Trowers & Hamlins LLP
Client SatisfactionLawyers
Adam Berman
Adam is a Managing Associate in Trowers & Hamlins' Dispute Resolution and Litigation Department who specialises in commercial litigation and contentious insolvency.
Adam has considerable experience advising clients in both the public and private sectors across a broad range of commercial disputes, including complex contract disputes, professional negligence claims, breaches of directors' duties/restrictive covenants/confidence, and shareholder disputes. He also has specialist expertise in providing media and reputation management advice to companies, non-profit organisations (including charities), and high profile individuals in respect of defamation, privacy and data protection from both a claimant and defendant perspective and often on a very urgent basis.
Adrian Carter
Adrian is one of the firm's Managing Partners and is also the Head of Banking and Finance
Adrian has over 30 years' experience of real estate finance with particular expertise in advising housing associations and lenders to them in relation to a variety of forms of funding, including syndicate and bi-lateral lending and borrowing, capital market issues and hedging arrangements.
On the housing finance side Adrian leads the largest team of finance lawyers (including security charging lawyers) in the UK dedicated to the housing sector with unrivalled experience of servicing borrower and lender clients – with a team of over 35.
Alex Frankland
Alex works for a range of private developers and registered providers on development site acquisitions and disposals on both freehold and leasehold bases as well as a range of other property advice.
Alex advises on a wide range of matters including site acquisitions, development and estate regeneration schemes and large scale disposals.
Alex drafts and negotiates development agreements, agreements conditional on planning, stock transfers, 'golden brick' contracts, option agreements and leases. Alex advises on planning and infrastructure matters such as S106, S38/S278 and S104 agreements. Alex has also led site set-ups for residential sales for both private developers and registered providers including negotiating contracts, drafting of transfers and leases.
Alex Sharples
Commercial Litigation
Alex Burton
Alex is a Partner in our Commercial Litigation team with over 30 years of experience in advising clients in complex and high-value commercial disputes both in the UK and internationally. He is primarily based in London but divides his time between our London and Gulf offices.
Alex has significant experience covering a wide range of industry sectors, including financial services, energy and infrastructure, aviation and professional liability.
His expertise includes matters involving commercial fraud, restructuring and asset management, in addition to disputes arising in connection with Islamic financing arrangements.
Alex represents clients in court proceedings (in particular the English Commercial Court) and arbitration references. He has represented clients in court or arbitration proceedings in several jurisdictions, and has familiarity with various arbitral rules and arbitration centres. He has considerable experience of operating in co-operation with lawyers in other jurisdictions in litigation and arbitration.
A substantial part of Alex's practice is focussed on clients who are based in or operate in the Middle East.
Alexander Sharples
Alex is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Commercial Litigation department, based in the Exeter office, which he joined in February 2021 after 11 years in London at a top city practice.
Alex has extensive experience in advising and representing clients in relation to complex and high-value disputes ranging from general Commercial Litigation through to arbitrations and international disputes in different jurisdictions across the world.
He frequently advises on disputes of a multi-party and/or cross-border nature, in various industry sectors. Alex has particular experience of advising in connection with disputes arising for clients in the energy, IT and defence industry sectors.
Within the energy sector, Alex has previously worked with clients on some of the most high profile cases to come before the English courts in recent years. These include cross-border disputes in the context of major projects, drilling contracts and gas sales agreements. He has advised on claims arising out of projects in the UK, Europe, Norway and West Africa.
Within the IT sector, Alex has previously worked with both customers and suppliers in relation to complex disputes arising from large IT transformation projects and software replacement and upgrades.
Alex represents clients in court and arbitration proceedings and also in alternative dispute resolution processes such as mediation and expert determination. Alex also has experience of managing disputes in the Middle East.
Alice Stripe
Alice advises on contentious and non-contentious matters across the full spectrum of intellectual property rights.
Alice's experience consists of advising on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property and related rights, including trade marks, passing off, copyright, design rights and confidentiality issues. In recent years, Alice has acted on a number of English High Court proceedings and has assisted clients on disputes before the EU and UK Intellectual Property Offices.
In addition to her disputes work, Alice has wide experience in brand protection and global portfolio management as well as non-contentious intellectual property matters, including, licensing and corporate support work.
Alison Chivers
Alison has extensive experience advising on a wide range of corporate and commercial transactions including investments, acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, supply and distribution agreements, terms and conditions, confidentiality agreements and corporate governance issues.
Alison specialises particularly in UK private company buy-out and M&A work acting for institutional investors, private equity houses, corporates and management teams on investment and divestments and management incentive packages.
Alison has acted for clients operating in a wide range of sectors from strategic land development to manufacturing and distribution, but has particular expertise advising on transactions in the leisure, health, social care and education sectors.
Amanda Rainford
Amanda has over 20 years' experience in the private client sector and advises on all aspects of UK estate planning in particular through the use of trusts and wills for IHT mitigation.
Amanda also advises on the drafting of wills and probate and estate administration. She acts as a professional trustee and executor when required and appropriate.
In addition, Amanda provides advice on elderly client matters, lasting powers of attorney and other Office of the Public Guardian issues such as deputy applications and statutory wills and is a named attorney and court appointed deputy for a number of clients.
Amanda's particular interests include the creation of trusts and the taxation of trusts and individuals. She also advises on trust administration issues and HMRC compliance for trusts
Amardeep Gill
Corporate and Commercial
Amy Shaw
Amy has over 24 years' experience working for both public and private sector organisations in all aspects of the development projects.
Amy acts for a broad range of clients, including registered providers, local authorities, developers, housebuilders and Homes England. She specialises in transaction structuring, real estate acquisition and sales, development, regeneration and has particular expertise in real estate based joint ventures.
Andrea Leigh
Andrea specialises in construction projects and has experience advising both public and private sector clients on a wide range of projects.
She advises clients throughout the lifecycle of major projects, from advising on procurement strategy through to drafting and negotiating bespoke construction contracts and associated documents and giving post-completion . She has provided advice on a number of key UK procurements under the Public Contracts Regulations and Utilities Regulations.
Andy Barnard
Andy specialises in providing legal advice in relation to a wide variety of real estate projects.
He works for a wide range of accommodation providers and investors including developers, central government organisations, Registered Providers, local authorities, contractors, joint ventures, banks and private equity houses.
The accommodation projects in which Andy has been and is involved include build to rent, student housing, regeneration projects, affordable housing and key worker schemes.
Andy is a regular speaker and commentator in relation to the build to rent sector at high profile industry conferences and events. His clients praise his straight forward approach and the confidence they have in him to deliver their projects on time.
Anna Metham
Anna is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Real Estate department based in Manchester.
Anna advises on a wide range of general commercial property management matters.
Assad Maqbool
Assad advises commercial clients and public sector bodies on construction and projects.
He negotiates and drafts development agreements, building and engineering contracts and professional appointments. He has particular experience of advising on alliancing partnering and framework agreements. He advises on all aspects of education sector projects and also specialises in advising on large-scale social housing refurbishment schemes. Assad also specialises in advising on the integration of technology into construction projects.
Ayda Habboush
Ayda has almost 15 years' experience as a corporate solicitor and is Head of Trowers & Hamlins' Hotel and Leisure group.
