Adrian has represented schools, colleges and education institutions for over 25 years, initially in litigation and over the last 10 years on school and academy trust structures and governance. Adrian represented successful Defendant in the High Court matter of NWABUDIKE v SOUTHWARK LONDON BOROUGH COUNCIL (1996) in which the school was found not responsible in a negligence action relating to a child who had absconded from a school. Adrian has been heavily involved in the academy conversions programme across the country and leads the academy conversions team from the Nottingham office. Adrian has supported all categories of school through the conversion process, including mainstream, special, pupil referral units, VA, VC, foundation and trust schools. In addition, he has also advised schools, colleges and local authorities on a wide range of education law and academy issues including group structures and sponsorship. Adrian currently acts for academy trusts and sponsors in merger and rebrokerage projects. Adrian has presented at large numbers of sector events in the past 12 months and has shared platforms with ASCL, the DFE, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, and various sector commercial suppliers including PS Financials. Adrian is regularly asked to present as a guest speaker at academies updates sessions for firms of accountants. Adrian regularly presents a slot on academies and multi-academy trusts for Mercia Training aimed at training accountants on developments in the academies and multi-academies sector. These events take place every year in June and September in The East Midlands and London respectively. Adrian has supported many groups of schools in developing their strategy for group working and thereafter creating Multi-Academy Trusts and providing further advice and support when they expand or take on further schools. This year Adrian has been heavily involved with partnerships of schools looking to formulate their strategies for the future and he has facilitated a number working party group session meetings as a preliminary to creating group structures and Multi-Academy Trusts.
Browne Jacobson LLP
Lawyers
Amanda is Head of Office in Manchester. She has over 30 years’ experience in the healthcare advisory and claims field and is well respected by clients, experts and legal peers. She is a leading individual and is recognised for her depth of knowledge of healthcare organisations and her commitment to the NHS and its clinicians. Amanda is regularly involved in training lawyers and clinicians and has presented at the annual BMA Medico-legal conference. Her clients have described her variously as ‘tenacious’ and having ‘impressive legal and clinical knowledge and experience’ and they value her team approach to litigation, providing constant support and accessibility to all involved.
Andrew is a legal director in our Nottingham MPS team. He is a very experienced litigator with a wealth of expertise in high value, complex litigation against health professionals.
Ann Cojeen specialises in all aspects of commercial property healthcare matters for independent and public healthcare organisations and medical professionals and has considerable experience in this sector.
Anna is a Senior Associate working within the firm’s Healthcare Team in the insurance and public risk department. She specialises in defending clinical negligence claims, acting on behalf of the NHSLA and healthcare trusts.
Bridget is an EL/PL defence specialist with expertise in the management of bullying and stress at work claims. She is Head of the Birmingham casualty team, responsible for the management and development of our casualty offer, advising our local authority and commercial insurance clients on motor, public and employers’ liability, from policy coverage through to claims and risk. Bridget is responsible for the strategic direction of the firm’s public sector insurance division, working to set strategy for growth drawing on our strength in the public sector. In that capacity, Bridget heads Foil’s Public Sector Focus Team (“SFT”), and in the last 12 months has successfully reframed the scope of the SFT to reflect core services in the sector. Her “Claims Club” is the envy of rival firms and is now run out of our key offices, bringing law to life for local authority claims managers and risk and insurance officers. Bridget has been able to build a growing adult social care practice, dealing with claims from residential and nursing care home providers. She has a particular interest in dementia care. These claims have significant reputational impact on the provider particularly where it is alleged the negligent treatment has resulted in the death of a resident. Bridget is also a key member of our commercial insurance strategic team and leads our cross-practice team dealing with the Inquiry, prosecution and compensation issues. Bridget is a Nominated Partner for the NHS Resolution Risk Pooling tranche of business.
Carl May-Smith is a partner and barrister specialising in regulatory and criminal law with a particular focus on the health and care sector. He and his team provide a broad variety of advice including on health and care standards (CQC and others), health & safety and fire safety. His clients include care providers (independent and NHS), investors (in health and care sector businesses or otherwise), companies requiring proactive or regulatory litigation advice and public bodies. Carl has considerable experience of advising and representing individuals and corporate bodies, whether they are facing regulatory or criminal investigations or proceedings, have been the victims of crime or are involved in such proceedings less directly. At other times he provides proactive advice and training to businesses and others on regulatory matters to help them avoid such issues arising. For investors, banks and insurers, particularly in the health and care sector, Carl and his team offer specialist due diligence services. He works alongside commercial and corporate colleagues or independently to apply his wealth of experience to help identify existing or potential regulatory risks. In addition to this work, Carl has advised and represented national and local regulators including the Health and Safety Executive, Care Quality Commission, Natural England, local authorites and fire authorities. He regularly appears as an advocate in the Magistrates' and Crown Courts as well as in Tribunals and at inquests.
Caroline Green (partner – real estate) was appointed as Browne Jacobson’s Senior Partner with effect from 1 May 2019 and has brought a fresh perspective to a role that requires vision, knowledge, diplomacy and determination. As part of her role, Caroline chairs the firm’s elected Board which carries an oversight function. Away from work, Caroline is a non-executive director of SwimEngland, the national governing body for swimming. Caroline has over 30 years’ experience of dealing with real estate and commercial contracts, co-leading our nationally-recognised retail and leisure team with Sarah Parkinson and she also heads up our nationally-recognised logistics team. Caroline represents an impressive list of luxury brands including the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy group of companies in the UK, a world leader in high-quality products with a unique portfolio of over 30 prestigious brands across five different sectors; namely fashion and leather goods, perfumes and cosmetics, watches and jewellery, wines and spirits and selective retailing; its brands include Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Celine, Fendi, De Beers, Donna Karan, Givenchy, Loewe, Marc Jacobs, J W Anderson, Fresh and TAG Heuer. Caroline acts for parcel carrier to the retail industry, DPD and for cash carrier, Loomis. Caroline recently obtained a master’s degree, specialising in data protection and cyberspace and wrote her dissertation on the GDPR from the retailer’s perspective. Caroline regularly speaks at retail conferences and this year hosted a discussion group at the IBA’s Fashion & Luxury conference. Caroline’s clients say she has a rare combination of real estate expertise teamed with a deep understanding of the specific issues affecting the retail sector. She is also applauded for consistently delivering sensible and pragmatic advice, in addition to “having a great sense of humour that makes her easy to work with”.
