With offices across Devon, Wollens‘ ’professional and personable’ practice is particularly prominent in advising hospitality, leisure, and charity sector clients. Leading the team out of Torquay is Ashley Bevans, who is ‘very knowledgeable on any subject matter and will always consider the best solution for the client’. In the same office, Dominic Hollingsworth and Simon Wilson cover all aspects of commercial property work, with the latter also advising on tenancies involving agricultural and equine land and business transactions. In Exeter, Emma Reed has experience encompassing business sales, shareholder agreements, and joint ventures; she is also noted for her growing workload in the energy and renewables spaces.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Commercial and accurate - very easy to contact and gain the necessary advice in an industry that requires swift advice.'
  • 'The whole team came across professional and personable. They were all responsive with every enquiry.'
  • 'From the initial meeting the professionalism we received from the team was first class, and the communication was always prompt.'
  • 'Ashley Bevans was very professional and an excellent communicator, he was very skilled and knowledgeable in the legality of buying a business and was extremely proactive in ensuring all our interests were taken care off.'
  • 'We've recently worked closely with Emma Reed and her team, specifically Hayley Green, on several different deals. We found Emma to be very approachable, and diligent. We really valued Emma and Hayley talking a straightforward non-legal language, enabling us to understand the documents and make the decisions we actually wanted.'
  • 'Cheryl Bolt was very friendly and made the whole process a breeze. She showed a real interest in my company and the reasons I was taking on commercial property too which really made me feel at ease and was very encouraging throughout the process. The people really make this practice unique.'
  • 'Ashley Bevans is what I call a real solicitor - he is like a family friend despite the fact that I have only known him for a short time.'
  • 'Cheryl Bolt is always willing to help with a smile on her face. You know you can rely on her to forge an excellent relationship with her clients. Always happy to help, knowledgeable, professional and reliable.'

Key clients

  • Kents Cavern Ltd
  • Stoke Lodge Hotel
  • Emblem International Ltd
  • Headland Services Limited
  • ABC Siddalls
  • Bakers the Butchers

Work highlights

  • Advising the shareholders of Kents Cavern Limited in connection with the £2.4m sale of the entire company shareholding, including the UNESCO designated Kents Cavern caves site as part of the company assets.
  • Assisting the Stoke Lodge Partnership in connection with the £2m asset sale of the Stoke Lodge Hotel.
  • Advising the sellers on the £2.5m sale of the freehold holiday lettings business The Cottages at Blackadon Farm.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Ashley Bevans

Other key lawyers

Emma Reed, Dominic Hollingsworth, Simon Wilson, Cheryl Bolt, Hayley Green