She has been involved in a broad range of work, including mergers and acquisitions (both UK and international), with a particular focus on inward investment (from the MENA and ASEAN regions) in the real estate and hotels and leisure sectors, advising both owners and operators.
Ayda specialises on advising clients on the acquisition of commercial real estate including offices, hotels, serviced apartments and student accommodation, as well as advising clients on the structuring of cross-border investments. She also has particular interest in the corporate structuring of Shari'ah compliant acquisitions of shares and assets and establishing Shariah compliant offshore funds. Ayda also regularly provides general corporate advice regarding joint ventures, group reorganisations and corporate insolvency.
Ben Neary
Ben is a specialist in commercial real estate investment transactions and portfolio management, acting for a variety of clients, from large UK pension funds, to private equity investors on the full range of real estate matters throughout the office, retail, leisure and industrial and logistics sectors.
Ben's experience includes managing large scale mixed-use schemes and advising on development projects and the acquisition, management and disposal of primary, secondary and tertiary investment properties. He also has notable experience of Landlord and Tenant matters, and advises both landlords on portfolio and asset management strategies and tenants their on occupier requirements.
Ben Neary
Real Estate
Benjamin O’Brien-McQueenie
Benjamin is a Partner based in Oman and Heads up the Corporate team there. He specialises in equity capital markets, company mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring and regulatory matters.
He is admitted to practise in England and Wales and advises on a range of international and regional clients investing in or from the Middle East as well as banking institutions, private equity investors and sovereign wealth funds. He has managed transactional matters with a GCC nexus with combined deal values in excess of $5bn.
Bilal Kahlon
Bilal is a Partner based in Trowers & Hamlins' Bahrain office.
Bilal has over 10 years of experience in banking and finance matters in the Gulf region with a particular expertise in project finance, Islamic finance and debt capital markets.
Bilal leads our Saudi finance practice and has consistently been recognised as a leading lawyer in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain by international legal directories including Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 and IFLR. Having grown up in Bahrain, Bilal has strong ties with Bahrain and the Gulf region as a whole. Bilal is admitted to practice in England.
Brian Howard
Brian is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Bahrain office and heads the corporate team in Bahrain as well as the international funds practice. He has nearly 20 years' experience working with clients from or investing in the GCC.
He advises clients in respect of public and private company mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring and regulation (including corporate finance, company and group structuring, shareholders' and joint venture arrangements, constitutional documents and corporate governance) in addition to a broad range of commercial and contractual matters.
Brian also advises a number of banks, private equity clients and sovereign wealth institutions in respect of Bahraini and offshore fund establishment in addition to international private equity investments and disposals.
Brian also works on the structuring of joint ventures for some of the Middle East's landmark mixed use land developments as well as a number of regional tourism development projects.
Bronwen Courtenay-Stamp
Bronwen has over 30 years' experience in the travel and insurance sector.
She specialises in all aspects of travel insurance including policy wording, coverage, advice on legal expense cover and in third party liability issues. She has particular expertise in matters of winter sports liability, having been involved in many complex skiing liability cases within both European and North American jurisdictions.
She has established herself as a trusted adviser to many insurers, underwriters and claims handlers advising on policy issues, subrogation and coverage matters.
Bronwen also gives advice to companies and commercial organisations on insurance issues including notification of claims, liability claims and policy wording.
Having built up a wealth of knowledge in relation to foreign jurisdictional disputes she has been involved in both litigating and mediating to settlement complex international liability claims.
Camilla Waszek
Dispute Resolution and Litigation
Caroline Hayward
Caroline advises on all aspects of IP law, including trade marks and passing off, rights in designs (registered and unregistered), copyright and database right, patents and rights in confidential information.
Her practice includes both contentious and non-contentious matters and, on the contentious side, includes infringement, validity and enforcement issues. Caroline's practice also includes advice on advertising content including comparative advertising and misleading publicity, issues concerning domain names and the Internet, assignments and licensing of IP rights, and related disputes.
Charlotte Clayson
Charlotte is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Dispute Resolution and Litigation department, focusing on complex and high value commercial and public law disputes. Charlotte is also a specialist in Information Law.
Charlotte has significant experience dealing with the full range of contractual and commercial disputes, sensitive investigatory work, judicial review and contentious procurement and planning. Her expertise in Information Law includes advising upon a wide range of Data Protection and freedom of information matters, navigating regulatory issues and working closely with clients to prepare for and deal with data privacy breaches.
Charlotte acts for and advises clients across a range of industry sectors in the context of both High Court and Court of Appeal litigation, arbitration, urgent injunctive relief and dispute avoidance and resolution.
Cheryl Cairns
Cheryl Cairns is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Dubai office, having joined the firm in 2007, and leads the firm's International Construction practice across the MENA region. Cheryl specialises in both contentious and non-contentious construction law.
Cheryl has over 15 years' experience in the construction sector, and has been based in the Middle East since 2007 regularly advising employers, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in respect of claims arising throughout the life cycle of major construction and infrastructure projects, which include rail, aviation and oil and gas sectors.
Cheryl is highly experienced in the drafting of pleadings, attendance at preliminary and procedural hearings, meeting with and obtaining proofs of evidence from witnesses of fact and liaising with engineering, delay and quantum experts.
As well as contentious matters, Cheryl provides contract advisory services to clients on procurement issues, amendments to redress the balance of risk in standard form (in particular FIDIC) and bespoke building contracts, consultancy agreements and forms of ancillary security relating to significant international infrastructure and development projects.
Chris Rundle
Real Estate
Chris Plumley
Real Estate
Chris Paul
Chris is Head of Trowers & Hamlins' Energy and Sustainability team, based in London.
Chris has experience in a wide range of non-contentious construction and procurement matters both in the UK and overseas.
Chris specialises in advising commercial clients, contractors, consultants and specialists on non-contentious construction and engineering law. He has particular experience in advising on procurement strategies and contractual structures. His work includes guiding clients through risk review/risk management exercises and the preparation of effective tender documents - including the drafting and negotiation of construction contracts, consultant appointments, collateral warranties/direct agreements, bonds and guarantees. Chris also advises on connected project agreements including facilities management, concession arrangements, operation and maintenance contracts and utility supply agreements.
Dan Butler
Dan is a Partner in Litigation and Dispute Resolution, based in Trowers & Hamlins' Manchester. Dan has significant experience in a range of commercial disputes, focusing on Restructuring and Insolvency and Procurement Challenges.
Dan has experience of all insolvency situations (liquidation, administration, CVAs, bankruptcy) and long-standing relationships with insolvency practitioners at all the leading restructuring firms to assist clients when an insolvency event occurs. Examples of our work include advising in relation to the recent large retailer CVAs; assisting creditors and office holders in high value and complex insolvency estates, and search and seizure proceedings arising out of a multi-million pound fraud.
Daniel Banks
Dan has 14 years’ experience in advising on disputes in relation to the acquisition, disposal, development and management of real estate.
His national practice focuses in particular on landlord and tenant matters, and acting on complex ‘ad-hoc’ disputes for developers, investors and occupiers.
Danielle Ingham
Partner
Deborah Shumate
Deborah is a Senior Associate in Trowers & Hamlins' Employment and Pensions department, which she joined in January 2018.