Chloe specialises in commercial litigation and contentious insolvency. She advises clients on breaches of contract; misrepresentation claims; supplier/consumer disputes; breach of restrictive covenants; injunctions; shareholder disputes; fraud; office holder claims; and cross-border recoveries. Chloe acts for both public/private sector clients across a variety of sectors. Chloe has a particular specialism in cases that involve breaches of restrictive covenants by senior executives; contentious IT matters; defective goods/services; and disputes in the energy, manufacturing and retail sectors. She has maturity and experience way beyond her years of qualification, developed through her constant dedication to providing clients with the service normally expected at partner level.
Chris is a partner and joined the firm in January 2013 having worked in-house at a large acute NHS Trust for four years. He is a solicitor advocate (civil) and regularly appears in both the Court of Protection and the Coroner’s court, conducting his own advocacy. Chris brings a wealth of experience and a varied practice from his time working in-house and has subsequently undertaken long term secondments in both a major independent health sector provider and a mental health Trust. He sits on an acute NHS Trust Clinical Ethics Committee and specialises in in all aspects of mental health law, mental capacity, Court of Protection and coronial law. He is a regular speaker at training events across the country.
Christine is an Associate Solicitor in IPR defending personal injury claims.
Claire specialises in the defence of claims brought against a variety of professionals. She has extensive experience in defending solicitor negligence claims and advising professional indemnity insurers in respect of policy coverage issues.
Dale is a partner specialising in regulatory crime, particularly health and safety, environmental and food safety breaches. He is a solicitor advocate, holding his Higher Rights qualification, and has been a criminal advocate for over 25 years, appearing before Magistrates’ and Crown Courts and other tribunals. Dale, as a recognised leader in health and safety, was for over 10 years a prosecutor advocate for the Health and Safety Executive, representing it in many of its largest cases and was their chosen advocate for quarry related investigations. He now devotes all of his time to assisting and representing multi-national businesses and SMEs in relation to regulatory investigations and prosecutions. He is regularly instructed in fatal accident matters assisting throughout the investigation and representing the organisation at the inquest and court hearings. He holds an MA in Environmental Law and is instructed regionally by manufacturing and farming businesses regarding environmental breaches and pollution incidents. His vast experience leads to him being invited to speak at national conferences where he speaks on various health and safety topics and the practical effects of a regulatory investigation and prosecution.
Derek specialises in all aspects of professional and institutional default, management liability, insurance coverage and contentious insolvency.
Dominic Swift is a partner in the Real Estate team and is also the chair of The Evolve Multi Academy Trust. Dominic has 30 years’ experience working within the commercial property field and specialises in complex projects, appreciated by his clients for bringing not only legal expertise but also strong project management skills. His clients welcome his “hands on and can do attitude”. Dominic has project managed many academy conversions and advised a number of free schools focusing particularly on strategic site assembly. He has also played a major role in developing and delivering new services to help academy trusts in their strategic planning for the rapidly changing world they face.
Emily is an employment specialist with 9 years experience, who advises both public and private sector clients in a wide range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters. These include disciplinary procedures and grievances, tribunal claims, unfair dismissal, redundancies and restructures, contractual issues, TUPE advice, reviewing of policies and procedures, discrimination and whistleblowing.
Associate, Emma, joined Browne Jacobson as the Professional Development Lawyer for Business Services, being responsible for supporting the department in relation to their precedent documents, know-how bank and ongoing training. She is also involved in providing technical support on complex matters and works with the firm’s risk and compliance team. Emma has over 10 years’ experience of advising on corporate transactions – including acquisitions and disposals of companies and businesses, management buy-outs and buy-ins, as well as group reorganisations. Emma has also advised on various company law aspects, including: the formation of partnerships and LLPs corporate governance and compliance issues directors’ and company secretaries’ duties shareholder agreements and joint venture agreements share capital issues, including reductions of capital and buybacks advising on procedures involved in company general meetings advising shareholders regarding their rights and in connection with shareholder disputes. Emma has acted for a varied client base, from private individuals and owner managed businesses to large private companies and listed plcs.
Emma heads up the Birmingham team and is well known in the West Midlands market for delivering an excellent, efficient and straight-talking service to her clients – and as a result she has a loyal following. She has worked hard to use her style of delivery to expand her exclusive Midlands Santander Growth Capital relationship to a number of directors in the London GC team which has created a new workflow for the team. In addition to Santander she counts HSBC Birmingham, Natwest Birmingham TMT team and numerous CYB Birmingham teams as her key repeat funder-clients. This year Emma has built new relationships with Shawbrook and Metro (as a result of the firm’s recent panel appointment to both funders), Northedge, Oaknorth (a referral as a result of a very positive borrower experience on a transaction) and Thincats, all of which will expand and diversify the team’s workload in the future. Emma works on all types of financing transactions, has a keen interest in health as a sector and is very committed to the local West Midlands market.
Francis has over 30 years of experience in the London (re)insurance market. He joined Browne Jacobson in February 2017 as Partner based in the London office.His experience covers a wide range of insurance and reinsurance sectors, mainly dealing with dispute, advice and overage issues, with particular experience in energy, professional indemnity, political risks/contract frustration, commercial property, financial institutions/D&O, pharmaceutical/product liability, contingency risks, binding authorities/MGA’s and a range of reinsurances such as the excess of loss market . His practice is well known in the London Market and International Arbitration arena, where he has run arbitrations in London, Bermuda, and the US and Europe. His dispute practice also includes significant London Commercial Court cases/disputes over the years.
Gabor has a recognised expertise in social housing development work and complex funding work and has led on the securitisation of more than £1bn of affordable housing over the last 5 years. Additionally, Gabor is currently acting for major national housing association clients assisting in the delivery of thousands of much needed affordable housing dwellings. Clients include (amongst others) Platform, EMH, NCHA, Longhurst, Midland Heart, Minster Property Group and Tuntum. Gabor (and the team as a whole) is sought out by an extensive range of clients because of this social housing expertise; including not only housing associations but also private-sector developers, funders and public bodies.
Gemma is a Senior Associate who specialises in defending high value clinical negligence claims for NHS Resolution and healthcare Trusts and has a real talent for client relationship building. Gemma has a long history in the health sector and a wealth of experience of acting in claims from the patient, NHS and private clinicians’ perspectives, and it shows. Our largest client has made a point of singling her out for praise for her grip of exactly what they want. Despite a stretching caseload with an average damages reserve of £10-15million per case and her supervision of others, Gemma also recognises the need to play her part in the legal fabric in Manchester and also finds time to support the Manchester office profile. She led the recent, incredibly successful, ‘12 days of Christmas’ initiative, planning joint events and donations to 12 different charities and arranging the media coverage.
