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Dean Wilson LLP’s reputation has been built upon our ability to deliver and exceed our clients’ expectations. For over 100 years our success has been founded upon our client focused approach, backed by the knowledge and expertise of our lawyers.

We make it our business to know yours

Having your needs and goals in mind

We aim to deliver outcomes and resolutions efficiently and cost effectively. So whether you need assistance with a business or personal matter we can provide a responsive service delivered to you with expertise and clarity.

Rachel Makore

Rachel Makore

Associate Solicitor, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Rachel Makore

Rachel Makore

Associate Solicitor, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Rachel is an Associate Solicitor in the Personal Injury & Medical Negligence team assisting Alex Brown, as well as running her own caseload. Rachel qualified as a solicitor in April 2016 and joined Dean Wilson LLP in January 2026 having previously worked at a highly reputable firm in Berkshire. 

Rachel is skilled at building good working relationships with clients. She can explain complex legal issues in straightforward language, ensuring that her advice is comprehensive and clear. She is passionate about providing a high-quality service and achieving positive outcomes for clients and was recognised in the Legal 500 (2025) for going the “extra mile” for her client.

 Expertise

  • Birth injury claims
  • Obstetric injury claims
  • Amputation claims
  • Cauda Equina claims
  • Sepsis claims
  • Cancer claims
  • Fatal Accidents Act

Qualifications, Membership & Directory Rankings

  • Solicitor - Admitted 2016 (LLB Hons)
  • Member of Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
  • Recognised in the Legal 500 (2025) for exceptional client care

Rachel can be contacted by email: RAM@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: 01273 249290

Clare Waller Dean Wilson

Clare Waller

Partner, Employment Law

Clare Waller Dean Wilson

Clare Waller

Partner, Employment Law

Strategic Employment Law Advice for Employers
Bespoke, solicitor-led solutions for ambitious businesses
 

Experience

Clare Waller is an experienced employment lawyer who acts primarily for employers, ranging from SMEs and owner-managed businesses to HR directors and business owners, across the South East and beyond. Clare’s approach is strategic, commercially focused, and tailored to the unique needs of each client.

Unlike mass HR providers, Clare delivers legally robust advice from a qualified solicitor who gets to know your business and your strategic priorities. Her solutions are designed to protect your business, your people, and your reputation, and stand up in court if challenged.
 

Expertise

  • Drafting and enforcing contracts of employment and restrictive covenants
  • Managing disciplinary and grievance processes
  • Advising on redundancy and restructuring, including collective consultation
  • Representing employers in Employment Tribunal and civil court proceedings
  • Delivering employment law training for managers and HR teams
  • Supporting mergers and acquisitions with employment law expertise
     

Recent Notable Cases

  • Successfully defended a multi-million pound discrimination claim for an employer and individual respondents
  • Defended a client against a race discrimination claim involving workplace images distributed via WhatsApp
  • Advising on complex redundancy consultation processes for growing businesses

Background

Clare read Law at the University of Reading, achieved distinction in the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, Guildford, and holds a Masters in Employment Law from the University of East Anglia. She qualified in 1999 and became a Partner at HRJ LLP in 2002, later joining Hewitsons LLP and then Dean Wilson LLP to head up its employment law team.
 

Why Choose Clare Waller?

  • Strategic, not generic - solutions tailored to your business and risk profile
  • Full legal protection - advice from a qualified solicitor, not a call centre
  • Proactive risk management - helping you prevent disputes before they escalate
  • Continuity of representation - consistent support throughout any dispute

Contact Clare

Book a free 30-minute Employer Risk Review
Email: CRW@deanwilson.co.uk
Direct dial: (01273) 249277

Scott Gair Dean Wilson

Scott Gair

Partner & Head of Commercial Real Estate

Scott Gair Dean Wilson

Scott Gair

Partner & Head of Commercial Real Estate

Areas of Specialism

Scott is a highly experienced solicitor and heads up the firm’s Commercial Real Estate team.  With over 20 years of experience in the legal sector, Scott has established a reputation for providing excellent service, achieving positive outcomes for his clients and prides himself on taking a detailed yet commercial and pragmatic approach to his work.