Deborah advises employers and trustees in relation to contentious and non-contentious pensions matters.
Her recent experience includes advising employing bodies (including ALMOs and Schedule Bodies) on interpreting and applying the provisions of the regulations governing the LGPS, negotiating statutory conversions for employer bodies and guiding both the authorities, funds and employing bodies through this obscure legislative process.
Deborah Howard
Deborah is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Bahrain office where she has been for 18 years, having previously worked at the firms' London and Oman offices.
Deborah specialises in international dispute resolution and litigation and has many years of experience working in the region on high profile complex cross border disputes.
Much of Deborah's client work and experience includes acting as lead partner in litigation both in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia including a number of recent high-profile cases in the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution.
Deborah leads the court work on the liquidation of The International Banking Corporation BSC(c) (In Liquidation) (TIBC). This is a high profile, cross boarder complex case which has involved the adjudication of claims that have a value of around US$2.1 billion.
Digby Morgan
Real Estate
Dominic O’Neil
Dominic O'Neil is a consultant legal advisor working from Trowers & Hamlins Bahrain office.
Over his 34 years with the firm, Dominic has acted for a broad range of international and locally based corporate clients, financial institutions, public bodies and ultra-high net worth individuals on a variety of corporate, investment, restructuring and corporate finance related matters. Dominic was the co-head of the firm's global private equity group and specialises in private equity investment in infrastructure and infrastructure related projects. He has led teams involved in the successful completion of numerous substantial investments and disposals in the power, petrochemicals, manufacturing, health, education and transport sectors principally in the Middle East, Levant and South East Asia regions.
Dominic has extensive experience of the management and operation of businesses in the Middle East and regularly provides strategic advice to clients on a wide range of issues and challenges.
Douglas Rhodes
Douglas acts for clients across the public and private sectors, including residential and commercial property developers and property companies, housing associations, public authorities, title indemnity insurers, institutional pension funds, private individuals, entrepreneurs and occupiers of commercial and residential property.
He specialises in development disputes (e.g restrictive covenants, adverse possession, rights of way, party wall issues), rights of light, service charges and leasehold management, contentious trusts, land transaction disputes and commercial and residential landlord and tenant.
Eddie O’Hanrahan
Eddie has considerable experience acting for sponsors, funds, private companies and other borrowers on a variety of domestic and multi-national financings, both syndicated and bilateral.
With a focus on 'all things real estate' Eddie's practice has a particular emphasis on property finance, corporate acquisitions, joint ventures and development/regeneration projects.
His recent experience includes advising longstanding client Global Net Lease (GNL) on its £230 million cross-jurisdictional refinancing and helping GNL put in place its strategic long term funding solution to support its ongoing growth.
Emily Sharples
Commercial Litigation
Emma Burrows
Emma is a Partner and former Head of Trowers & Hamlins' Employment department, which she founded. Emma has specialised in employment law for over 30 years.
She is known for her practical approach and finding solutions. Emma advises mainly on sensitive issues, managing senior staff exits, board disputes, employment structures and governance issues. At any one time, she manages a few complicated employment tribunal claims, working with other members of the team.
She contributes to leadership development in the affordable housing, charities and health and social care sectors, and has written and contributed to guidance over the years. She co-wrote "Board member pay- what housing associations need to know", and is currently involved in speaking and contributing to Leadership 2025, the leadership development programme available exclusively to senior leaders from BME backgrounds working in the housing sector. During her career she's spoken regularly for the NHF, CIOH and at other sector events.
Emma works closely with care providers and has worked closely with organisations providing social care in the last two years on sleep-ins, providing some advice to the No 10 Policy Unit as part of the discussion.
Frank Cook
Frank acts on behalf of families, individuals, attorneys, trustees and executors in respect of all aspects of UK estate planning.
Frank provides advice in relation to will drafting, asset protection, estate administration, trust creation and management, court of protection matters, powers of attorney and agricultural matters.
Frank is often called upon by intermediaries such as wealth managers, financial advisers and accountants to assist their clients in providing appropriate expertise at what can be difficult and challenging times in their lives.
Gail White
Gail has over 10 years' experience in the real estate sector. She acts for clients in both public and private sectors including institutional and international investors, central government, local authorities and corporate occupiers.
She is experienced in a broad range of transactions ranging from day to day estate management to complex acquisitions, disposals, regeneration projects and development agreements.
Gail also has extensive experience in the education sector and has successfully advised on a variety of development agreements for this purpose. She acts for international investor clients acquiring and managing property in the UK, including Shari'ah compliant acquisition structures. She is also experienced in acting on Local Authority commercial and mixed use regeneration schemes and advises on complex "income strip" regeneration structures.
Gail White
Real Estate
Gemma Fairbrother
Corporate and Commercial
Georgina Savill‐James
Georgina specialises in all areas of residential property including development acquisition, portfolio acquisition work and large scale disposal programmes.
She qualified as a lawyer in 2000 having previously worked in the voluntary and statutory sectors providing specialist legal advice to tenants, leaseholders and having been a duty adviser at Central London County Court for those unrepresented at court proceedings.
Georgina's early career shaped her interest in becoming a lawyer working in the residential property sector, to help build communities and homes of real value. She works with housebuilder clients; real estate companies who manage large residential portfolios, housing associations, local authorities, health and social care providers, voluntary sector entities and private individuals.
She has been involved in a number of joint venture structures, regeneration projects and LSVT projects. She deals with auction disposal and purchases both tenanted and untenanted and is experienced in all aspects of development from site assembly, acquisition and disposal of units. Georgina works closely with clients to understand their key drivers and offers pragmatic advice tailored to that transaction.
Georgina oversees the south west residential practice in the firms Private Wealth department and works with her team to ensure that a cost effective and bespoke conveyancing service is delivered to its clients.
Hannah Giebus
Hannah is part of the cross-departmental Energy and Sustainability group.
She advises on a range of renewable energy and infrastructure projects including district heating/cooling, utility connections, micro-generation, renewables and storage, electric vehicles and the procurement of associated energy related infrastructure.
Hannah has experience advising clients on heat networks and district heating concessions including the structuring and negotiation of concession agreements, O&M and metering and billing arrangements, customer supply terms and bulk supply arrangements. She also advises on utility connections (electricity DNO/IDNO and ICP and telecommunications), renewable electricity generation and storage, including power purchase agreements and connected regulatory issues relating to energy generation, supply, distribution and transmission.
Helen Fysh
Helen specialises in advising borrower and lender clients on bilateral and syndicated real estate finance.
Helen's practice covers all facets of real estate finance, from commercial investment and development to housing finance acting for public and private sector clients.
Helen has experience working across a range of sectors including logistics, student accommodation, healthcare and mixed use developments. She acts for borrowers investing through REITs, onshore and offshore groups and limited partnerships; and for both senior and mezzanine lenders providing conventional and Islamic finance.
Recent experience includes advising a REIT on the refinancing of its loan facilities to facilitate the corporate acquisition of a portfolio of properties to add to its £125 million logistics portfolio; advising the partners of a joint venture on their debt funding and intra group loan arrangements to finance the development of a new £40 million student accommodation development; and facilitating the Shari'ah compliant group funding arrangements for overseas investors purchasing UK property through a Jersey SPV with conventional debt from a global asset manager.