Since joining Browne Jacobson in 2013 as a Senior Associate, Heather has provided specialist advice and support to both public (NHS England, NHS Acute Trusts, Mental Health Trusts, Ambulance Services, Clinical Commissioning Groups) and independent health sector organisations as well as individual healthcare practitioners. More recently, her practice interest has expanded, to include Court of Protection, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and Mental Health Law. Very recently Heather impressed the team with the way she cut through a complex mental health matter concerning the interplay between the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Mental Health Act 1983 and the impact of recent Supreme Court decisions relating to this area. Heather is a really versatile healthcare lawyer, which was of vital importance when she joined our then quite small team in 2013 and she continues to play her part as trusted advisor to our clients both directly and a really knowledgeable and friendly go-to for our trainees and others joining us who are new to the healthcare team and its specialist work.
Heather leads the employment law side of the firm’s successful education sector practice. She is an Associate in the London’s employment team, having been at the firm for over eight years. Heather has extensive experience in providing strategic advice to large Multi Academy Trusts on complex staffing matters. She specialises in advice to senior teams on resolving high profile staffing matters as well as large scale restructures and representing her clients at the Employment Tribunal. She speaks regularly at national conferences including those of the Association of School and College Leaders, Freedom and Autonomy for Schools – National Association, the National Association of School Business Management, Optimus and the Academies Finance Directors ‘Super 10’ forum
Helen has over 13 years of costs experience in both the Claimant and Defendant market, with extensive experience of a spectrum of civil litigation, personal injury and medical negligence type cases. Helen deals with cases of all levels of value and complexity, from the most straightforward matters to the high value, complex and novel. From the initial drafting of a schedule of costs, through to detailed assessment if required, Helen manages her files with an emphasis on maximising costs recovery for the client. Helen uses her knowledge to obtain the best result in the shortest time frame possible. Helen’s approach to costs and personable style ensures that her client’s receive the best possible service at all times. Helen also has experience of undertaking client Audits and providing internal and external training courses and also assists with the management and development of the costs team.
Helen is a Senior Associate in the corporate team and has experience advising on all aspects of corporate work. Helen specialises in complex group reorganisations often involving capital reduction demergers, dividends, capital reductions, intra-group business and asset transfers, reorganisations of share capital, share-buybacks and s.110 schemes and leads the team in this area. Helen also has experience providing technical company law advice, advising on the corporate aspects of Family Constitutions and advising registered societies, LLPs, property management companies and companies limited by guarantee.
Helen specialises in employment law and acts largely for public sector clients including the NHS and the education sector. Helen has represented clients in complex Tribunal claims and has particular experience in defending whistleblowing claims against the NHS. She also has expertise in handling difficult employee relations cases often involving multiple allegations of discrimination, whistleblowing, breakdowns in relationships, mental health issues and fitness to practise. Helen regularly advises clients on non-contentious matters including TUPE, workforce reorganisation and interpretation of terms and conditions of employment and has been a key member of the team advising on NHS trust mergers. A recent example of Helen’s expertise includes advising an NHS Trust on a complex and potentially high profile unfair dismissal and whistleblowing claim by a doctor. The claim had significant reputational and financial risks for the client given the intense publicity around whistleblowers in the NHS. The Claimant was supported by a number of high profile NHS whistleblowers who have campaigned vociferously in relation to the plight of NHS whistleblowers. Their involvement meant that the pending proceedings were likely to have attracted national and regional press interest which was a significant reputational risk for the client at a time when it had very recently merged with another organisation and was under increased scrutiny. Through challenging negotiations with the Claimant’s representative and sensitive discussion with the NHS regulator who was required to approve settlement, Helen secured agreement of all parties to enter into a mediation. A two day mediation resulted in a settlement of the claim for a sum which was around 10% of the Claimant’s valuation of his claim and approximately 25% of the sum the Claimant was willing to settle for at the start of mediation. The case client’s comments included “Helen has engaged in hours of discussion with the Claimant’s legal team to narrow the issues and the massive gap between the parties on quantum. Helen has attended meetings at Board level to ensure the Board were fully sighted during this period and was also pivotal in the Trust securing Treasury approval to settle (which in itself is exceptional). Her dogged determination to get to a settlement at mediation and her skill and expertise in doing so secured a settlement that will enable all parties to move on, avoid the need for an ET Hearing and deliver best value for money to the taxpayer. Helen is an asset to the team at Browne Jacobson and I wanted to write formally to ensure the Trust’s thanks are on record”.
Associate, Helen, is based in Manchester and specialises in property transactional work. Helen has over seven years’ experience advising clients on a wide range of property matters.
Iain joined the firm in 1993, specialising in corporate transaction work for both private and public sector clients, as well as partnership and LLP issues. He became a Partner in 1999 and then head of our business services department in 2008. In May 2009, Iain took on the role of Managing Partner and over 11 years presided over a period of unprecedented growth and activity for the firm, before stepping down in April 2020. Iain now has a focus on Governance and Leadership, with three key aspects 1) executive leadership coaching - Iain is a qualified and accredited executive coach 2) business structures – corporates, family companies, reorganisations, LLPs and partnerships, and 3) private client – wills, trusts and estate planning.
James is head of our Birmingham employment practice and a partner in the team dealing predominantly with private sector work. He has 19 years’ experience of all aspects of employment law dealing with both contentious and non-contentious issues. He deals with the firm’s tech, retail and manufacturing clients. He has been involved in a number of high profile reported cases in the EAT, High Court and Court of Appeal. He has particular experience of advising on: cross border transactions, advising on TUPE compliance including warranties and indemnities protecting confidentiality/trade secrets and enforcing restrictive covenants for the purposes of business protection discrimination and whistleblowing claims. James regularly trains the department’s clients with other members of our team and speaks at local and national conferences on employment law. He has provided multi-day training to a number of the firm’s international clients. He has published many articles for the local and industry press. James also undertakes international employment work and is a member of the firm’s Pangea Employment group, which is a group of international lawyers, and sits on the firm’s international desk. James is also a board member of the British American Business Council in the Midlands which is an organisation aimed at promoting transatlantic trade and business. He is also a trustee of Performances Birmingham Limited which manages the world renowned Town and Symphony Halls in Birmingham.
