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Amanda French
Amanda French
Amanda specialises in portfolio management and store development programmes for multi-national retail businesses. She is also experienced in managing investment portfolios. Amanda is a Commercial Property expert with 16 years’ post qualification experience (PQE). Amanda specialises in portfolio management and store development programmes for multi-national retail businesses. Amanda has gained extensive retail experience from working in both law firm and in house settings. As Head of Property Legal for two multinational retailers (River Island and Farrow & Ball) she provided commercial strategic advice on the global property portfolio issues and transactions, whilst reducing risk, providing business cost savings and managing the internal and external legal teams. Uniquely Amanda has also held commercial roles within business and has extensive client side commercial and project management experience driving dynamic change, and has experience of sitting on a number of executive boards. Amanda sits on various sports club committees, and has just resigned as Vice-Chair and Trustee on Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust providing strategic guidance to the Management Team delivering education to over 4,500 pupils across three senior schools and 16 primary schools. Until 2021 she was also a Trustee for a new primary school in Okehampton and a Governor at her daughter’s primary school. How Amanda can help you Having been client side, and had Board roles, Amanda really understands what drives the clients. She understands their challenges, but also how important direct and pragmatic advice is to them. Experience Management of a large mixed asset property portfolio valued in excess of £100million – Amanda led the management of a large retail property portfolio, managing a team of lawyers, developing the precedent databases and work flow processes. She worked closely with asset managers and retail agents, meeting tight deadlines, dealing with title issues, a complex redevelopment of part of the portfolio, and bank funding. Estate Management of one of the UK’s largest rail hubs – Amanda led on the general estate management issues but also the estate management during the redevelopment of the hub. With tenants simultaneously entering into agreements to surrender, completing temporary occupational arrangements and agreements for lease (with development obligations). Retailer Expansion Programme for UK’s largest Trade DIY store – Amanda advised on the store expansion programme of a national DIY retailer. She completed numerous transactions simultaneously meeting tight deadlines, handling all standard issues with Agreement for Leases with development and planning issues and collateral warranties. Fashion Brand store expansion programme – Amanda has managed the estate for numerous high street fashion brands from Reiss to New Look, Oasis to Whistles. This included pre-let agreements in shopping centres from Exeter Princesshay to the Trafford Centre and Westfield, high street locations such as Crown Estate’s properties on Regent Street, and large out of town industrial estates. Head of Property Legal at River Island – Amanda’s remit was to deliver commercial strategic advice on the global property portfolio issues and transactions, whilst reducing risk, providing business cost savings and managing the internal and external legal teams. She was simultaneously advising on pre-let Agreements for Lease, contentious and non-contentious portfolio issues, whilst managing legal advisors globally on the store expansion programme and estate management issues. By undertaking a huge amount of the transactional work in-house, implementing standardisation, reporting processes and developing internal processes Amanda halved the property legal budget in 12 months. Head of Legal at Folk2Folk – Amanda demonstrated her ability to manage numerous projects, tight timescales and adapt to new issues with a commercial strategic outlook. She was responsible for the appointment and management of a 30-strong legal panel nationally; providing operation advice and legal support to the Credit & Applications team, Company Secretary, advising on the branch rollout and negotiated branch leases, reviewing commercial contracts, and assisting with corporate governance. In addition she supported the CEO through regulatory approval process, a capital raise and acquisition proposals.
Bonita Walters
Bonita is a Partner with 20 years of litigation experience and heads our contentious trust and probate team.  She specialises in contested wills, inheritance and trust disputes, and in disputes involving mental capacity, including contested Court of Protection applications, Judicial Reviews, disputes with local authorities, and investigation of financial abuse.  Her clients include private individuals, personal representatives and beneficiaries, attorneys/deputies, health professionals and care providers. She also acts for private clients in property disputes and professional negligence claims arising from wills drafting, estate administration and property transactions.