In the housing finance sector, Helen advises Registered Providers and local authorities providing and developing affordable housing. She has worked on a number of private placements acting for Registered Providers issuing notes to investors from the UK, US and beyond. She also advises Registered Providers in relation to the refinancing of their debt following mergers, transfers of engagements and other group restructurings.
Helen Stuart
Helen is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Construction Disputes team. Helen joined the team in 2012 having trained at Walker Morris LLP in both contentious and non-contentious construction.
Helen has extensive experience in advising a diverse range of clients in relation to all contentious construction matters. As well as court proceedings, predominantly in the TCC but also in the Companies Court for insolvency related matters, Helen has experience of resolving claims through the pre-action protocol and all forms of alternative dispute resolution processes including adjudication, mediation and expert determination.
Helen's focus is acting as a business protector for clients by seeking to minimise risk and resolving any disputes as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
Helen has particular experience in advising clients on fire-safety related defects and building safety-related issues such as grant funding.
Helen Briant
Commercial Litigation
Hilary Pitts
Hilary has vast experience in the real estate sector, acting for housing associations and developers.
Hilary qualified in 2006 after a previous career in banking. She is also a qualified Company Secretary. Coming from a business background, means Hilary can bring a broad business understanding to her work.
In addition to acting on site acquisitions, Hilary has experience in setting up site schemes for both open market and shared ownership sales (included other discounted model sales). In acting for housing associations, she has also been involved in large reorganisation transactions putting together teams to advise on governance, tenancy, employment and disposal issues.
Hilary has experience acting on inter alia: planning agreements; infrastructure agreements; joint ventures; disposal and purchase of both tenanted and untenanted properties; auction sales; option agreements; development agreements; overage agreements; right to buy/acquire; title investigations and reports.
Holly Bryan
Holly is an Associate in Trowers & Hamlins' Private Wealth Disputes Team, based in our Exeter Office.
Holly specialises in disputes involving Estates, Wills and Trusts, often with complex or international elements. These claims can often involve a challenge to the validity of a Will and/or the distribution of an estate.
Holly supports the firm's Rural and Agricultural Team and assists other teams within the firm on contentious or potentially contentious issues relating to farms and farming succession, including proprietary estoppel claims.
Holly also regularly provides unmarried individuals with asset protection advice, particularly in relation to property ownership, and prepares asset protection documents.
Ian Brown
Ian specialises in litigation arising out of accidents both in the UK and abroad, insurance disputes, insurance recoveries and professional negligence claims against insurance brokers. He also advises businesses in the leisure and tourism sector on risk management and avoidance, liability claims and disputes.
He acts for claimants and defendants in personal injury cases but also has considerable experience in provision of legal services to insurers, advising on issues such as coverage and interpretation of wordings. Having always lived and worked in the South West, Ian has a particular affinity for the area and is passionate about assisting businesses to overcome challenges in order to thrive.
Ian regularly deals with travel and tourism related claims in the Courts of England and Wales but also has considerable expertise in pursuit of claims in foreign jurisdictions. He has developed specialisms in cross-border road-traffic accidents and claims against tour operators. He has an interest in accidents involving animals and liability issues arising.
Jack Frier
Jack specialises in property matters, in particular acting for large national developers and Registered Providers in the acquisition of development sites for both private and social housing developments and the subsequent sales of open market and shared ownership plots.
Jacqueline Backhaus
Jacqueline specialises in planning,
highways and compulsory purchase law and advises both the public and private
sectors on all related matters. She
advises on strategic planning policy, planning applications and is experienced
in the negotiation of complex section 106 agreements for major development and
regeneration schemes.
She also deals with all associated highways agreements and highway related matters. Jacqueline has particular specialism in dealing with planning and enforcement appeals, having acted regularly as a solicitor advocate. She also is an experienced litigator, dealing regularly with High Court challenges and applications for Judicial Review.
Jacqueline is experienced in the field of compulsory purchase, having acted for local authorities assisting with the promotion of compulsory purchase orders as well as having represented private individuals and businesses through the compulsory purchase process. She was, in particular, involved with the relocation of a significant number of businesses who were subject to the Olympic Compulsory Purchase Order.
She represented a number of those businesses in their outstanding claims for compensation (including references to the Upper Tribunal of the Lands Chamber) and has dealt with a number of S17 LCA 1961 applications for Certificates of Alternative Appropriate Development. She was the lead solicitor in the case of Rooff v SoS [2011] EWCA Civ 435 and further to a successful appeal into the Court of Appeal, eventually succeeded in obtaining a valuable mixed use residential lead S17 Certificate for her client.
James Huckstep
James specialises in and advises clients on procurement strategy, and the drafting and negotiation of construction documents including building contracts, consultant appointments, bonds and guarantees, framework agreements, and development and funding agreements.
As Trowers & Hamlins' construction lead for the retirement/senior living and care sectors, James advises investors, and numerous developers and operators, who are active in the development of, among other things, much needed Integrated Retirement Communities. James works closely with ARCO, the body representing Integrated Retirement Communities, and has spoken at ARCO's conferences about issues such as building safety (and the implications for developments in the sector coming out of the recent legislative changes).
Outside of senior living, James advises clients across the wider residential sectors including Build-to-Rent and Affordable Housing. This includes:
• helping Registered Providers of Social Housing and Private Sector Developers on the construction aspects of, and the documentation for, their complex joint venture developments and large-scale regeneration schemes; and
• advising on strategic partnerships, and the related construction and procurement support, in respect of a number of joint ventures to develop, deliver and operate substantial build-to-rent portfolios.
In addition to residential focused developments, James has advised clients in connection with high value and iconic developments such as the creation of the new London Museum at the former market traders base in Smithfield Market and significant, high-value mixed-use commercial developments in Central London with complex sites, logistical challenges and associated development constraints.
James Lancaster
James Lancaster is a Managing Associate in the Commercial Litigation practice at the London office of Trowers & Hamlins.
James is an experienced litigator who specialises complex and business-critical commercial disputes. He represents clients in complex multi-party and multi-jurisdictional litigation, as well as in arbitration and mediation. He is experienced in managing cases from pre-action through to trial and enforcement. The claims include contractual claims, shareholder and partnership disputes, warranty, earn-out and other corporate claims, banking litigation, aviation disputes, commercial fraud, High Court employment, disputes in the manufacturing, engineering and TMT sectors, professional negligence claims and trusts litigation. Much of his work has an international dimension.
James has particular expertise in High Court matters arising out of employment and service contracts and has considerable experience in obtaining injunctive relief in relation to breaches of confidence and breaches of restrictive covenants.
Jamie De Souza
Dispute Resolution and Litigation
Jasmin Andrews
Jasmin is an Associate in the Planning and Environmental department. .
Jasmin specialises in all aspects of planning, highways and compulsory purchase law and advises local authorities, registered providers, developers, landowners and individuals.
Jasmin has a wide range of experience negotiating complex section 106 agreements (including agreements securing biodiversity net gain), highways agreements, dealing with and advising on strategy for compulsory purchase orders and appropriation of land, providing advice in respect of planning enforcement matters and acting as planning agent in respect of change of use applications, certificate of lawfulness applications, applications for prior approval and planning appeals.