Scott specialises in a wide range of commercial real estate transactions and the bulk of his day-to-day work involves working with property investors and landlords with considerable portfolios and dealing with the ongoing legal work that this typically involves.  

Scott specialises in licensing too.  Scott used to teach the BIIAB Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH) at City College in Brighton and the Award for Licensing Practitioners (ALP) to Sussex Police and Sussex based Licensing Authorities.  This experience allows Scott to act for a number of clients with licensed premises, advising them on not only the commercial property aspects, but also the licensing elements too.  This places him in a unique position within the industry, specialising in both disciplines.

Scott is known for his dedication to his clients and his ability to provide clear and practical advice.  He takes the time to understand his clients’ needs and works closely with them to achieve their goals.

Recent Client Matters

  • Involved in a large corporate acquisition which included over 55 commercial properties;
  • Multiple eight figure portfolio refinances;
  • Acquisition of a retail portfolio for over £10m;
  • Refinance of commercial and residential portfolio worth over £5m

Qualifications, Membership 

  • Solicitor
  • LLB Hons
  • PTLLS

Scott can be contacted by email: sg@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249265. 

katiee griffiths dean wilson

Katiee Griffiths

Solicitor Apprentice, Dispute Resolution

katiee griffiths dean wilson

Katiee Griffiths

Solicitor Apprentice, Dispute Resolution

Areas of Specialism

Katiee is a Solicitor Apprentice in the Dispute Resolution team assisting on a variety of major and routine legal matters within the department. Katiee manages her own cases and prides herself on getting the best outcome for our clients. Katiee is experienced in rent mediation and section 21 and section 8 claims. 

Katiee also leads the Welsh matters within the team giving her experience in both English and Welsh claims.

Recent Client Matters

  • Supporting landlords who have not received rent payments from tenants for an extensive period of time. Drafting notices and proceedings to obtain rent arrears, possession orders and costs in the case.
  • Advocating for a client who wishes to obtain their property back from a tenant who refuses to move out after the fixed term has ended.
  • Working closely with a wide range of letting agents to assist landlords and tenants with property disputes.
  • Drafting letters before action and filing claim forms to help clients get the best outcomes.

Qualifications, Membership 

  • Bachelor of Law (LLB Hons)
  • LLM Master of Law Degree
  • Currently undergoing her LPC (Legal Practice Course)

Katiee can be contacted by email: KEG@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: (0) 1273 032310. 

Siobhan Cox

Siobhan Cox

Partner & Head of Department, Property Department 

Siobhan Cox

Siobhan Cox

Partner & Head of Department, Property Department 

Areas of Specialism

Siobhan is the Head of the Residential Property Department. 

Siobhan has worked for Dean Wilson LLP for over 20 years and specialises in both Residential and Commercial property transactions. 

Siobhan has a vast amount of clients worldwide and has an excellent reputation with estate agents, mortgage brokers, surveyors and the like.

Recent Client Matters

  • Sale of London Residence worth in excess of £5m,
  • Refinance of commercial and residential portfolio worth in excess of £20m
  • Purchase of block of residential units worth in excess of £50m

Qualifications, Membership 

  • Solicitor
  • LLB Hons

Siobhan can be contacted by email: sac@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249205. 

Siobhan is assisted by Fatima Hussain, Paralegal within the Property Department. Fatima’s contact details are: Email: fyh@deanwilson.co.uk Direct Dial: 01273 249209. 

Lyubov

Lyubov Nikolchova

Solicitor, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Lyubov

Lyubov Nikolchova

Solicitor, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Areas of Specialism

Lyubov is a Solicitor in the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence team. She qualified as a Solicitor in May 2024, having previously spent nearly 3 years working on complex injury cases, including spinal cord injury, brain injury, and birth injury. 

Recent Client Matters

Lyubov is working with Alex Brown on a number of birth injury cases where the mothers suffer from PTSD due to a negligent medical care during delivery. She also runs a mixed caseload of claims as a result of road traffic accidents, accidents-at-work, and medical negligence. 