John is a partner and head of Insolvency and Dispute Resolution in London leading a team specialising in both domestic and cross-border insolvency and commercial disputes. He has a specialism in contentious insolvency matters which often arise out of fraud such as his work advising the US Trustee of Bernard Madoff L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC and the estate of Bernard L. Madoff. He advises on all aspects of asset investigation and recovery including in the context of corporate and personal insolvency.John has vast experience of recovery of all types of assets from the fraudster’s stereotypical Spanish properties to racehorses, bitcoin and other cryptocurrency.The fraud matters that John advises on often involve criminal or regulatory investigations running in tandem which requires liaising with the appropriate authority. John is also a great tactician and well versed in using the full litigation toolbox to achieve the desired outcome for his clients including worldwide freezing orders and third-party disclosure orders such as Norwich Pharmacal Orders.Although John is best known for his contentious insolvency and fraud work, he also advises on non-contentious insolvency matters including advising directors on the appointment of administrators or liquidators and advising on the sale or purchase of assets of insolvent companies.John is a member of several insolvency and fraud associations including: Insolvency Lawyers Association (ILA), R3 – Association of Business Recovery Professionals, INSOL Europe/International, Fraud Lawyers Association, London Solicitors Litigation Association, Financial Services Lawyers Association. In addition to regularly attending fraud and insolvency conferences, John is often invited to speak including at the INSOL Europe Annual Congress and the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime.
Jon is a partner in the national corporate team, based in London, specialising in advising on corporate transactions for SMEs, entrepreneurs and investors. Jon has a particular focus on advising high-growth technology companies and disruptive, tech-enabled businesses, including FinTech and InsurTech clients and has received recognition in the legal directories (Legal 500 and Chambers) for his expertise in the fields of venture capital, M&A and FinTech. Jon guides and supports high-growth businesses and their stakeholders throughout the company growth lifecycle – from start-up to exit – and advises on a broad range of UK and cross-border private company transactions, including venture capital and private equity investments, mergers and acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and reorganisations. Jon is also a French speaker and an active member of the French Chamber of Great Britain.
Jonathan is client partner for a number of our CCG and NHS provider clients and leads many of our healthcare contracting projects. Examples of recent work include being one of the partner leads on the merger of Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He has co-ordinated our recent roundtable session across our health and care contacts considering the national consultation on the proposed Integrated Care Provider contract.
Jonathan is an experienced Defendant clinical negligence specialist and a Nominated Partner for NHS Resolution and is based in our Birmingham office. He specialises in high end claims especially around neurological, obstetric and gynaecological matters. He has a particular interest in quantum and alternative forms of dispute resolution, working closely with a number of claimant firms to achieve earlier resolution on NHS cases.
Jonathan specialises in defendant public liability work including employers’, occupiers’ and highways liability cases from initial instruction to trial. Including small claims, fast and multi track work.
Kassra specialises in development and strategic land transactions, acting for landowners on option and promotion agreements for housing led developments as well as acting for private developers and local authorities on mixed use and commercial developments. His experience of acting for a wide range of clients – landowners, developers, local authorities, promoters – gives Kassra an understanding of all the players in a property development and can guide clients through the competing demands and conflicts that will arise along the way.
Kate specialises in defending historic abuse litigation, and negligence claims against professionals working in the social care, education and voluntary sectors. Particular expertise in multi-party group actions and complex failure to remove claims.
Katie joined Browne Jacobson as a trainee in 2007 and has nearly ten years of experience as an education lawyer. In her early career (2010), she completed a secondment to the in-house legal team at The Girls’ Day School Trust. She now advises maintained schools and academy trusts on a range of education law issues including governance, admissions, safeguarding, school intervention and parental complaints. Katie has been heavily involved in the academy conversion programme following the implementation of the Academies Act 2010. She has advised on the corporate and commercial aspects of hundreds of academy projects including the creation and expansion of multi-academy trusts and the conversion of church schools, special schools and pupil referral units. She was the lead lawyer on the first hospital school conversion in the country. She now focuses largely on group projects, working closely with a number of multi-academy trusts on their expansion, including academy merger and re-brokerage projects. Katie has also developed a particular area of expertise in school intervention and Ofsted advice and leads on this part of the firm’s practice. She provides advice to schools and academies who may be vulnerable to formal intervention measures from their local authority or the Secretary of State, including launching judicial review proceedings. She also supports schools with challenging Ofsted inspections and seeking delay to publication. As part of her work in the area of school intervention, Katie contributed to representations made to Parliament on the Education and Adoption Bill. Katie regularly speaks at seminars and national conferences including, for example, the Optimus Child Protection conference and National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) Annual Conference, as well as delivering bespoke training to governing bodies and senior leadership teams on topics such as exclusions, governance and safeguarding. She has also featured in the education press having written articles for publications such as Schools Week, The Voice (an Institute of Schools Business Leadership publication) and Attendance Matters and has been interviewed for education pieces in The Guardian and LexisPSL. She also regularly contributes to the Association of School and College Leader’s (ASCL) Leader magazine and has written briefing notes for the NAHT and Optimus as well as Browne Jacobson’s own newsletters and website. She has also delivered webinars on topics such as digital safeguarding, parental access to information and re-brokerage. Katie leads a mentoring scheme with Greenwood Academies Trust which offers career and pastoral support to students at local academies, including one-to-one mentoring and work experience.
Kelly is a senior associate and specialises in clinical negligence on behalf of NHS Resolution and healthcare trusts.
Laura Hughes is public and administrative law lawyer, specialising in all aspects of decision making by public bodies. She regularly advises on governance, regulatory regimes, consultation, appeals, judicial reviews, planning law, environment and inquiries. Laura is client partner for a number of "household name" clients in the public sector, such as Welsh Government, the National Audit Office, Sports England, Natural Resources Wales, UK Sport, Qualifications Wales, Northern Ireland Audit Office and the Arts Council for England. She is trusted by clients to run their most high profile matters, and advise on matters of strategic importance. This year she has advised on a number of high profile and complex matters for her clients. She has advised Qualifications Wales in relation to all matters concerning the cancellation of exams in 2020 and 2021, and on how grading should occur in the absence of assessments. This involved regular attendance at QW Board, as well as being part of QW’s internal project team, and attending meetings with the Minister. She has also advised Northern Ireland Audit Office in relation to their extraordinary audit of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Welsh Government on Building Safety legislative and organisational reform, Natural Resources Wales on strategic flooding issues and UK Sport on governance issues associated with the This Girl Can campaign.