Bridget Sanger
Bridget Sanger
Bridget defends, represents and advises companies and individuals investigated and/or prosecuted in the criminal courts, with particular specialism in regulatory work surrounding agriculture and care homes Bridget specialises in criminal litigation and her background is in general crime. In addition to several years as a duty solicitor advising on all aspects of criminal law, ranging from motoring to murder, Bridget is experienced in regulatory work. She has a particular interest in health, safety and environment work as well as advising and representing regulated care and social housing providers in respect of safeguarding, CQC and inquest matters. She acts for companies, charitable organisations and individuals. Bridget also advises agricultural clients on regulatory matters including health and safety, environmental prosecutions, road traffic, and matters relating to the Hunting Act. Bridget is an experienced advocate in the Magistrates’ and Coroners’ Courts, representing clients at criminal hearings and inquests. In the Chambers UK Guide 2024, for the South West, Bridget was also recognised as a Band 1 lawyer for her crime and regulatory work. How Bridget can help you General Crime Traffic and motoring Agricultural regulatory matters including Environment Agency investigations Health and Safety Regulatory investigations, enforcement and prosecutions by Local Authorities Planning law breaches and enforcement Inquests CQC investigations and prosecutions.
Clare Webb
As a family law specialist, Clare understands that relationship breakdown is one of the most challenging and emotional times in a person’s life. The way in which separation and divorce is dealt with can have a significant impact on not only the individual client but also the children of the family. Clare has built her practice with a commitment to helping her clients resolve their issues in a constructive and conciliatory way. In doing so, she will always have regard to the longterm hopes and aspirations for the family as a whole, whilst of course protecting her client’s interest.
Darren Kidd
Darren Kidd
Darren is an experienced litigator specialising in high value and complex disputes. He has experience across a broad range of domestic and international matters, including in banking / financial services, fraud, insolvency, professional negligence and tax. He has particular experience of structuring and progressing group litigation and litigation funding. Darren has acted for a variety of clients, including high net worth individuals, airlines, banks, financial authorities, hedge funds, insolvency practitioners, insurance companies, law firms, telecommunications companies and trustees. Darren’s experience includes working internationally and in-house. During his time at Herbert Smith Freehills, Darren completed a one-year secondment to the firm’s Melbourne office and a nine-month secondment to one of the ‘Big Four’ accountancy firms. How Darren can help you Financial services litigation Commercial litigation and disputes Professional negligence Experience At his previous firm, Stewarts, Darren’s caseload included advising over 350 individuals, a number of whom are well-known personalities, in group litigation involving claims in fraudulent misrepresentation, conspiracy and negligence against various parties including a number of large banks. The claims arose from investments in various tax-efficient investment vehicles focused on films and video games. The case was listed in The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2018 and 2022. Darren has also acted for the liquidators of two BVI companies in relation to €500 million claims against Deutsche Bank AG and others concerning complex financial derivatives linked to the Icelandic bank, Kaupthing hf.
Greg Goodman
  Greg is a Partner in Clarke Willmott’s Southampton Commercial Property team. He deals with a wide range of commercial property matters including the acquisition and sale of freehold and leasehold properties, securitisation work with experience acting for both lending institutions and borrowers and also deals with property aspects of corporate mergers and acquisitions. Greg has particular expertise in the acquisition of freehold and leasehold ground rent reversion investments and has worked with various investment funds on such acquisitions. Greg re-joined Clarke Willmott from Blake Morgan.
