Who We Are

Areas of Specialism

Duncan advises clients on a range of contentious issues relating to property including:

• Lease renewals
• Dilapidations
• Restrictive covenants
• Easements
• Boundary disputes
• Forfeiture
• Debt recovery
• Adverse possession
• Break rights
• Breaches of contract/lease terms
• Possession claims (both commercial and residential)
• Disputed mortgages and secured loans
• Trusts in land
• Tenants in administration/liquidation

Duncan’s other main area of practice is litigation arising out corporate insolvency and bankruptcy and in particular, transactions at undervalue, preferences, director conduct and trustee possession claims. 

Duncan has extensive experience of broader commercial issues including contractual disputes, debt recovery and professional negligence. 

Recent Client Matters

• Acting for a landlord in a successful application to the Land Tribunal for a declaration of breach of lease owing to the tenant (a housing authority) placing residents in their properties who abused drugs.
• Acting for a property owner who acquired a large commercial premises subject to an unregistered 999-year lease; brought a successful claim under s.29(1) of the Land Registration Act 2002 for a declaration that the client purchased free of the lease and thereafter recovered possession.  
• Bringing a successful action for forfeiture of a long residential lease owing to the tenant making unauthorised structural alterations.
• Defending a client against a high-street mortgage provider taking sale and possession proceedings; no possession was ordered and the claim was settled.
• Acting for the liquidator of a well-known company bringing a successful claim against a director for breach of fiduciary duties.
• Acting for a defendant company in its successful defence against a multi-million pound claim relating to unpaid commission for investment introductions.
• Bringing possession proceedings (and successfully defending an appeal) against a tenant who used the client’s property for holiday lettings.

Feedback

“Duncan Wilks goes the extra mile. He takes the pressure from your shoulders and happily puts it on his.  He is excellent in his field.”

Legal 500, 2024

“Duncan took over a difficult and complex dispute for me.  He cut through the background noise, identified the real issues and formed a strategy.  He took control and found a solution which resulted in a favourable outcome.” 

Duncan can be contacted by email: drw@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249236.

Dimitris graduated from Sussex University, having studied Law with Mandarin. During his studies, he partook in various projects with international students based in China.

In his role as a paralegal in the Residential Conveyancing team, he assists fee-earners and Solicitors with sales, purchases, re-mortgages and transfers of equity, from the start of the transaction through to completion. He also assists on some transactions of a Commercial nature.

Dimitris is fluent in both English and Spanish, with some proficiency in Mandarin and Greek, enabling him to communicate effectively with a diverse range of clients. He hopes to sit the SQE1 in 2026.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws with Mandarin (LLB) from the University of Sussex - 2024

Dimitris can be contacted by email: DFR@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032370

Areas of Specialism

Beth is an executive in the Court of Protection team, having built upon her background in Mental Health Law with a further five years’ experience in Court of Protection matters. Beth applies her meticulous and empathetic approach to:

• Lay Deputyships for Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare matters
• The management of client’s property and assets
• Complex Budgets
• Collaborative support to Litigation Solicitors

Recent Client Matters

• Beth provided collaborative support and information sharing to litigation solicitors to evidence the expenditure and losses experienced by a young client for his multi-million pound settlement.
• Beth has offered expert guidance to parents who wished to be lay deputies for their child. Beth drafted complex applications for both Health & Welfare and Property & Financial Affairs and secured the required Court Orders to allow the parents to best support their child
• Beth works alongside the Trustees for a young woman following a multi-million-pound settlement. Beth has aided the purchase of a ‘forever home’ through the Personal Injury Trust and is facilitating the adaption alongside specialist architects. 

Qualifications, Membership 

• Member of the Professional Deputyship Forum
• Dementia Friend

Beth can be contacted by email: BL@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: (0) 1273 249235. 

Areas of Specialism

Ethan is a recent law graduate and a paralegal in the Dispute Resolution team: He specialises in Landlord and Tenant Possession claims, including but not limited to Section 8 & Section 21 proceedings of the Housing Act 1988. Ethan is currently managing his own caseload of Possession Claims. 

Qualification

• Second Class Honours LLB Degree from the University of Sussex

Ethan can be contacted by email: EJB@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249245

Vivien is a dedicated Paralegal in our Dispute Resolution Department, specialising in possession proceedings. She assists with rent mediation, as well as Section 21, Section 8, and Section 146 claims. Committed to delivering outstanding support, Vivien ensures her clients receive expert guidance throughout the legal process.

Vivien has just over a year of Legal Assistant experience supporting with drafting and legal research in Canada, prior to joining us at Dean Wilson. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the University of Sussex in 2023
• Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University (Canada) 

Areas of Specialism

Matilda recently graduated from Durham University and has now started her legal career at the firm, working as a paralegal within Dispute Resolution. 

Matilda currently specialises in residential possession claims, managing her own caseload to assist landlords in gaining possession orders and cost awards. Her work also includes issuing Section 8 and Section 21 notices and proceedings under the Housing Act 1988.

Recent Client Matters

• Acting for a landlord to obtain possession of a property that was misused by the tenant for criminal activity and drug use, including various other breaches of the tenancy such as suspected subletting and abandonment.