Qualifications, Membership

  • Solicitor
  • BA (Hons)
  • Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction)
  • Legal Practice Course (Distinction)
  • Major Trauma Signposting Partnership (Brighton)

Lyubov can be contacted by email: LSN@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: (0) 1273 249257. 

Neel U

Neel Ummat

Partner & Head of Corporate Department

Neel U

Neel Ummat

Partner & Head of Corporate Department

Areas of Specialism

Neel has diverse transactional experience advising clients on share and asset acquisitions and disposals, secured and unsecured lending, joint ventures, shareholders’ agreements and company restructuring. He also advises on a wide range of commercial contracts for the supply of goods and services for well-established local and national clients covering music, arts and culture, close protection security, education and training, recruitment, travel and so forth. 

Neel has a strong focus on client care and a commercially focused approach, which has led to him establishing a reputation for always completing matters on time and within budget. Neel dedicates himself to providing clients a personal service and creating long-standing relationships to help businesses continue to succeed during their life cycles. 

Recent Client Matters

  • Neel regularly assists one of the largest property agents in the UK to acquire letting and block management agents across the country.
  • Neel acted for a property developer in raising circa £40 million for a new property development in Hove.

Qualifications, Membership 

  • Solicitor

  • LLB Hons

Neel can be contacted by email: nku@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249 224. 

CW

Clayton Weir

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution 

CW

Clayton Weir

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution 

Areas of Specialism

Clayton is a Paralegal in the Dispute Resolution team, specialising in residential property repossession under Section 8 and Section 21. Clayton helps landlords navigate the legal process with clear advice and practical support, making complex procedures feel more manageable. 

Qualifications

  • University of Leeds (LLB Hons)
Karl

Karl Willmott-Post

Partner & Head of Department, Residential Property Department 

Karl

Karl Willmott-Post

Partner & Head of Department, Residential Property Department 

Areas of Specialism

Karl is the Head of Department of the Residential Property Department and manages the fee earners within the team as well as the paralegals/support staff. 

Karl has worked for Dean Wilson LLP for over 13 years and specialises in all aspects of Residential property transactions. 

Karl has an excellent reputation with estate agents, mortgage brokers, surveyors and the like and is sought after by property developers and local estate agents.  

Karl’s specialist areas are newbuild sales and purchases with or without help to buy involvement, although Karl does deal with residential and buy to let sales, purchases and re-mortgages on a day to day basis and has a wealth of knowledge in this respect. 

Qualifications, Membership 

  • LLB Hons

Karl can be contacted by email: ksp@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249248. 

Melissa

Melissa Frankling

HR Officer

Melissa

Melissa Frankling

HR Officer

Areas of Specialism

Melissa is a dedicated HR Officer with a passion for fostering a positive and supportive work environment. Melissa has a strong background in Law, having joined the firm as a Paralegal in Dispute Resolution before transitioning into human resources. 

Melissa oversees the general day-to-day employee relations, arranges training for the firm and manages the recruitment and onboarding process while ensuring a seamless employee experience. 

Melissa brings Percy, her adorable Golden Retriever pup, into the office. One of the firm's benefits is having a dog-friendly office. 

Qualifications

Melissa has completed her Level 3 CIPD and is currently undergoing Level 5. 

Melissa can be contacted by email mjf@deanwilson.co.uk, or on her direct dial, 01273 032329.

Vivien

Vivien Schveighardt

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution 

Vivien

Vivien Schveighardt

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution 

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) 
Lucas Adams

Lucas Adams

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution

Lucas Adams

Lucas Adams

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution

Lucas is a Paralegal in the Dispute Resolution Department, supporting the team on a wide range of property litigation matters. His work primarily centres on Service Charge disputes, including advising on and assisting with Lease forfeiture claims brought under Sections 146 and 147 of the Law of Property Act 1925. 