Jade Lyus
Jade Lyus
Jade is a Senior Associate in the Planning and Environmental team. Jade has experience in acting for a wide range of clients, including developers, farmers, major house builders and private land owners. Amongst other matters, Jade deals with Section 106 Agreements, planning appeals, objections, enforcement proceedings and defending Town and Village Greens applications. Jade is approachable and down to earth and has a wealth of knowledge and experience of all aspects of planning law. Experience Section 106 Agreements – representing a variety of clients from individual developers and local authorities to major house builders in negotiating and completing Section 106 Agreements. Enforcement and Development Control – providing advice in respect of breaches of planning control including appealing enforcement notices and writing legal opinions to prevent the issue of enforcement action. Defending Town and Village Greens Applications- representing landowners on the defence of Town and Village Green Applications and advising landowners on how to prevent applications in the future. Certificate of Lawfulness – Obtaining certificates in respect of a wide range of unauthorised development, breaches of condition and lawful and permitted development. Objections- advising clients on the merits of objecting to a range of developments, particularly including traveller sites. Permitted Development Rights and Prior Approval Applications- advising clients on the scope of their permitted development rights and submitting prior approval applications when required
Laura Robinson
Laura is a Partner in the Financial Services Litigation team specialising in claims and complaints relating to financial and tax products and planning. Her expertise includes managing claims and complaints regarding negligent advice given in respect of investments, pensions and tax mitigation schemes, primarily for claimants. Laura is a member of the Personal Finance Society and Chartered Insurance Institute and holds the CII Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning. Laura joined Clarke Willmott in 2009 after graduating from the University of the West of England with a Distinction in Legal Practice.
Laura Mackain-Bremner
Laura Mackain-Bremner
Laura advises individuals and businesses on commercial disputes, contentious Wills, trusts and probate and agricultural property litigation. Laura is a Partner in the Commercial and Private Client Litigation Team specialising in commercial disputes, with a particular focus on agri-business, agri-tech and disputes which involve agricultural equipment and contracts. Laura advises both individuals and businesses in this regard. Laura’s commercial litigation practice is broad and includes advising individuals and businesses in all sectors on any number of contentious matters ranging from professional negligence to farming finance. The subject matter of these disputes is also wide, including anything from artificial insemination and genetics to disputed debts. Laura was the fee earner with conduct of a heavy-weight multi-party litigation matter involving 17 Claimants and 4 Defendants. Her determination has seen a successful settlement in this matter some 5 years after its issue. This was a major contributing factor in the firm winning NFU panel firm of the year and has been reported in the farming press. Laura is the main fee earner on numerous commercial matters and is training junior members of the team as this area expands for the team. Laura trained at Lester Aldridge, qualifying into its litigation team in London in 2013. Before moving back to Somerset to join Clarke Willmott she worked for a boutique litigation firm in London, joining Clarke Willmott in 2017. She is Vice President of the Executive Committee of Taunton Chamber of Commerce and also a member of the Agricultural Law Association. How Laura can help you Laura advises clients in all sectors on a wide range of contentious commercial issues including: Breach of contract or contractual disputes; Debt claims; Professional negligence; Defamation; Shareholder/partner disputes; Fraud; and Judicial review As a member of the Agriculture sector group, Laura is regularly instructed by agri-businesses in relation to any number of issues relating to matters such as food and drink or agri-tech. Laura also advises on a wide range of contentious agricultural property matters such as: Easements – including rights of way; Land drainage and flooding; Boundaries; Adverse possession; Trespass; Nuisance; Agricultural tenancies; Farming partnerships; Proprietary estoppel; and Co-owner property disputes including declarations as to ownership and/or claims for occupation rent. Laura also defends and brings claims: under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975; contesting the validity of Wills (due to lack of testamentary capacity and/or want of knowledge and approval); against executors and trustees for breach of trust/maladministration; and against solicitors in relation to Will drafting and the construction of Wills or mistakes in Wills. Experience Acting for a group of milk producers and successfully defeating an application for an interim injunction brought against them by the processor who wanted to stop them from ceasing supply following termination of notice –Watson’s Dairies Ltd v AG Lambert [2020] 10 WLUK 45 Successfully defending a client’s use of a right of way in relation to a Court Claim brought against him. The claim sought an injunction preventing the client from using the right of way except for within certain parameters and/or damages in relation to the same. Assisting in successfully reclaiming property lost during a Group Company restructure. The client sought to recover property passed to the Crown (Bona Vacantia) on the dissolution of one of the companies within the Group. The Court held another company within the Group was beneficially entitled to the property.