Qualifications 

• First Class Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography, Durham University
• Was awarded Durham University’s Janet Townsend Award in 2025. This award is given to the student who undertook the most notable decolonial research across the cohort, recognising Matilda’s contributions to decolonial research within her dissertation as ‘outstanding’. 

Areas of Specialism

I am a Solicitor specialising in personal injury and medical negligence claims. I qualified as a Solicitor in March 2022, having previously spent 4 years working with the team assisting on high value catastrophic injury cases involving brain and spinal cord injury.

I only act for the injured party (Claimants). My specialism is working with people who suffer serious injuries, which may have been caused by:

• Road traffic accidents including Cars, Bicycles and Pedestrians
• Accidents at work
• Accidents on public property/highways
• Medical Negligence/Injury

Recent Client Matters

I have previously reached settlement for my clients who have suffered a range of injuries including fractures, soft tissue injuries and PTSD. Following an accident, a client’s day to day life is affected. My role is to secure compensation for client’s whose ability to work and earn has been impacted and to help them meet future treatment needs on a private basis to assist their recovery.

I am currently assisting my colleague, Ben Davey, with the David Fuller inquiry and compensation scheme, and we act for many the affected family members.

• Personal Injury
• Medical Negligence
• Inquests

Qualifications, Membership 

• Solicitor (LLB Hons)
• Member of Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
• Major Trauma Signposting Partnership (Brighton)

Jessica can be contacted by email: JVE@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: (0) 1273 249292. 

Areas of Specialism

Natasha is a Solicitor Apprentice in the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence team, and assists Ben Davey and Jessica Edwards with a variety of cases involving:

• Severe orthopaedic injury
• Brain injury
• Amputation
• Inquests
• Psychiatric injury

Recent Client Matters

• Natasha is assisting in the Article 8 (private & family life) group action claim for more than 120 family members of David Fuller’s mortuary victims.
• Natasha has recently assisted on the settlement of a case involving a pedestrian who was struck by a car resulting in orthopaedic, dental and brain injuries. 

Qualifications, Membership

• LLB (Hons)
• LLM Law – International Human Rights Law
• Currently studying towards the SQE (Solicitor Qualifying Exam)

Natasha can be contacted by email: NJG@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: (0) 1273 032328. 

Areas of Specialism

Amy joined the Commercial Development team in 2023, after successfully completing her training contract with Dean Wilson LLP. Amy studied the LPC after completing the GDL with the University of Law part-time whilst working at Dean Wilson LLP as a paralegal.

Amy has experience in dealing with a variety of commercial and residential property transactions, including acquisitions and sales of freehold and leasehold land for both Landlords and Tenants, refinances and re-mortgages for commercial and residential properties and dealing with development site set-up requirements. 

Amy works closely with the team which comprises David Hodge (Partner) Sinead Dye (Associate Solicitor), Isabelle Svendsen (Paralegal), Samanda Mazreku (Legal Assistant) and Beverley McLoughlin (Assistant). The team always look for solutions and take a flexible and pragmatic approach – the team are proactive, not reactive and the culture is “how” can we make this deal happen when obstacles are presented. The Team are experienced in acquiring land (often site assembling) and taking the development through to the sale of individual units and we deal with developments comprising single units to in excess of 150 units.  The team are also experienced in land trades and are not fazed in dealing with sites with a GDV in excess of £100m.

Recent Client Matters

• Involved in the ongoing plot sales at a large residential development site;
• Completion of a simultaneous headlease surrender and the grant of five sub-leases in a large commercial unit; and
• Involved in an ongoing refinance of a commercial portfolio worth over £32m.

Qualifications, Membership 

• Solicitor
• BA
• MA

Amy can be contacted by email: ae@deanwilson.co.uk and her direct dial is  01273 249 268.

Will is an Apprentice Solicitor in our Commercial Property department, having previously been a Paralegal within the department. Will is assisting with all manner of property transactions including acquisitions, disposals, lettings, assignments, refinancing and development work.

Previously, Will spent over a year in our Dispute Resolution Department specialising in Landlord possession claims.  Will was managing up to 60 claims at one time and had a 100% success rate.  Will brings this experience, attention to detail and commercial awareness to the Commercial Real Estate team.

Will enjoys learning new skills, understanding different areas of the law and working within a collaborative team which is highly focused on delivering a top-class service and aiding their client’s to reaching their goal.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Law with Criminology (LLB Hons) from Oxford Brookes University

William can be contacted by email: wgs@deanwilson.co.uk or on direct dial: 01273 032354

Areas of Specialism

Poppy is a Solicitor Apprentice within the family department. Before embarking on the Solicitor Apprentice journey Poppy has paralegal experience within both the Court of Protection and Commercial Property Departments.