Jasmin is also very experienced in providing advice on permitted development rights specifically in respect of farm diversification schemes and telecoms matters.
She also has experience in contentious planning having successfully defended a number of pre-action claims for judicial review and advising on the merits of judicial review claims in the high court.
Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy has worked in the real estate sector for over 20 years and specialises in providing property advice on large residential regeneration projects and joint ventures, large mixed-use development schemes and the acquisition and leasing of property.
He also leads on large scale portfolio transactions and stock swaps. Recently he has been involved in a number of investor transactions and he co-leads the firms investment and development team in London as well as leading the residential portfolio transactions team.
Joanne Judge
Jo has over 10 years' experience in real estate finance, and specialises in the property aspects of charging.
Jo deals with high value property finance transactions, including bond issues, private placements and charging under security trust arrangements. Jo deals with large scale due diligence exercises to secure housing finance transactions.
Jo prepares certificates of title, resolves title issues and deals with conditions precedent required under loan agreements.
She also advises funders and borrowers in relation to a broad range of housing related matters, including due diligence exercises associated with mergers and restructuring transactions, section 106 agreements, nomination agreements, overage deeds and achieving uplift in values on stock transfer properties.
Jo acts for funders taking security over real estate, including commercial units, residential portfolios and development sites in various sectors and development finance aspects of transactions, such as section 106 agreements, infrastructure agreements, release of rights to light, crane oversail agreements.
Joe Hawthorne
Joe is a Senior Associate based in Trowers & Hamlins' Manchester office.
Joe advises on a broad range of commercial real estate transactions, acting for a range of clients including pension funds, central government departments, charities and private investors, with a particular emphasis on the care and education sectors. His experience includes leasehold asset management, freehold acquisitions and disposals and property finance. In addition, Joe regularly provides support in relation to the acquisition and disposal of large multi-let properties and on large-scale property financing / due diligence exercises.
Joe Armstrong
Joe is an Associate in Trowers & Hamlins' Intellectual Property team based in London.
Joe advises on contentious and non-contentious matters across the full spectrum of intellectual property rights. Joe's experience consists of advising on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property and related rights, with particular experience working with clients in the oil and gas, real estate, pharmaceutical and engineering sectors.
In addition to his disputes work, Joe has wide experience in brand protection and global portfolio management as well as non-contentious intellectual property matters, including licensing and support on M&A transactions.
Jonathan Grosvenor
Jon is a Senior Associate in the Banking and Finance team of Trowers & Hamlins' London office.
Jon's practice focuses on all aspects of debt finance. He works on a broad range of domestic and cross-border transactions, including senior and mezzanine lending, syndicated structures, real estate investment and development, Islamic finance, general corporate lending and hedging arrangements. He has particular experience in real estate finance and debt capital markets transactions.
Jon regularly acts for market participants at all levels of the capital structure, including arrangers, lenders, borrowers, sponsors, funds and issuers, particularly in the real estate sector.
Julien Allen
Julien has over 25 years' experience in all aspects of commercial property transactions including large City centre development projects, investment sales and acquisitions and portfolio financing. He heads up Trowers & Hamlins' Hotels & Leisure Group.
He has particular recognised expertise in forward funding and forward sale structures as well as development joint ventures.
Julien specialises in the Leisure sector, acting on the establishment of restaurants and clubs for Richard Caring's Caprice/Birley groups, Ivy Collections, Hakkasan, Burger King UK, Dynamo Restaurants and Yamabahce as well as numerous other restaurant, club and bar operators and breweries.
Katharine Lewis
Katharine is an experienced banking and finance lawyer who acts for banks, financial institutions, corporates and public sector bodies in relation to a broad range of conventional and Shari'ah compliant finance transactions.
Katharine's focus is on inward investment into UK real estate and she regularly advises both lenders and borrowers on senior and mezzanine syndicated facilities, bilateral loan facilities, security and other ancillary finance documents for use in the acquisition and development of all classes of real estate asset.
She is also experienced in working with local authorities on project finance and the financing for investment into local housing companies.
Katie Farmer
Katie is a Partner specialising in Insolvency.
She has a wide range of experience of advising Insolvency Practitioners, directors, companies, creditors, individuals and others facing or affected by insolvency issues. Katie advises on both personal and corporate insolvency. She regularly acts for Insolvency Practitioners and buyers in transactions involving insolvent businesses in all sectors. Katie also acts for secured lenders and receivers and advises in connection with the appointment of LPA and Fixed Charge Receivers. Katie is experienced in advising Insolvency Practitioners, companies, directors and individuals in relation to insolvency litigation, including misfeasance, antecedent transactions and disqualification.
Katie Saunders
Projects and Construction
Kelly Brown
Real Estate
Kyle Holling
Kyle works with housing associations, charities, local authorities, NHS Trusts and private sector clients on a huge range projects relating to site acquisition, development, refurbishment, regeneration, financing, management and sales.
These include acquisitions of new build and existing residential and mixed use sites and health and social care sector projects.
Kyle also co-heads the health and social care team and focusses on the intersection of accommodation and care provision in that role.
He acts for commissioners and private and not-for-profit operators on a wide variety of projects and joint ventures in health and social care including development (hospitals, care homes, extracare and supported housing), business and asset sales, local authority outsourcings and contract structures for the provision of care and support services (both bilateral and multi-party/consortium) arrangements.
Laura Welchew
Laura is a Partner in the Employment department based in Manchester.
She specialises in all aspects of employment law acting for a wide range of public and private sector employers. Laura takes pride in working as business partner to her HR clients, and really getting to know the ins and outs of each business and its commercial goals as an employer.
Laura regularly acts for respondents in complex and valuable tribunal claims. Laura advises on all employee relations matters including disciplinary and grievance issues, sickness absence, capability issues, restructures and redundancies and employment contracts.
Lizzie Pillinger
Lizzie is a Partner who acts for a range of promoters, developers, investors and operators in the private and public sectors.
Her focus is on the living sector, particularly later living and private investment into affordable housing.
Lizzie has led the real estate teams on some key joint ventures in the later living arena, as well as complex site acquisition and assembly for later living, affordable housing and build to rent investors and operators. She is one of the firm's key contacts for later living.
Louise Robinson
Louise has 15 years experience advising on a wide range of commercial property law.
She advises a wide range of public sector bodies, in particular healthcare professionals and pharmacies, retail sector and private landowners and developers, as well as registered providers.
Louise has experience in dealing with a full range of property matters ranging from stock rationalisations for RPs, acquisitions of sites for development by RPs, PFI projects and development site acquisitions and disposals, overage agreements, promotion agreements and all types of Landlord and Tenant and estate management issues.
Lucy James
Dispute Resolution and Litigation
Maria Dunn
Maria is a Senior Associate in Trowers & Hamlins' Dispute Resolution and Litigation team based in Exeter.
She has a varied practice and experience in dealing with a range of disputes on behalf of companies, charitable organisations and individuals. She acts for clients across a range of sectors, pursuing and defending litigation in the County Court and High Court, is experienced in advising on the alternative resolution of disputes, including mediation.