Laurence Lacey
Laurence Lacey
Laurence is a Partner in the Commercial Property team specialising in development, regeneration and renewable energy. Laurence’s expertise includes working with national developers and public authorities in relation to complex site acquisitions and disposals including negotiation of multi-conditional contracts, development agreements as well as landowner and collaboration agreements. On the regeneration side, Laurence acts for a number of public authorities in relation to the redevelopment of their property portfolios and has extensive experience of issues that run alongside that such as procurement and grant funding. Renewables is also a key area for Laurence where he acts for both landowners and developers in the negotiation of options, project agreements and leases for wind, solar and biomass projects. His clients include Homes & Communities Agency, Bath & North East Somerset Council, The Crown Estate, Urbis Developments and Emotion Energy. Laurence joined Clarke Willmott in 2007 after training and qualifying (in 2003) at Watson Farley & Williams. He regularly speaks at renewables-focused events to landowners, developers and public authorities. Experience Working with a developer on the acquisition and phased redevelopment of a multi-tenanted shopping centre for a mixture of commercial, residential and leisure uses including the negotiation of the sale agreement and associated finance documentation. Acting for the Homes and Communities Agency in relation to all ongoing advice relating to the development and management of the Bristol & Bath Science Park and including advising on the flagship National Composite Centre development, a leading aerospace research and development facility located on the Park and backed by very substantial public funding. Acting for a solar developer in relation to a project to install solar panels on 600 units of local authority housing stock including advising on and negotiating the form of rooftop lease, direct agreement, finance lease and associated finance documentation. Acting for a number of private landowners in relation to solar panel projects on their (usually agricultural land). Acting for a private landowner in relation to the negotiation of an option and lease for a large scale wind farm project in Wales.
Nicola Sutton
Nicola Sutton
  Nicola is a partner in our  commercial property  team and advises developers, housebuilders and  landowners in relation to a broad spectrum of residential development legal issues in the residential housebuilder market. Nicola also gives a considerable amount of her time to sitting on several external steering groups and forums that have been set up to assist and promote the SME housebuilder and she heads up a bespoke SME housebuilder offering we have in our commercial property team. In addition to her housebuilder work Nicola acts on behalf of landlords and tenants in the office and industrial market. In particular, Nicola has considerable experience in acting for tenants in respect of the life science laboratory and GMP facility markets. Nicola enjoys engaging with businesses in her local market and is always looking for ways in which to promote and support these businesses especially those in the SME housebuilder market. Nicola enjoys building long term business relationships so she can understand her clients and their business objectives and plans whether it is working with a large corporate team or an individual on a project she is accessible and easy to get along with.
Paul Davies
Paul leads the private capital team in the Manchester office of Clarke Willmott. He has been assisting wealthy individuals, trustees, and executors, with all manner of legal and tax issues for 20 years. Although he deals with all aspects of private client work, he has particular specialisms in estate planning, inheritance tax mitigation, and the use of onshore and offshore trusts, and other asset holding vehicles. He is regularly appointed as an independent professional executor and trustee by his clients.
Philip Whitcomb
Philip Whitcomb
Philip works in the firm’s wills, tax and trusts team and specialises in succession planning, asset protection, heritage law and tax advice for individuals, trusts and family businesses. His clients include owners of landed estates, farmers, high-net-worth individuals and their families. Philip uses his extensive knowledge and practical experience to advise clients on the issues arising in estate planning including the tax efficient ownership of agricultural, business and heritage property. He deals with all aspects of wills and farming partnerships — advice which requires a high level of technical know-how combined with commercial acumen. He also acts for trustees and beneficiaries on a range of trust issues including the scope of trustees’ powers and the interpretation of complex trust arrangements. Philip takes time to understand his client’s circumstances and their particular needs and wishes. His clients want pragmatic legal advice from someone who empathises with the issues and challenges they face.