Mark is a partner specialising in health and social care based in our Exeter office. He is an experienced litigator with a background in defending clinical negligence claims on behalf of the NHS, with a particular expertise in dealing with cases against mental health providers. This has included dealing with high profile and sensitive cases and advising on Human Rights Act allegations. Mark represents NHS trusts at inquests and has appeared before numerous coroners. He regularly provides training on coronial law and has represented health and social care providers in court, undertaking his own advocacy including on Article 2 and Jury inquests. Acutely conscious of how much anxiety inquests can cause, Mark is committed to supporting clinicians through the process, at the same time as ensuring the client is able to demonstrate wider learning from an organisational perspective. In doing so, Mark recognises the role the Trust’s legal advisers can have in improving patient safety and regularly supports Trusts in wider learning and training which can arise from patient safety incidents. Mark advises health and social care providers and commissioners on the Mental Capacity Act and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, including taking medical treatment and welfare cases to the Court of Protection. Notable cases include advising a CCG where significant safeguarding issues arose in a package of care for a service user, advising an NHS Trust in a case where a patient was refusing an amputation for an infected foot ulcer and withdrawal / withholding treatment from a patient with a prolonged neurological condition. Mark also advises on a wide range of other health law related issues, such as delayed transfers of care, duty of candour, confidentiality, safeguarding and consent to treatment. He is a regular first point of contact for many clients in the south west. Mark supports the health sector in diverse ways, having helped set up the MCA/DoLS forum, hosted in our Exeter office, as well as the MHA Forum, also run in our Exeter office. He presents at numerous seminars, networks and events on MCA / DoLS in the south west, as well as speaking at regional and national events. He also worked closely with an NHS Foundation Trust in the south west to set up and deliver a patient / family experience video to facilitate and widen learning and understanding of issues around the Mental Capacity Act.
Mark is a leading name in the East Midlands market, with a particular focus on private equity transactions for sponsors as well as Management Teams. In 2019, Mark led a number of transactions for long standing client SDL Property Services Group, advised Apiary Capital on its acquisition of G3, acted for the founders on the disposal of Scarsdale Vets to IVC, advised Littlefish on its investment by LDC, and acted for Belvoir Lettings plc on a number of transactions.
Martin is a Partner with over 30 years of experience of advising clients in the construction industry having started within the legal department of one of the UK’s largest contractors. Martin’s practice has three main areas: PFI Disputes in Health, Education, and Local Government Services Claims for major contractors Acting as an adjudicator Martin is known for advising on large complex disputes seeking to provide the clarity necessary to allow settlement to be achieved. This skill is recognised as he speaks as the lawyer representative at the Department of Health’s Private Finance Unit and in the quality of work he undertakes. Main Clients: Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust BAM Construction Limited North Midland Construction Limited Blackpool Borough Council University College Birmingham (UCB)
Matthew is an experienced advisor and litigator specialising in public, regulatory and information law. Matthew has provided advice and representation to clients in high profile and complex judicial review proceedings, statutory appeals, procurement challenges, and data breach/breach of confidentiality claims. Matthew previously worked within the Government Legal Department conducting high profile litigation in the areas of constitutional (the Brexit cases), health and social care (the junior doctors, accountable care and overseas charging judicial reviews), social security (the 2 Child tax judicial review), and information law. Matthew is dual qualified in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Matthew, a Senior Associate with the firm, specialises in resolving disputes and advising on investigations in the financial services sector. In addition, he has extensive experience of resolving professional liability claims and coverage disputes.
Michael has 20 years’ experience of handling litigation, arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). He is a partner who supervises a team across both Birmingham and Exeter offices. He specialises in complex clinical negligence claims including birth, brain and spinal injury claims and complex multiparty claims.
Mike is a Legal Director who brings a wealth of experience to the team and leads on the department's quality and risk piece. He has extensive experience of all aspects of commercial property, including disposals and acquisitions, options, lettings, licences, both residential and commercial development and funding. Mike advises a number of the firm's leading retail sector clients, including: Boots, Pure Gym, Halfords and Wilko. He also plays an important role in the team working for Homes England as well as having an appreciative and longstanding private client base.
Mike is a recognised leader in the fields of public procurement, local government, administrative and public law, having led on some of the largest and most innovative transactions in the sector. He acted on three of the first four local authority PFI schemes, delivered the first local government LLP joint venture and put together a number of strategic partnerships. Mike’s experience covers all services, including schools, health, waste, leisure, IT and support services, transport and housing. Mike speaks at many conferences and seminars, such as for SOLACE, the LGA and Solicitors in Local Government. He is a regular speaker at the leading public procurement conference run by White Paper Conferences, alongside other leading practitioners. He regularly provides training to clients and organisations such as CIPFA on subjects such as procurement, local authority companies and commercialisation of services in local government.
Nat has been assisting a number of local authorities with procurement exercises, commercial contracts and commercial projects. Some of the matters that she has been involved in include: Advising and drafting various commercial agreements in respect of various types of services including income and management systems, benefit systems, social care, children’s services, software and licences, adult and community learning, procuring bus and bus services and catering; Advising academy trusts on various agreements to enable academy conversions and transfers including schools build or refurbished through PFI; Advising a number of local authorities in respect of alternative delivery models for setting up trading companies including the use of the Teckal exception and community benefit societies; Working in collaboration with the Commercial Health team to carry out due diligence exercises for acquisitions in the public health sector.
Nik specialises in professional liability claims against a broad span of advisers, particularly surveyors and valuers, estate agents, lawyers, designers and renewable energy consultants. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) are key client relationships. Nik is also admitted as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and is listed as an approved Arbitrator on CEDR’s UK panel for commercial arbitration appointments.