QUALIFICATIONS

1st class LLB from the University of Sussex

CONTACT DETAILS 

Lucas can be contacted by email: LWA@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249273.

sinead dye dean wilson

Sinead Dye

Senior Associate Solicitor, Commercial Property & Real Estate Department

sinead dye dean wilson

Sinead Dye

Senior Associate Solicitor, Commercial Property & Real Estate Department

Areas of Specialism

Sinead is an associate solicitor with over 5 years of experience in the Real Estate team. Sinead has experience in all aspects of commercial property with a focus on land development and the strategic land sector.

Sinead acts for both regional developers and landowners on a wide range of transactions including major land acquisition, land promotion, residential new build estate set ups and plot sales. Sinead’s wide scope of work has given her the experience and expertise to provide a comprehensive service and advise longstanding clients on multiple transactions to assist their ongoing business needs.

Sinead is proactive in her approach and works closely with her clients to achieve their goals in a timely manner.

Sinead works closely with the team which comprises David Hodge (Partner), Amy Edwards (Solicitor), Isabelle Svendsen (Paralegal), 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

  • Dealt with the estate set up for a residential development of 93 new dwellings;
  • Acting on a site acquisition for £7m;
  • Involved in an ongoing refinance of a commercial portfolio worth over £32m.

Qualifications, Membership 

  • Solicitor
  • LLB Hons
     

Sinead can be contacted by email: sjd@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249270.

David’s email is dh@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249 249.

Amy’s email is ae@deanwilson.co.uk and her direct dial is  01273 249 268.

Isabelle’s email is ixs@deanwilson.co.uk and her direct dial is 01273 249259.

Bev’s email is bm@deanwilson.co.uk and her direct dial is 01273 249 242.

samantha brace dean wilson

Samantha Brace

Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

samantha brace dean wilson

Samantha Brace

Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

Samantha has recently qualified as a solicitor in June 2025 within the Dispute Resolution Department. Samantha works closely with Claire Whiteman on Property Litigation, Enfranchisement and General Litigation cases. 

During Samantha's training contract, she undertook the following seats: 

  • First seat was in our Personal Injury & Medical Negligence team, assisting Alex Brown, head of the Personal Injury department with claims in relation to severe and life changing injuries resulting in Brain Injury, Birth Injury, Severe Orthopaedic Injuries and Spinal Cord Injury. 

  • Second seat was in the Private Client department undertaking a range of work including Wills, Probates and Trust work under the supervision of Julian Potter.

  • Third and final seat was in the Dispute Resolution Department working on Property Litigation, Enfranchisement and General Litigation cases.

Samantha previously worked as a Paralegal in the Dispute Resolution team running her own possession claims assisting landlords recover their residential property along with any rent arrears owed and a successful Judgment for their legal costs. 

Samantha worked closely with a well-known local managing agents to help clients achieve the best possible outcome. She also assisted senior members in the team with more general litigation matters. 

Qualifications

  • Solicitor
  • 1st Class LLB Law (Hons)
  • LPC LLM with Distinction in Professional Legal Practice

Samantha can be contacted by email: slb@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249298. 

Nikki Rudland

Nikki Rudland

Senior Paralegal, Private Client

Nikki Rudland

Nikki Rudland

Senior Paralegal, Private Client

Areas of Specialism

Nikki has been with Dean Wilson for over 10 years working across various departments and most recently in Private Client specialising in wills, probate, estate administration, and lasting powers of attorney. 

Prior to joining Dean Wilson, Nikki has experience working with another local law firm, the Brighton & Hove City Council and the Victim Support Unit and HR departments of Sussex Police.

Nikki has a wealth of knowledge and over the years has built strong client relationships and developed a deep understanding of sensitive, high-value matters. Nikki supports  solicitors and clients with particular emphasis on providing one-to-one assistance with regards to assisting clients in relation to Probate/Estate Administration, Wills and LPAs.

Nikki can be contacted by email nr@deanwilson.co.uk; or on her direct dial:  01273 249216 

Ethan

Ethan Barlow

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution 

Ethan

Ethan Barlow

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution 

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

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