sector clients. His experience includes giving tax advice on M&A transactions, venture capital and private equity, reorganisations, outsourcing, setting up in the UK, international transactions, VAT advice, property tax, employment tax and taxes relating to funding transactions.

Kieran Leahy

Associate Solicitor

Marc Saunderson

Currently head of the family law team in Birmingham. Marc deals in all areas of family law to include divorce, high-value ancillary relief, pre and post-nuptial agreements and separation issues. Marc is a collaborative lawyer and mediator, and an accredited specialist in high-net-worth ancillary relief and ancillary relief procedure.

Martino Giaquinto

Martino has a wealth of experience in litigation, arbitration, adjudication, mediation, early neutral evaluation and expert determination of sizeable complex disputes covering issues such as contract formation and contract interpretation, delay, disruption and prolongation claims, loss and expense and compensation claims, defects claims, certification and payment issues, repudiation and determination, warranty, bonds and guarantees claims. He has acted for clients in some of the defining construction projects of the last decade (including Portcullis House and the Millennium Dome) and the current decade (including the M6 Toll Road and Wembley National Stadium). Martino’s dual qualification means that his practice covers the full range of advisory and drafting work before and after the commencement of proceedings and advocacy in the courts and tribunals concerning claims by or against employers, contractors, sub-contractors and related professionals (architects, engineers, surveyors and project managers). Martino has both domestic and international dispute resolution experience and has acted for clients in hundreds of adjudications (including the seminal Macob v Morrison Construction case) since the introduction of the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.

Matthew Hansell

Head of private client group at Mills & Reeve, specialising in undertaking estate planning wills and trusts for high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs. Acts for three individuals in the top ten of the Midlands Rich List. Winner of the Birmingham Law Society Private Client Lawyer of The Year 2005. On behalf of the private client group at Mills & Reeve accepted the award for the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners ‘UK Regional Legal Team of the Year 2006/2007’.

Michael Whatley

Partner specialising in development work. Recent notable cases include acting for Millngate Properties on the development of the new Tesco store at Swaffham and West Midlands Ambulance Service on the sale of Bristol Road Ambulance Station Birmingham to Buile Developments for redevelopment as a 259 bed student residence.

Neil Frankland

Neil has a wide experience of acting for insurers, both in the company market and at Lloyds, in professional indemnity claims. His areas of specialism are insurance brokers and construction professionals (from main D and B contractors through to a wide range of associated consultants). Recent instructions involve complex high profile claims of significant value (in excess of £10m) relating to both brokers and also main contractors. Neil also has extensive experience in presenting on risk management in these sectors and providing added value service to clients, both professional and insurer. He has developed around him a team that is a ‘go to’ point of reference for brokers on all aspects of their profession and has worked with both sectors at driving professional standards and minimising risk.

Nick Abbott

Nick has specialised in employment law since qualifying as a solicitor and works exclusively with universities, further education colleges and academies. Nick leads Mills & Reeve’s higher education practice in the West Midlands and is head of Mills & Reeve’s further education group. Nick’s recent work has included advising a number of universities in relation to equal pay challenges; advising a university on the practical management of industrial action arising from a national pay dispute; advising a number of further education college groups on the organisation of staff within federations and using shared services; advising on a number of mergers between further education colleges; advising universities, further education colleges and academies on the removal of senior staff, including the use of university Statutes; advising various universities on employment issues arising from international collaborations; advising universities, further education colleges and academies on the practical management of reorganisations and compulsory redundancies; successfully defending complex Employment Tribunal claims, including those involving disability discrimination, race discrimination, whistleblowing and claims made by trade union representatives in relation to their status; advising on the conversion of over 140 schools to academies; advising on retirement and age discrimination; advising on the management and dismissal of staff with poor performance or long-term sickness.

Peter McLintock

Corporate finance partner in Birmingham office of national firm Mills & Reeve. Peter helps companies, private equity houses and management teams to buy, sell, merge, fund and govern their businesses locally, nationally and internationally. His sector and transactional experience is complemented by having spent years as a client within industry.

Richard Santy

Richard is a partner in the employment team based in Birmingham. Whilst Richard advises clients on all aspects of employment law, he is considered to be a litigation specialist. Richard conducts his own advocacy in tribunal and has represented a number of major clients in high profile cases over the past 12 months. This has included two hearings in the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Richard Sykes

Richard is a barrister who has specialised in education law since 2001. His work covers litigation and governance matters including freedom of information and personal data. He is recognised for his work for HE and FE clients in disability discrimination and equality issues, under 18s, fitness to practise and other regulatory issues and judicial review. He also advises qualification bodies on their relationships with their regulators and equality issues.

Robbie Turner

Principal associate in a team of lawyers who help clients with the drafting and negotiation of all types of documentation for real estate transactions. The team works with everyone involved in the real estate sector - investors, developers, funders, borrowers and corporates - and have a strong track record in education, health and regeneration projects. A particular focus for Robbie is the work that he carries out in the education sector. He advises universities and further education colleges on a wide range of property related matters and as part of the academies team he has helped advise on the formation and subsequent development and management of a number of academies spanning the length and breadth of the country.

Sarah Wood

Principal Associate, advising clients on a range of private clients, from entrepreneurs to landed estate clients.

Simon Garbett

Partner

Stephanie Hawthorn

Associate dealing with all areas of family law, including divorce, financial matters, cohabitation disputes, children matters and nuptial agreements.

Steve Allen

Steve heads the Birmingham office of Mills & Reeve LLP. He has extensive experience in dealing with all forms of commercial disputes particularly commercial contract, product liability, breach of warranty and shareholder disputes. He has a particular interest in the automotive, energy, food and IT sectors. In addition to extensive experience in conducting international arbitration disputes, Steve has dealt with disputes in the Commercial Court, the Technology and Construction Court and the Court of Appeal. Steve has also been involved in the settlement of several complex disputes through mediation and other forms of ADR. Steve is the current President of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the winner of the Midlands Leadership in Professional Services Award 2018. He is a former recipient of the International Solicitor of the Year Award from the Birmingham Law Society and is a past President of the New York based British American Business Council. Steve appears in the Birmingham Post’s Power 250 list of the Midlands’ most influential people and is a Visiting Fellow of International Law at Aston University in Birmingham.

Stuart Pemble

Stuart leads the Birmingham construction team, helping clients with the drafting and negotiation of all types of construction and engineering documents. The team works with everyone involved in the sector, including occupiers, developers, funders, contractors and consultants, and has a strong track record in education, health and regeneration projects. Stuart also heads the firm’s national academies practice, leading a dedicated team skilled in guiding schools through the conversion process.

Tim Winn

Head of corporate and public law at Mills & Reeve in Birmingham. Specialises in corporate transactions and corporate governance, advising plcs, private companies, universities and public and private healthcare bodies. Experience includes the only private NHS franchising, the £435m public-to-private of McKechnie plc; the buyout, flotation and sale of ShareLink; and the only public offer made in Belgium by a UK company. Advised Imperial College London on establishment of the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi. Currently advising on the first NHS foundation trust mergers and acquisitions.