Martin McFall
Martin McFall is a Partner at Trowers & Hamlins and heads up the firm's Pensions department. Martin specialises in pensions law and advises on all aspects of pensions law including standalone scheme advisory issues and the pensions aspects of corporate transactions and outsourcing.
Martin's experience includes providing advice on matters such as scheme design, governance issues and the termination and administration of pension arrangements. He has particular knowledge of drafting and negotiating project agreements relating to PFI transactions including the pensions aspects of the Retention of Employment Model.
He is experienced in advising authorities and contractors on admission agreement and guarantee bond issues in relation to the local government pension scheme and employees' benefits under the relevant regulations.
Matthew Showler
International Dispute Resolution and Litigation
Matthew Holbrook
Matthew is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Manchester office and has over 15 years' experience in the real estate sector.
Matthew has a wide range of experience in acting for clients from a variety of sectors. Matthew has led his team in the acquisitions of various property portfolios and the subsequent ongoing property management.
Matthew has acted for a selection of funds on their portfolio management of shopping centres and office developments; a holiday park operator in a number of refinancing transactions and the ongoing portfolio management; a care home operator in the acquisitions and subsequent portfolio management of more than 250 properties; and a top ten licensed premises operator with respect to a wide variety of property law matters, including general portfolio management of around 350 premises.
Matthew also has a depth of experience of acting for Registered Providers in relation to their acquisition and subsequent management of their commercial property assets, including the negotiation of office, shop and depot leases.
Melanie Comer
Melanie has over 23 years' social housing experience and specialises in property security work associated with large property portfolios used to secure housing finance transactions, including bonds and private placements as well as traditional bank lending.
Melanie heads the Real Estate Finance Security team in our Manchester office, part of the largest specialist housing finance team in the UK.
Melanie also leads on large scale property due diligence exercises associated with mergers and restructuring and other property portfolio transactions.
Melanie works with all types of housing provider across the country on a wide variety of security matters and advises on strategy for funding and property work.
Michael Chulu
Michael is a construction lawyer with a principal focus on construction and engineering disputes.
Michael's practice focuses on the resolution of complex and high value disputes, including those relating to defects in design and construction, professional liability, delay, variations, loss and expense, disruption and final account issues. He assists clients during the course of a project when disputes arise and by way of formal disputes in the major forums of dispute resolution, including mediation, adjudication and litigation in the Technology and Construction Court.
Navinder is a Commercial Litigation Partner and Co-Head of the Trowers Restructuring and Insolvency Team.
He has over 20 years experience and has been an affiliate member of the Insolvency Practitioners Association since qualifying in 2010. He is regularly instructed to advise Administrators, Liquidators, Directors and Creditors on high value insolvency disputes and business turnaround issues. He has recovered millions of pounds for creditors and office holders (Albermarle Hotels Limited v Ummat [2018]; Various creditors v Liquidators for Imperial Escrow Limited [2018]).
His background is that of a Commercial Litigator and for many years he has run complex and high value disputes, often with a cross border element. He specialises in pursuing claims where there are issues of fraud or misfeasance and has regularly enjoyed success when advising in relation to partnership or shareholder disputes (Dalkilic v Pekin [2021]; Yaqoob v Khan [2020]).
Navinder is one of a handful of Commercial Litigators nationally who has represented parties embroiled in the civil side of Restraint and Confiscation proceedings. His advice has resulted in them recovering very signficant sums that the state had improperly claimed to be proceeds of crime (arising from Confiscation Orders made in R v. Sharma [2007]; R v Takkar [2010]). He also advises on and pursues private prosecutions and is a member of the Private Prosecutors Association.
Nicholas Levy
Nick has worked is Co-Head Trowers & Hamlins Litigation practice.
Nick specialises in advising on and handling disputes in relation to the acquisition, development, management and disposal of real estate, including rights to light and other development related real estate issues, all elements of landlord and tenant law, property finance, property related insolvency (with a specialism in the insolvency of registered providers) and property related professional negligence.
He acts for a range of clients, from developers and indemnity insurers to institutional and individual property investors.
Nick Harrisingh
Nick is a partner in the Corporate team, experienced in all aspects of corporate work and in particular private company M&A.
Other areas of expertise include joint ventures, group reorganisations and restructurings, corporate structures for inward investment (including Shari'ah compliant real estate structures), AIM IPOs and fundraisings and commercial agreements, many with an international element to them.
Key sectors include real estate investment (particularly build to rent and student accommodation), brewing and hospitality, technology and natural resources. Nick's clients include companies and institutions, directors, entrepreneurs and owner managers.
Nicola Ihnatowicz
Nicola Ihnatowicz is a Partner in the Employment department at Trowers & Hamlins, and specialises in all aspects of human resources and employment law for public, private and third sector employers.
She specialises in supporting businesses to become "Employers of the Future". Her expertise includes advising on sustainable workforces, achieving inclusivity, TUPE and business transformation. She also supports employers with difficult employee relations matters, such as changing terms and conditions, managing stress at work, reasonable adjustments, discrimination and harassment investigations, and restructures and redundancies.
Nicola regularly advises and represents clients on Employment Tribunal matters and has recently dealt with complex claims for discrimination and harassment, whistleblowing and breach of TUPE.
Patrick Morris
Patrick has a wide range of clients in both the public and private sectors and specialises in real estate development, including property aspects of major projects.
Patrick acts for a number of large funds, institutions, developers, overseas investors, major corporate clients and charities. On the public sector side his clients include government bodies and many local authorities and he has extensive experience in the education and healthcare sectors.
Patrick deals with high value and complex commercial property and mixed use projects which often require innovative consideration of potential development structures. He provides creative advice which is always solution driven.
As well as development projects, he deals with forward funding and forward sales, complex sales and purchases, sales and leasebacks, income strips transactions, shopping centre purchases, management and sales, and secured lending.
Paul Marco
Paul is a Property Litigation Partner and one of the Managing Partners at Trowers & Hamlins.
He has over 25 years' experience advising on a broad range of property disputes acting for institutions, private companies, entrepreneurial investors and retailers.
Paul Ellaby
Paul is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Corporate department based in Manchester.
Paul supports owners, managers and investors through every stage of a company's growth cycle. He has extensive experience of acquisitions and disposals, venture capital rounds, buy-ins and buy-outs and group reorganisations.
He is a trusted adviser to several clients for whom he has acted for over a decade, across multiple acquisitions and divestments.
His clients include owner managed businesses, management teams, large private companies, listed companies and investors. His breadth of experience and calmness is reassuring to clients in what can often be an unfamiliar and fraught process.
Paul McDermott
Paul has worked with a range of local authorities, registered providers of social housing and other public sector organisations to develop public private schemes and create structures which enable multi agency service delivery to be effective.
He specialises in advising Councils on major housing PFI/PPP projects and major regeneration projects.
Rachel Kerr
Rachel provides specialist rights of light advice to developers and affected neighbours on multi-million pound claims, threatened injunctions and lower value disputes. Rachel manages claims commercially and cost effectively through strategic negotiation, mediation where appropriate and an in depth working knowledge of the law in this specialist area.
