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 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.
Senior Associate Solicitor, Residential Property Department
James joined Dean Wilson LLP in February 2022, having worked in the Eastbourne area for approximately 10 years prior. James specialises in all aspects of Residential property transactions.
James’ specialist areas are newbuild sales and purchases with or without help to buy involvement, as well as residential and buy to let sales, purchases, re-mortgages and transfers of equity’s.
James also provides Independent Legal Advice on Guarantees and Indemnities, where required.
James can be contacted by email: jf@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 032341
James is assisted by Charlotte Hazeldine, Paralegal within the Property Department. Charlotte’s contact details are: Email: cbh@deanwilson.co.uk Direct Dial: 01273 032330.
Partner, Employment Law
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.
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.
Book a free 30-minute Employer Risk Review
Email: CRW@deanwilson.co.uk
Direct dial: (01273) 249277
Paralegal, Commercial Property
Sara is a Paralegal in the Commercial Property Department. Sara assists Scott Gair in a wide range of Commercial Property matters such as handling the initial onboarding for clients, undertaking legal research and preparing and negotiating legal documents.
Sara went to the University of Brighton from 2014 to 2017 doing Accounting & Finance. In 2023 Sara completed her Master of Laws (LLM) achieving a 2:2.
Following on from Sara's LLM she started studying for her Solicitors Qualifying Exam's and has completed (SQE1) and is preparing to undertake her Solicitors (SQE2) to qualify as a Solicitor.
Sara can be contacted by email smh@deanwilson.co.uk or on direct dial 01273 032317
Associate Solicitor, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence
Areas of Specialism
Jessica Edwards is a Solicitor specialising in personal injury and medical negligence claims. She qualified as a Solicitor in March 2022, having previously spent four years working closely with the team on high‑value catastrophic injury matters, including complex brain and spinal cord injury claims.
Jessica regularly assists Ben Davey on catastrophic injury case. Alongside this, she manages her own caseload across a broad range of personal injury and medical negligence claims.
Acting exclusively for injured people, Jessica has experience supporting clients who have sustained serious, life‑changing injuries following:
She understands that, following an accident, a client’s day‑to‑day life can be profoundly affected. Her role is not only to pursue compensation, but to provide practical support at an early stage, including securing interim payments to relieve immediate financial pressure and to fund private treatment, rehabilitation and care where needed. At the same time, Jessica keeps a clear focus on the long‑term position, working to recover damages for loss of earnings and future earning capacity, and to ensure clients have the resources required to support their recovery and long‑term independence wherever possible.
Jessica is committed to providing clear, practical advice and ensuring that clients feel supported, informed and confident throughout the claims process.
Recent Client Matters
Jessica has successfully settled claims for clients who have suffered a wide range of serious injuries, including multiple fractures and musculoskeletal injuries, spinal injuries, amputations and traumatic brain injuries.
Personal Injury
Medical Negligence
Inquests
Feedback
‘Thank you for allowing us to represent our father and mother and showing us how it can be done with respect and dignity even when we know what was happening behind the scenes was quite different.
You have all given dad the best chance to figure out what his future looks like and how to enjoy it without fear.’
‘The service we received from both Ben Davey and Jessica Edwards was exemplary. We cannot fault their professionalism and they kept us fully informed throughout the entire process in their dealing with what was an extremely complicated and lengthy case. Ben and Jessica constantly protected us from the stress and intimidation by the defendants over the course of the proceedings to ensure we felt safe and informed and their expertise, efficiency and attention to detail led to a positive outcome, one better than we could have ever hoped for.’
Memberships
Contact
Jessica can be contacted by email at JVE@deanwilson.co.uk or by telephone on 01273 249292.
Associate Solicitor, Dispute Resolution
Lily is a Solicitor in the firm’s Dispute Resolution department, specialising in Landlord and Tenant matters. She assists with leasehold disputes, lease extensions (both statutory and informal), freehold acquisitions (both collective enfranchisement and first right of refusal claims), right to manage claims, licences for alterations and deeds of variation.
Dean Wilson is a member of the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (“ALEP”). ALEP promotes best practice by vetting organisations to ensure a consistently high level of service so that leaseholders and freeholders can contact ALEP members with confidence.
Lily can be contacted by email: LSH@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032326
Lily is assisted by Molly Hamilton, Senior Paralegal within the Dispute Resolution department. Molly's contact details are - email: MOH@deanwilson.co.uk and direct dial: 01273 249264.
Senior Associate Solicitor, Commercial Property
Victoria is an experienced solicitor specialising in Commercial Property and, prior to Dean Wilson, Victoria worked in the City.
Victoria has broad experience with acquisitions and disposals of commercial and mixed-use premises, acquisition and granting of commercial leases, asset management matters and secured lending/refinancing.
Victoria provides clear and commercially focussed advice tailored to each client and their needs.
Victoria can be contacted by email: VLS@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: (0) 1273 249204.
Paralegal, Residential Conveyancing
Laily graduated from Sussex University in 2024 after completing her Law with a business and management degree. While at university, Laily took part in the legal clinic providing legal advice and guidance to clients on immigration matters.
In Laily's role as a paralegal in Residential Conveyancing, she assists fee-earners and Solicitors with all aspects of a sale, purchase, re-mortgage, transfer of equity and general administrative duties.
Laily's future plans are to take the SQE 1 & 2 LLM to become a solicitor. In Laily's spare time, she enjoys travelling and taking long walks.
Laily can be contacted by email: LT@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032364
Trainee Solicitor, Dispute Resolution
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.