Pamela heads up the national property disputes team at Browne Jacobson. She has specialised in property litigation since qualification in 1992 joining the Birmingham office of Browne Jacobson as a partner in 2012. She is well known in the West Midlands - particularly for her technical expertise and commercial competence.Pamela’s work continues to have a commercial landlord and tenant bias acting in equal measure for both landlords and tenants, but also acting for landowners and public sector clients.Her focus in the last few years has been, and remains, on team growth, excellence through quality and knowledge, and profile building having, as an example, now established a solid lecturing background with the RICS, including speaking at their National Landlord and Tenant Roadshow in both 2018 and 2019. Pamela spoke at the Property Managers Association in Nottingham this year for the 7th year running.As part and parcel of this concentration on team growth, the national team goes from strength to strength with continued development throughout the West and East Midlands
Paul is a partner in the Corporate team (having been promoted from Senior Associate in May 2019) specialising in M&A, private equity and general company law. He has a focus on driving the team’s technology sector, including advising on the disposal of an industry leading gaming manufacturer and developer Reflex Gaming. He advised sellers and management on the private equity backed tertiary buy out of CARE Fertility Group funded by Silverfleet Capital, as well continuing to act on numerous “add-on” acquisitions for CARE. He also advised the shareholders of Delamin Nitriding Salts on the sale of its industrial salts business to the US subsidiary Parker Trutec Inc of Japanese parent company Nihon Parkerizing Co.
Paul Hill is a partner in the Banking and Finance team principally based in Birmingham and he also serves as the sector head for Energy and Infrastructure at Browne Jacobson. Since joining Browne Jacobson in 2019 Paul has made a real impact in the West Midlands market, not only through integration into the commercial community but also through building and developing client relationships. He has also been able to leverage strong interconnections between the West Midlands and London. He has advised on a number of high profile deals including: (1) Rcapital Partners in connection with their portfolio of debt/equity investments in new and existing businesses; (2) Blazehill Capital (and certain founder investors) on the set up of a new alternative lender; (3) Quilam Capital in connection with their portfolio debt/equity investments in new and existing businesses; (4) IB Group in connection with their corporate refinancing and subsequently the raising of CLBILS finance; (5) PBE Group on a multi-jurisdictional holdco corporate financing; (6) NatWest in connection with the provision of a revolving credit facility to a UK university; and (7) LDC in connection with their successful exit of Addo Food Group to European private equity firm PAI Partners. Within the energy and infrastructure sector, Paul has utilised his strong connections, reputation and capability to bring together the breadth of experience across the wider firm to provide a strong fully packaged offering in this area. This has culminated in a stream of high profile work, including advising on some of the highest profile recent infrastructure acquisitions in the UK market and has secured a number of collaboration opportunities in the sphere with large UK City and US white-chip firms. Selected highlights in this sector include advising: (1) First Sentier Investors in connection with their successful c £1 billion acquisition of energy-from-waste assets from SSE plc and their subsequent acquisition of the entirety of the Wheelabrator UK EfW business from Macquarie; (2) a global asset manager in respect of their proposed purchase of Suez’s UK recycling and recovery business; (3) PBE Group on a multi-jurisdictional holdco corporate financing; (4) AFC Wimbledon on the debt/equity financing and construction of their new football stadium; (5) Manchester County Council in connection with a District Heating Project; (6) Oxford University Trust in connection with a hospital PFI; (7) Performances Birmingham on the financing and redevelopment of Symphony Hall; (8) Homes England on a variety of and (9) Derby County Council on the termination of the Derbyshire EfW Waste Project. Paul has also secured a UK panel appointment for Hydromine Inc, a sustainable energy company focussed on the power plant origination and investment, on-boarded Sculptor Capital, a global alternative asset manager, as a client of the firm and has been involved in a number of panel tenders for large FTSE companies.
Philip leads the Birmingham Beds Sector team acting for public and private sector clients on residential and mixed use projects across the country. He works for a number of regional house builders and commercial/mixed use developers specialising in site acquisition and assembly. Philip also advises public sector organisations, including Homes England on site acquisitions and disposals for residential development and also as part of Homes England’s Home Building and Infrastructure Funds, providing development finance to regional house builders and local authorities. His recent work includes a site acquisitions in the North West; Derby city centre; and a number of sites in Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire (which are intended to provide more than 1,000 new homes). He has also recently advised on the disposal of local authority land in the Midlands for the provision of c.900 new homes and strategic infrastructure. Valued by his clients for his ability to unlock potential deal-breaking issues and being a strong negotiator, his experience of development across the public and private sectors set him apart from many lawyers in the residential development sector.
Rachael is a partner leading a team specialising in complex neurological injuries affecting children to include claims arising from obstetric and neonatal care. Rachael has acted for several defence organisations and has spent over 16 years at Browne Jacobson in the NHS Resolution team. With 20 years' experience of clinical negligence work and a reputation for her empathetic approach, Rachael provides a reassuring presence to trust clients and witnesses and an in depth understanding of the needs of the families impacted by these claims. Rachael is the client lead for George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Raymond heads the London employment practice. He advises a stellar list of retail clients, including brands within the world’s largest luxury goods groups and a string of fashion brands including ones based in France, Italy and the UK, on all aspects of employment law from day-to-day workplace issues to Employment Tribunal and High Court claims. He advises arm’s length and other public bodies, employers in the education, manufacturing, financial services and IT sectors and senior executives. Raymond, and/or members of his team, advise on immigration matters, draft and advise on employment contracts, staff handbooks and present training, including mock Employment Tribunal hearings. He leads on our work in the modern slavery space.
Rebecca Toates, Partner, works within our built environment team and specialises in commercial, residential and mixed-use developments, infrastructure and regeneration schemes. She acts on all aspects from site acquisition, including joint venture and collaboration agreements, through the development process to investment sales and financing (with particular expertise in forward funding). Rebecca acts for both public sector bodies (including Homes England and a significant number of local authorities) and private developers and investors on complex projects and particularly enjoys the project management aspects of coordinating a legal team to meet her clients’ objectives.
Rebecca is a Senior Associate working within the firm’s health advisory and litigation team. She has worked solely in the area of medical negligence since 2010. Rebecca specialises in defending clinical negligence claims, acting on behalf of NHS Resolution and NHS Trusts.
Richard is our Managing Partner and leads the delivery of our strategy. He has 20 years’ experience working with our clients across the private and public sectors as a corporate finance partner, advising on mergers & acquisitions, private equity deals, international transactions, corporate reorganisations and the commercialisation of public services. Before becoming Managing Partner Richard headed up our Business Services department and uses his management experience alongside his expertise in corporate governance derived from his client work to manage all aspects of the firm’s operation.
Rita is a Senior Associate with 30 years’ experience covering a broad spectrum of residential freehold and leasehold property work for private clients, developers, banks, educational establishments, charities, UK companies and off-shore companies.