Rachel also specialises in property insolvency having advised on a number of the recent CVAs including a long-term involvement in the House of Fraser insolvency with close scrutiny of the CVA terms and the grounds for challenge.
Rebecca Wardle
Real Estate
Rebecca Rees
Rebecca is a Partner and Head of Public Procurement at Trowers & Hamlins. Rebecca is a leading national expert in public procurement law, consistently ranked as among the world's leading government contracts lawyers.
Rebecca has significant experience in advising clients in the public, private and third sectors on public procurement, subsidy control and building safety strategy issues. She advises clients on procurement strategy and structures, how to conduct flexible and compliant procurement procedures and compile objective and transparent evaluation models and guidance.
Richard St John Williams
Richard has over 20 years' experience in the real estate sector and has established himself as a trusted adviser to a range of private providers, local authorities and house builders, advising them on a range of complex structuring and/or projects.
Specialising in corporate, charity, regulatory, PPP projects, partnerships and joint ventures, Richard is often called upon for his expertise in providing innovative structuring advice and solutions – helping his clients to navigate and deliver complex, and often high profile projects.
Rob Beiley
Rob has over 20 years' experience advising housing associations, local authorities, developers and institutional investors on a broad range of housing related matters.
With a deep rooted commitment to the housing association and local authority sectors, Rob is known as a trusted advisor to a number of leading providers in the sector.
For housing associations, Rob advises on corporate governance issues, including matters concerning engagement with the Regulator, group structures (including housing association mergers and restructures) and participation in trading companies and joint ventures.
For local authorities, Rob advises on the establishment of housing companies, council housing finance matters, housing development, ALMOs, shared services and other structures to facilitate housing investment) and on broader issues associated with different delivery mechanisms for housing (including joint ventures), as well as advising the local authority sector on social enterprise models and their promotion of and participation in charitable entities. More recently Rob has advised a number of the leading new entrants to the affordable housing sector, including advising Legal & General and Residential Secure Income plc on the registration of their For Profit Registered Providers.
Rob Walker
Rob is a Managing Associate in the Planning and Environmental team and specialises in planning, highways, compulsory purchase and public law.
Rob advises both public and private sector clients on major development and housing-led regeneration schemes, as well as advising on complex section 106 and highway agreements.
Rob is experienced in all aspects of the planning regime, from policy formulation through to the submission and determination of applications. He also frequently advises on community infrastructure levy, permitted development rights, viability related issues and planning appeals.
Ru Anwar
Ru has 17 years of commercial property and development expertise and has worked for both public and private sector clients, ranging from the NHS, local authorities and registered providers to international retail clients.
She advises on a variety of matters, from general landlord and tenant matters to Development Agreements and restructuring of PFI schemes.
She has also acted on a substantial number of development projects, with a particular specialism in dealing with registered providers in connection with golden brick and new build residential projects for social housing and also was the property lead on a number of multi million pound new build NHS schemes, acting for the NHS and Local Authorities. She has also been a lead advisor for large registered providers in relation to the acquisition of multi million pound development schemes for a mix of housing and commercial use.
Salman Ahmed
International Banking and Finance
Samir Nathwani
Samir's range of real estate experience includes acquisitions and disposals, property aspects of corporate/secured lending transactions, complex forward funding and development arrangements, and a broad range of landlord and tenant transactions (with particular experience acting for tenants).
He has acted on numerous high-profile deals, including recently advising Global Net Lease on its purchase and leaseback of the 50-hectare McLaren Campus near Woking, Surrey. He also recently advised TR Property Investment Trust Plc on (and implemented) its complex restructuring of the Colonnades estate in Bayswater as well as the subsequent sale of the residential parts of the estate.
Sara Bailey
Sara is the Senior Partner of the firm specialising in real estate projects.
She has over 20 years' experience in the real estate sector and has established herself as a trusted adviser to a range of private providers, local authorities and central government developers, advising them on complex public and private projects.
Specialising in development, regeneration, PPP projects, partnerships and joint ventures, Sara, is often called upon for her expertise in providing innovative structuring advice – helping her clients to navigate and deliver complex, and often high profile, real estate projects and regeneration schemes.
Scott Dorling
Scott has over 30 years' experience advising on a range of local government and wider public sector matters.
Scott is recognised as a leading lawyer in the Social Housing world having advised on a range of highly significant projects, first as an in-house local authority lawyer and during his time at the firm on large scale voluntary transfers, PFI contracts, creation of TMOs, ALMO and other community led organisations during his time with the firm.
Scott advises at the cutting edge of housing policy which in recent years has included advice to local housing authorities on the impact of HRA reform, the use of RTB receipts and on the establishment in significant numbers of local housing companies, including the first privately funded wholly affordable new build scheme for a local housing company.
Scott's housing related activities include large regeneration schemes and Scott is often called upon because of his expertise in navigating the myriad complexities associated with mixed tenure regeneration including leaseholder issues, decant and demolition, procurement obstacles, tenant engagement and joint venturing.
Sharron Webster
Sharron is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Real Estate team, based in Londonl.
Sharron specialises in providing corporate, governance and regulatory advice to a wide range of bodies and entities operating in the public sector, in particular advising on governance and regulatory issues for registered housing providers, new entrants to the housing market, health and care providers, charities, local authorities, local authority companies, and other social enterprise vehicles.
One of Sharron's particular areas of expertise is advising on strategic, corporate restructuring, the establishment of new groups and creation of new group entities, mergers and group consolidations. Sharron acts for the broadest range of businesses, both big and small, and acts for some of the largest housing and care providers in the country. An example is her work on the merger of the two of the UKs largest care organisations to create Anchor Hanover Trust, a business with a combined annual turnover of half a billion pounds per year.
Simon Valner
Simon is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Banking and Finance team, based in London.
Simon is an experienced banking and finance lawyer who acts for banks, financial institutions, corporates and public sector bodies in relation to a broad range of conventional and Shari'ah compliant finance transactions.
Simon's focus is on inward investment into UK real estate and he regularly advises both lenders and borrowers on senior and mezzanine syndicated facilities, bilateral loan facilities, security and other ancillary finance documents for use in the acquisition and development of all classes of real estate asset. He is also one of Trowers' lead UK partners in Islamic finance.
He is also experienced in advising public sector lenders looking to lend into the UK Real Estate market.
Stephanie Canham
Stephanie is National Head Trowers & Hamlins' Construction practice. She is a well-known and highly-respected commercial construction specialist with over 30 years' experience.
Stephanie predominantly acts for private/commercial developers. Stephanie is a key adviser to many private developers including The Berkeley Group plc and all of its divisions (St Edward, Berkeley Homes, St William, St James, St Joseph and St George) for whom she has acted for over 20 years; Eco World and Anthology to name a few.
Stephanie frequently advises purchaser-side clients on the construction aspects of significant complex developments and drafts bespoke contracts for clients to use across their developments.
Steve Dunseath
Steve is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Dispute Resolution and Litigation team based in Manchester and specialises in commercial dispute resolution. He has very wide experience of resolving disputes for clients operating in both the private and public sectors.
He has extensive experience of High Court litigation, Court of Appeal proceedings and International Arbitration. He is known for his pragmatic and commercial approach and has resolved many disputes by way of mediation and without prejudice negotiations.