Poppy has experience with the following: 

• Deputyships for Property & Financial Affairs
• Liaison with the Court of Protection
• Providing collaborative support to Litigation Solicitors
• The management of client’s property and assets 

Recent Client Matters

• Poppy works alongside the deputy for an elderly gentleman with Dementia. Poppy has arranged for his property to be maintained, equipment to be installed, and for social activities to be re-introduced into his life.
• Poppy works collaboratively with litigation solicitors, architects, surveyors, and the client’s parents to purchase and renovate a ‘forever home’ which was adapted for the young client to meet his complex needs both now and long into his future.
• Poppy provided collaborative support and information sharing to litigation solicitors to evidence the expenditure and losses experienced by a client for his multi-million-pound settlement.

Qualifications, Membership 

• Member of the Professional Deputies Forum
• Dementia Friend 

Poppy can be contacted by email: PS@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: 01273 249225. 

Areas of Specialism

Georgia is a Senior Paralegal in the Court of Protection team. Georgia has been overseeing the administration in the team for four years and provides caring, comprehensive support to clients including:

• The management of client’s property and assets
• Liaison with the Court of Protection
• Liaison with Cost Draftsman and SCCO
• Administrative support to whole team

Recent Client Matters

• Georgia has facilitated the support of a client with complex substance abuse issues. Georgia has provided consistent, reassuring support to the client and has overseen the input of a new multi-disciplinary team purpose built to support the client in their recovery.
• Georgia works alongside the deputy for an elderly gentleman with Dementia. Georgia has arranged for his property to be maintained, equipment to be installed, and for social activities to be re-introduced into his life.
• Georgia has provided thorough support for a vulnerable adult who is transitioning from a Care facility into private accommodation. Georgia has worked with the professionals involved to ensure that the private accommodation is prepared and suitable for the move. 

Qualifications, Membership 

• Member of the Professional Deputyship Forum
• Dementia Friend

Georgia can be contacted by email: gk@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: (0) 1273 032316. 

Areas of Specialism

Erin assists our Corporate Commercial team in a wide range of corporate transactions including share and asset acquisitions and disposals, as well as shareholders’ agreements and company restructuring. Erin's main responsibilities include drafting legal ancillary documents, legal due diligence reports and carrying out research.  

Erin graduated from the University of Sussex in 2022 with a first class LLB. Erin aspires to qualify as a solicitor via the SQE route, solidifying her dedication to professional growth and contributing to the legal field with her expertise.  

Recent Client Matters

• Regularly assists one of the largest property agents in the UK to acquire letting and block management agents across the country.
• Assisting buyers in purchasing a hospitality business in Brighton;
• Assisting sellers and buyers of estate agency businesses; 

Qualifications, Membership 

• LLB Hons

Erin can be contacted by email: egb@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249227.  

Areas of Specialism

Becca supports Alex Brown and the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence Team in cases involving severe and life changing injuries to claimants who have suffered personal injuries, criminal injuries & medical negligence resulting in:

• Brain Injury
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Birth Injury
• Amputations
• Severe Orthopaedic Injuries

Recent Client Matters

• Becca assisted Alex Brown to secure a six-figure sum for a client who suffered a severe leg injury in a road traffic accident.  On taking the case over from another firm of solicitors, it became clear there were evidential issues, including urgent and complex disclosure, which were swiftly dealt with to enable the claim to progress to a successful resolution.
• Becca supported Alex who acted for an amputee injured in a motorcycle accident.  Compensation of approximately £2,000,000 was achieved.
• With a personal interest in neurodivergence, Becca has supported the Team in several brain injury cases, including for clients with birth injuries.  One recent case included recovering sums to fund physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychiatry, psychology, pain management, vestibular therapy, speech and language therapy, hydrotherapy, assistive technology, care and case management, amongst other heads of damage.  Some of the cases Becca has worked on involve anonymity orders to protect the identity of vulnerable clients, which is why these cases are not publicised on our website.
• In numerous cases, Becca has supported Alex and the team utilising her extensive experience of disclosure and Schedules of Special Damage.

Qualifications, Membership 

• BA (Hons)

Melissa has over 10 years of experience helping clients complete matters efficiently and effectively. 

Melissa acts on a wide range of commercial transactions including;

• Acquisitions and disposals of commercial property (both freehold and leasehold and whether registered or unregistered);
• Commercial landlord and tenant work (acting for both landlords and tenants);
• Secured lending (acting for both lenders and borrowers); and
• Asset sales and purchases.

Melissa works with a range of clients and is known for her proactive approach to transactions.  Clients value her straight-talking advice, responsiveness and focus on commercial outcomes.

Qualifications

• Solicitor (LLB Hons)

Melissa can be contacted by email: mrr@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032375

Areas of Specialism

Claire’s expertise is in property related disputes, landlord and tenant matters, and enfranchisement matters.

Claire’s clients include commercial and private landlords, property agents, tenants’ associations, trusts and other commercial entities in the leisure and retail sector nationwide. Her work is derived almost entirely from recommendations.

She is recommended in Chambers & Partner.  Claire has a good eye for those all-important details, undertakes advocacy and has a practical working relationship with other professionals. Her strong belief in looking after her clients' best interests is her motivating force.

Qualifications, Membership 

• Solicitor
• Member of the Property Litigation Association
• Member of ALEP
• Chambers & Partner recommended solicitor 2024 (ranked for 9 years) 

Claire can be contacted by email: CLW@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: (0) 1273 249229.