Philippa Yeo
Philippa Yeo
Philippa is committed to helping couples navigate all aspects of the legal process on the breakdown of their relationship in a pragmatic, collaborative and family-focused way including supporting couples to reach arrangements for their children and achieve healthy future co-parenting relationships. Philippa has significant experience advising a wide range of clients on all aspects of family law. She specialises in resolving high net worth financial cases involving complex trust assets, farms and businesses as well as arrangements for children (including international relocation). Philippa joined Clarke Willmott in 2022 following just over six years at a boutique family law practice. Before that she spent five years at a leading London law firm at which she trained and qualified Philippa is a qualified family mediator and deals with all types of mediation including financial claims arising on divorce, disputes arising from cohabitation and children arrangements. She is available to conduct sole mediations and co-mediations in our offices in Taunton and Bristol, as well as virtually. Philippa is a qualified mediator and member of Resolution, the family lawyers’ association which aims to resolve Family Law matters through a constructive approach. How Philippa can help you Philippa offers a bespoke and personal service to support clients through the legal process to achieve their particular aims. Philippa is valued by her clients for her calm and supportive approach, and her willingness to do her utmost to achieve the best possible outcome. Philippa provides an excellent service to clients, taking their individual needs into account, frequently receiving referrals from current and former clients, as well as from other professionals as a result of her approach. Philippa regularly deals with: Divorce Financial provision on divorce, including after overseas divorce Cohabitation rights Applications for domestic and international relocation with children Separation agreements Disputes about the care or education of children Child residence and contact disputes Cases involving allegations of domestic violence and applications for non-molestation and occupation orders. Variation or set aside of existing financial orders Experience Advising parties in financial disputes. including complicated asset structures, multiple properties and inter-jurisdictional elements. Advising parents and wider family members in relation to child arrangement proceedings including cases where there are serious allegations of significant harm. Advising clients with complex assets including farms, business assets, trusts, carried interests and Restricted Stock Units/Share Options. Advising clients in conjunction with out of Court options such as mediation, arbitration and Private Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR) hearings.
Rich Eldridge
Rich is a partner at Clarke Willmott LLP.  Rich is an established banking & finance lawyer.  Rich can advise on a wide range of financings including for working capital, equity releases, acquisitions and developments.  Rich’s expertise includes negotiating facility agreements, security agreements and intercreditor agreements.  Rich can advise on documents based upon Loan Market Association templates as well as shorter documents.  Rich has appeared on Panorama.  He has been quoted in the printed press including The Telegraph, The Times and The Independent. 
Ruth Hartnell-Thorne
Ruth is a partner and has a wide range of experience of insolvency law in both areas of personal bankruptcy and corporate insolvency. In particular she has undertaken and assisted on a wide variety of work including possession and sale applications and asset recovery, challenging transactions at undervalue and preference payments, illegal dividend payments, private examinations of bankrupts and directors of insolvent companies, directors disqualification proceedings, annulment applications, wrongful trading and misfeasance proceedings.
Sam Harkness
Sam Harkness
Sam advises individuals, companies and local authorities with criminal and regulatory investigations and court proceedings, specialising in rural crime, road traffic matters and local authority prosecutions. Sam is a solicitor in the Commercial and Private Client Litigation team specialising in criminal and regulatory litigation, with a wider practice that incorporates civil litigation and agricultural property litigation. He is based in our Taunton office. Sam joined Clarke Willmott as a paralegal in August 2019 and began his training contract with the firm in March 2021, qualifying as a solicitor in November 2022. Sam advises private clients, agricultural clients, businesses and local authorities on a wide range of contentious matters. Since joining Clarke Willmott, Sam has developed a strong practice within the crime and regulatory team and has been individually recommended in the 2024 Legal 500 as “a very diligent, bright solicitor who has a bright future ahead of him”. Chambers and Partners also named Sam as an Associate to watch in their 2024 guide. How Sam can help you Criminal/regulatory matters Sam’s practice in this area includes advising and representing individuals, businesses, and local government bodies in a wide range of criminal and regulatory matters, including in the following areas: Environment Agency investigations and prosecutions; Animal welfare prosecutions; Traffic and motoring offences, including Public Inquiries by the Traffic Commissioner; Hunting Act issues; Trading Standard disputes; Planning law breaches and enforcement; Firearms licensing; Offences against the person. Sam can assist clients at all stages of the regulatory and criminal process and regularly assists clients during investigations, with interviews, and with preparation for Court proceedings. Sam also regularly represents clients in the Magistrates’ Court.