Suzanne Benson
Suzanne is the firm's national Head of Real Estate. Suzanne specialises in major projects (including strategic land, joint ventures and regeneration) and the delivery of residential and mixed use schemes.
Suzanne specialises in the development of market stimulation products and home ownership initiatives and advises Homes England in relation to their range of grant funded homeownership products - including shared ownership and Help to Buy.
Suzanne's work in this area has also led her to develop a specialism in FCA and Consumer Credit work and she co-authored the National Housing Federation Guide to Consumer Credit Authorisation for Registered Providers. Suzanne also heads up our Sales and Homeownership team who specialise in newbuild sales and leasehold management transactions for private developers, Registered Providers and Local Authorities.
Thomas Wigley
Tom is a Partner at Trowers & Hamlins and is the Resident Managing Partner of the Oman Office.
Tom specialises in the energy sector and co-leads the firm's International Projects, Energy and Infrastructure team.
He specifically works on power generation and transmission, water and infrastructure development projects along with oil and gas work.
Tim Hillier
Tim is a Partner and Head of Trowers & Hamlins' Construction Disputes department.
As a litigator specialising in resolving disputes in the construction, engineering and infrastructure sectors, Tim has worked in the firm's London and Dubai offices, taking conduct of domestic and international disputes on a wide variety of projects. Tim has worked on cases relating to residential developments, transport infrastructure (highways, rail, air and seaports), oil and gas refineries, sports stadia, hotels, power and desalination plants, water treatment, health care and waste to energy facilities. Tim also advises on the mitigation and avoidance of litigation risk as project counsel.
Tim Nye
Tim is Head of Corporate at Trowers & Hamlins and advises on all aspects of private equity including real estate private equity and investment, buy outs, seed investment transactions, divestments and disposals and management incentive packages.
He works with investee companies whilst under private equity ownership advising on, amongst other things, group restructurings, refinancings, strategic sales, bolt on acquisitions and organic growth.
Tom Sampford
Tom has a wide range of experience of advising in both Claimant and Defendant personal injury matters including particular expertise in the health sector having previously represented numerous NHS Trusts and providing advice on liability issues including high value clinical negligence claims.
Tom has advised on claims relating to: birth injuries (involving Erb’s palsy and other hypoxic brain injuries), spinal injuries, delay in diagnosis of cancer and failings in mental health treatment.
Additionally Tom is used to giving advice on procedural matters concerning the handling of legal issues, insurance questions and inquests.
A fluent German speaker, Tom has experience in handling international litigation matters particularly involving travel insurance issues.
Tom Wainwright
Tom has 15 years' experience in advising housing, education and health service clients on governance, corporate and contractual matters.
Tom has particular expertise in structuring and constitutional matters, and he has considerable experience of helping to deliver group reorganisations, mergers, transfers of services, and establishment of special purpose vehicles to deliver joint venturing arrangements. Tom has advised on housing stock transfers, public/private projects, public service externalisations and restructuring initiatives. He is an expert in registered society law and advised Co-operatives UK on the impact of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
Tom advises many of our clients on consumer credit matters, helping them to audit their activities to determine which may be subject to FCA regulation, and undertaking the application work when FCA authorisation is required. He also advises clients on matters of ongoing compliance once FCA authorisation is obtained. In 2017 Tom revised and updated the National Housing.
Tonia Secker
Tonia's sector of expertise lies in social and affordable housing and she advises across the sector. She has over 20 years' experience advising both the public and private sectors on joint ventures, outsourcings and regeneration schemes and has particular experience of advising government agencies on funding arrangements for the delivery of affordable housing.
Tonia advises housing associations and local authorities on major projects, regulatory and commercial matters and on their powers and functions.
Tonia's work in the sector, particularly for Homes England, the Greater London Authority and local and combined authorities is extremely complex in nature. The work which Tonia undertakes for those bodies involves the creation of funding arrangements which underpin the delivery of thousands of new affordable homes across the country. The scale of public expenditure and investment supported by her work runs into many billions of pounds.
Unkar Chanian
Unkar is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins' International Real Estate team in Bahrain. Unkar has worked in Bahrain since 2014, having relocated after working for many years in the City of London where he assisted Pensions Funds with the management of their multi million pound property portfolios.
Unkar has a wealth of both international and regional experience in advising on all aspects of commercial property, with a particular emphasis on landlord and tenant matters, hotels and hospitality and large scale mixed use developments. Since arriving in Bahrain, Unkar has assisted developers on some of the largest development projects within Bahrain, including Diyar Al Muharraq and Marassi Al Bahrain and has provided assistance and advice for a large regeneration project in the heart of Manama. Most recently Unkar worked with the newly established Bahrain Real Estate Regulatory Authority in the drafting of new laws to provide a regulatory framework for the Real Estate Sector in Bahrain.
Victoria Robertson
Victoria is a commercial and data law specialist and partner in Trowers & Hamlins' Commercial team.
She focusses upon complex contracts and projects and in particular those involving data privacy issues. She has particular expertise in a wide range of technology agreements, regularly advising both providers and customers of IT services.
Victoria advises clients within various sectors including technology, life sciences, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, education, charities and the public sector.
She is vastly experienced in dealing with tricky contractual issues especially where personal data is involved and regularly advises clients in the private and public sectors upon data matters including regulatory compliance, international transfers, and innovative usage of personal data.
Victoria Thornton
Victoria specialises in the provision of advice on commercial transactions, state aid and public law.
She has acted as lead solicitor on the development of a number of complex projects for public and private sector clients, including major regeneration projects, joint ventures, local authority companies and PPPs.
Victoria Robertson
Victoria is a commercial and data law specialist and partner in our commercial team.
She focusses upon complex contracts and projects and in particular those involving data privacy issues. She has particular expertise in a wide range of technology agreements, regularly advising both providers and customers of IT services.
Victoria has a particular interest in the life sciences, healthcare and fertility sectors, advising pharmaceutical companies, service providers in the pharma sector, fertility clinics and other service providers within the fertility sector. She is chair of the regulatory committee for the AI Fertility Society and regularly speaks on matters such as AI, ethics and data privacy.
Vikki Cunliffe
Vikki is a Senior Associate in Trowers & Hamlins' Employment and Pensions team based in our Manchester office.
Vikki has a broad advisory and contentious practice centred around providing pragmatic and business focussed solutions to employers. Many of Vikki’s clients operate in regulated sectors including real estate, charity, social care and education.
Vikki supports clients through the full range of day-to-day sensitive employee relations issues, including absence and performance management, employment status, disciplinary and grievance cases and recruitment and retention. Vikki also has experience in drafting bespoke employment contracts and policies, drafting and negotiating COT3 and settlement agreements and advising on the enforcement of post-termination restrictive covenants.
Vikki also works with clients on strategic projects including redundancy consultations, changes to terms and conditions, TUPE (tendering, insourcing and outsourcing) and provides support on corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions and amalgamations.
On the contentious side, Vikki is an experienced litigator and advises on complex employee exits and a large part of her work is handling and representing clients in Employment Tribunal claims ranging from unfair dismissal and unlawful deductions to discrimination, equal pay and whistleblowing. Vikki also has experience of handling breach of contract claims in the County Court.