Ros has been instructed on a variety of threatened judicial reviews against the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and the Local Government Ombudsman and advises NHS England in relation to vires, judicial review and consultation and performers list matters. Ros acts for all public services ombudsman and auditors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including the National Audit Office. She regularly advises the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and a range of NHS bodies on public law and information law matters. Ros is currently acting for the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (“PSA”) in the first judicial review challenge to a decision taken pursuant to the PSA’s voluntary accredited registers scheme.Ros has been a partner at the firm since May 2013, having joined from the public law team at DAC Beachcroft LLP in April 2012. She has developed her practice acting mainly for regulatory and health clients. She trained in local government and spent 11 years working in house dealing with a wide range of local government and both contentious and non-contentious public law matters.
Sarah is a leading clinical negligence defence specialist. She leads a team of lawyers dealing with work on behalf of NHS Resolution, Medical Protection and Dental Protection. She is responsible for the management, supervision and development and provides the strategic overview and direction of the full portfolio of cases they handle. She is the operational lead for the claims work we undertake for Medical Protection. She has over 25 years’ experience of acting for health law clients. She has an impressive track record in defending complex and high value claims, particularly involving cerebral palsy, acquired brain, spinal and other catastrophic injuries, delayed diagnosis of cancer, meningitis and septicaemia and Fatal Accident Act Claims. She has extensive trial experience including successfully defending two multi-million-pound cerebral palsy claims involving a significant number of healthcare professional witnesses and expert witnesses. She has handled many high value claims involving the assessment of complex quantum and has negotiated settlement for sums in excess of £10m, including periodic payment order settlements. She is very experienced in dealing with claims involving multiple defendants and the strategy and tactics to deploy in negotiations on apportionment of liability whilst also working collaboratively on a joint basis where appropriate to resolve issues cost effectively.
Sarah specialises in employment law and provides support to members of the employment team in areas such as know-how, precedents, technical research and training. Prior to taking on this role, Sarah was a partner within Browne Jacobson's employment team and advised both public and private sector clients on a wide range employment law matters including unfair dismissal, redundancy, restructure, contractual issues and all areas of discrimination. Sarah undertook a mixture of contentious and non-contentious work and also conducted her own advocacy in the employment tribunal.
Scott is a senior associate in the team with eight years PQE and handles both contentious and non-contentious construction matters. Scott leads on our construction work for education and local authority clients but has experience acting for a range of funders, developers and contractors upon a wide range of issues relating to property transactions, developments and funding arrangements. Scott is able to advise you on all of the industry standard forms of construction contract, bespoke forms of contract, collateral warranties, appointments, novation agreements, performance bonds, parent company guarantees and letters of intent. Scott has advised clients in relation to a wide range of post-contractual issues ranging from negotiating disputes, engaging in the Pre-Action Protocol for Construction & Engineering Disputes and methods of alternative dispute resolution (without prejudice meetings, mediation and adjudication).
Shaun heads up the Nottingham team and is one of the best known lawyers in the East Midlands market place. He heads a team of dedicated banking specialists who have a dominant position in the East Midlands. Shaun advises lenders, private equity houses and corporate borrowers on refinances, acquisitions, development finance, investment finance, asset based lending and general lending matters. Shaun has a particular expertise advising on private equity transactions and advising on asset based lending structures. Shaun is recognised as a leading individual in the legal directories. He is an experienced operator well known in the Midlands market and , during the course of this year, has advised a number of high profile deals including: • advising Palatine Private Equity on the secondary buy out of CET UK supported by senior facilities from Clydesdale Bank and mezzanine facilities from Beechbrook Capital (this transaction was named on East Midlands deal of the year by Business Insider) • advising Littlefish on its MBO backed by Lloyds Development Capital and HSBC (named as SME deal of the year in the West Midlands by Business Insider) • advising Wise Living Homes on a £33m development finance facility provided by ICG Longbow
Simon heads up our health practice nationally, and is responsible for the sector strategy across all of Browne Jacobson’s Offices. His practice is primarily contentious, advising on regulatory matters, inquests, and clinical governance matters. Simon specialises in advising on high profile clinical investigations, including inquests often attracting national press coverage. He is client partner for a number of our key clients including the Medical Protection Society, Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Senior Associate, Sophie, is experienced in dealing with a variety of both contentious and non-contentious employment issues. She advises clients from a wide range of sectors in relation to all aspects of employment law, including tribunal claims, TUPE and general HR advisory matters such as disciplinaries, grievances and performance issues. She also has significant experience in dealing with employment documentation, including reviewing and drafting bespoke documents for clients. She is experienced in delivering training seminars and workshops for clients on a variety of employment law topics.
Stephanie advises on policy drafting ranging from health and safety to mental health and wellbeing. She advises and assists in relation to police, fire authority, health and safety and coronial investigations and if necessary the safeguarding process which often runs alongside such investigations. She is also familiar with issues affecting large portfolios of commercial buildings and residential premises and has produced bespoke databases for clients to assist them in managing their regulatory responsibilities as landlords, tenants and building owners. Her breadth of knowledge across the regulatory field makes her an invaluable source of expertise for clients. Stephanie regularly represents public bodies, including fire authorities, and advises in relation to the strength of evidence and liability risks both from a prosecution and defence perspective. She has a particular specialism in dealing with large scale and complex health and safety and corporate manslaughter investigations. She has advised in respect of numerous fatal and non-fatal accident criminal investigations in connection with a variety of industries. This includes deaths on construction sites, agricultural sites, in educational settings and in NHS and local authority premises. She assists clients with disclosure exercises for the purposes of the Coroner’s inquiry and police / regulatory investigations and regularly appears before coroners and magistrates’ courts. She regularly attends interviews under caution with the Health & Safety Executive and the police.
Stephen works in our Government and Infrastructure team and specialises in joint ventures, regeneration, procurement and outsourcings. He acts for public bodies and contractors and has experience in overseas markets (notably public private partnerships). Stephen manages teams across various disciplines in delivering major projects.