Erin can be contacted by email: egb@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249227.
Partner & Head of Family Department
Julian is a highly experienced family practitioner who heads up the Family Department. Julian is a trained Collaborative lawyer and Mediator. Julian is Top Ranked in the Chambers Legal Directory with testimonials including “a really good lawyer, experienced, calm and can fight his client’s corner with flair and creativity without making the dispute intractable.”
Julian’s focus is on resolving, not creating conflict, encouraging negotiation, and finding solutions. Julian is adept at bringing a calm, focused and if necessary, robust approach to contentious and complex financial situations. Julian will bring empathy and solutions to child related matters. Julian will strive to find the approach which will best benefit the individual and to prepare them for life after separation.
Julian’s specialties :
advising on high net worth and complex separations, involving businesses, Trusts, and pension issues
dealing with cases using the Collaborative model
resolving childcare disputes
advising on pre and post nuptial agreements
advising on cohabitation disputes
Chambers ranked No 1 in Family/Matrimonial - “extremely experienced, sensible and really resolution-focused.” ‘Julian is one of the toughest negotiators but one of the most charming men you will ever meet.’
Legal 500 Ranked – “an experienced practitioner who is well known and respected by opponents and the judiciary.” “straight talking, trustworthy and well respected locally.”
Julian can be contacted by email: JBH@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: (0) 1273 249223.
Senior Paralegal, Dispute Resolution
Molly is a Senior Paralegal in the Dispute Resolution team, and specialise in Landlord and Tenant matters. Molly assists with lease extensions (both statutory and informal), freehold acquisitions, deeds of variations and a variety of Landlord and Tenant issues.
Molly has over 5 years’ experience working in the legal industry, having previously worked in a local firm, which included working in Residential Property.
History BA (Hons) 2:2
Postgraduate LLM Merit
Molly can be contacted by email: moh@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249264
Senior Paralegal, Commercial Development Team
Beth has worked for Dean Wilson LLP for over 8 years and assists with plot sales, often off-plan.
Beth works closely with the team which comprises David Hodge (Partner) Sinead Dye (Associate Solicitor), Amy Edwards (Solicitor), Isabelle Svensden (Paralegal) and Beverley McLoughlin (Assistant). The team always look for solutions and takes 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.
Beth can be contacted by email: bxa@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249263
Senior Legal Assistant, Dispute Resolution
Helen is a Senior Legal Assistant in the Dispute Resolution team, specialising in Landlord and Tenant matters. She assists with a wide range of work including statutory and informal lease extensions, freehold acquisitions, deeds of variation, licences to assign, deeds of covenant, and notices of transfer.
Helen has over 15 years’ experience in property law, having previously worked at a Sussex-based firm, where her experience also included Residential Property matters.
Helen, has an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Exeter – BA (Hons) 2:1.
Helen can be contacted by email: hsp@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249299.
Paralegal, Court of Protection
Katie is a Paralegal in our Court of Protection Team with a focus on supporting clients with acquired brain injury to manage their finances. Assisting client's with anything from paying a dog-walker to buying a house, arranging insurance to applying for benefits. Since joining the team in 2023, Katie has become a reassuring and trusted presence for clients and their wider team, offering consistent support and confidence in all matters.
Katie has experience with the following:
Partner & Head of Department, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence
Alex Brown is a Partner and Head of the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence Department at Dean Wilson LLP, specialising in high-value catastrophic personal injury claims and medical negligence claims.
With 15 years’ experience, Alex represents individuals who have sustained life-changing injuries, including brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), amputation and complex orthopaedic injuries. He also has significant experience in birth injury claims, delayed diagnosis claims, serious road traffic accident claims, workplace accidents and occupiers’ liability claims.
Alex’s work focuses on helping clients manage the practical consequences of serious injury, not just the legal process. From the outset, he works to secure early rehabilitation, interim payments, care funding, specialist accommodation and assistive equipment, while developing a legal strategy designed to achieve the best possible long-term outcome.
As Head of Department, Alex leads a growing team with a focus on delivering high-quality, high-value work and a joined-up approach between legal strategy and rehabilitation. He places particular emphasis on building the right team around each client, including medical experts, barristers and case managers, to ensure the claim is handled effectively from the outset.
He is recognised in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 for his work in personal injury law and clinical negligence law, and has been for over a decade. He is a panel solicitor for Headway (brain injury charity) and a member of the Major Trauma Partnership Service in Brighton, reflecting his close involvement in serious injury rehabilitation and claimant support networks.
Clients value Alex for his clear communication and straightforward approach. He avoids unnecessary legal jargon and focuses on helping clients and their families understand their options, their claim, and what the future may look like following a serious injury. He works closely with clients, family members, case managers and medical experts to ensure that legal decisions reflect each client’s real-world needs.
Alex also acts as a Professional Deputy in the Court of Protection for clients after litigation where they require their finances to managed for them following a loss of capacity due to their injuries.
Alex can be contacted by email: AMB@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: (0) 1273 249286.
Partner, Property Department
David Barling is one of the Partners in the Property Department and has considerable experience in all types of Commercial Property Law.
David acts for a number of property investors and property companies on a wide scale and is used to dealing with very high value transactions. David also deals with mortgages and in particular, high value loan market association type mortgages.
David is also experienced in Local Government work having been a member of a number of Councils over the years latterly West Sussex County Council.
Paralegal, Residential Conveyancing
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.
Dimitris can be contacted by email: DFR@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032370
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