Susan brings her considerable interpersonal skills to firm wide operational leadership of this department across our five-office network. Her experience at working at every level within the firm, along with a natural flair for spotting strengths, means that she is well placed to put the right people in the right roles. She is a qualified business coach and mentor (Institute of Leadership and Management). This involves leading on the delivery of firm strategy through key sector and departmental business planning and making sure they fit with central projects, to include IT case management and Human Resource and Learning and Development activities. Susan is a member of the firm’s Exec as well as the Core Insurance Sector and Local Authority Boards. Locally, Susan leads Nottingham’s Technical Claims and Social Care Team handling a broad range of Defendant personal injury, and RTA related litigation on behalf of Local Authorities, health bodies and other public sector clients, as well as commercial and agricultural organisations. She is an appointed nominated Partner for the NHS Resolution’s Risk Pooling Scheme and thus has responsibility for ensuring high quality service delivery from her team dealing with those claims. Susan is also client relationship partner for a number of commercial insurance and public sector clients. Susan’s work continues as Partner sponsor for the firm’s highly successful apprenticeship scheme, Browne Jacobson being the first law firm to engage a cohort of apprentices within its legal teams.
Susan is a Senior Associate specialising in defending high value and complex employers’ and public liability claims on behalf of the NHS, insurers, local authorities and private companies.
Suzanne is a senior associate who has specialised in personal injury litigation for 28 years. Historically she handled clinical negligence, road traffic, public and employers’ liability claims for both claimants and defendants, including representing clients' interests at inquests. She is now part of the firm's Technical Claims Team specialising in defendant employers’ and public liability claims for local and public authorities, health trusts and corporate bodies but also deals with some high value clinical negligence claims. She generally handles more complex, higher value and fatal accident/injury claims and, in particular, she deals with cumulative injury and disease claims including asbestos related injury. For many years Suzanne predominantly handled claims for local authorities. These included, amongst others, claims against police and fire services. Suzanne continues to represent local authorities, in particular in disease claims. She also represents other local health and corporate entities.
Thomas is a Senior Associate who specialises in IT & large scale technology outsourcing projects for insurers and their network of brokers, and public sector bodies and government agencies. He works with the Browne Jacobson projects team to structure and advise on large IT outsourcing projects, in addition to advising on related compliance areas including software licensing and data protection. He is also a Certified Data Protection Practitioner. Clients particularly appreciate the commerciality and creativity of Tom’s advice and his ability to understand commercial contracts and provide a wide range of commercial advice, including related compliance areas of software licensing and data protection. His commercial awareness is supplemented by his periods of time spent with the in-house legal teams at Elekta Ltd, Ricardo PLC and The All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Thomas has over 20 years’ experience advising public and private sector clients across a range of property work, with particular emphasis in investment and health sector work. In the last 3 years his team has advised on the acquisition of over £200m of property assets for local authorities. The team also act for clients in all landlord and tenant matters linked to the management of their assets. Thomas has led teams on many complex investment projects and developed that experience further by completing a CMI recognized Project Management Programme at Nottingham Business School. This allows Thomas to ensure large and complex projects are delivered efficiently and effectively within a range of project management structures and theories. Thomas takes a very commercial, and pragmatic, approach to his advice and deliberately maintains a private sector client base. For over 14 years he has been the lead property adviser to a large pension fund, working on all matters affecting their large property portfolio. This ensures that he fully understands the needs and concerns of both sectors and particularly enjoys working on large projects involving both sectors. An advocate of LEAN management, Thomas does no over-lawyer his advice, focusing instead on dealing with the issues that matter and always looking for creative solutions. Thomas puts client relationships at the forefront of his work and prides himself on developing strong relationships with his clients and in delivering them a quality service; he has advised a number of his clients for many years and has several clients introduced through referrals from clients and their agents
Tim is the head of our construction and engineering team, which comprises 3 Partners, a Legal Director, 9 Solicitors (rising to 11 in early 2020), 2 trainees and a paralegal. He has extensive experience advising clients in relation to both domestic and international engineering and construction matters. Clients praise his engagement with the issues and pragmatic and quick responses. He continues to advise on major national and international projects, including major disputes for Centrica, Zurich Insurance plc, the Japanese heavy industry contractor IHI and in relation to two large waste to energy projects. His other recent work includes advising Yara, the world’s largest producer of ammonia, nitrates & NPKs, regarding an arbitration in relation to a new fertilizer terminal in Tanzania.
Vicky plays a key role in leading corporate transactions in the independent health and care sector. Vicky has worked with a number of private sector health and care clients on all areas of corporate work including share, business and SPV property acquisitions and disposals, group reorganisations and general company law matters including shareholder agreements, constitutional and corporate governance issues. Vicky’s clients include integrated retirements communities, care home developers and operators, private hospitals, health tech and medical device companies, domiciliary care providers, fertility clinics, children’s services and specialist care providers. Vicky works with companies at all stages of their journey, from start-ups and buy and build platforms to large care groups and internationally listed companies. Out of work, Vicky is busy looking after her toddler, she plays the violin and sings in a band, and has recently represented England winning a gold medal in the Touch Rugby European Championships.
Victoria specialises in defendant public liability work including employers’, occupiers’ and highways liability cases from initial instruction to trial. Including fast and multi track work. Her work primarily involves advising local authority and other public sector clients on public and employers' liability fast-track and multi-track claims. Victoria works at both the pre- and post- litigation stage and also handles investigatory work.
Wenna is a member of STEP with over 30 years’ experience as a private client lawyer. She specialises in all aspects of private client work, forging long-standing relationships with her clients and their families, in some cases spanning several generations. She has extensive experience of advising clients on all aspects of succession planning, in particular on the use of trusts in the context of the devolution of family wealth and the preservation of family owned estates and businesses. She advises the trustees of significant family trusts, often acting as a trustee through her directorship of the firm’s trust company. She has extensive experience advising on Wills, powers of attorney and also acts as the executor of many estates and advises on post-death tax planning.
William has over 30 years’ experience as a trust, tax and charities lawyer, specialising in high value trust and estate planning work. Acting particularly for business owners, trust companies and landowners, his early experience in industry and his time as a corporate lawyer gave him an understanding of the commercial imperatives of his clients, and this need to provide a commercial service to its clients characterises the team’s work. Much of his work involves ownership planning in relation to companies and estates, for both tax and succession purposes. His clients include some of the country’s wealthiest families, accountancy firms, corporate trustees and charities. His commercial experience and approach to trust and tax issues results in a steady stream of new high value instructions. He also advises boards of charity trustees.
Zo has over 20 years' experience in real estate and projects, working on a full range of commercial property matters. Her specialism is development within the public sector and Zo has acted on several major high profile regeneration projects for local and central government. Clients welcome her collaborative nature, project management skills and sector knowledge. Zo also sits on the firm's International Group with responsibility for APAC & CIS.