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Who We Are

Get to know us

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.

Jasmine C

Jasmine Cattigan

Solicitor, Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

Jasmine C

Jasmine Cattigan

Solicitor, Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

Areas of Specialism

Jasmine is a Solicitor specialising in both personal injury and clinical negligence claims. Jasmine qualified as a Solicitor in May 2025, having previously spent 2.5 years assisting Alex Brown, Head of Department, with Claimants who had suffered Personal Injuries, Criminal Injuries & Clinical Negligence resulting in:

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

Jasmine continues to assist Alex Brown as well conducting her own cases, securing settlements for client’s who have suffered injuries arising from the following circumstances:

  • Road traffic accidents
  • Accidents at work
  • Falls in public places
  • Clinical negligence
  • Criminal Injuries 

Jasmine is known for her commitment to her clients and ability to quickly understand key issues in resolving disputes. She is able to work collaboratively with clients to help them achieve the best outcome for their case.

Recent Client Matters

Qualifications and Memberships

  • LLB Hons Law
  • LPC with LLM
  • Major Trauma Signposting Partnership (Brighton)

Jasmine can be contacted by email: jlc@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249246.

daniel dickson dean wilson

Daniel Dickson

Senior Associate Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

daniel dickson dean wilson

Daniel Dickson

Senior Associate Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

Areas of Specialism

Daniel is a Senior Associate Solicitor who specialises in Property Litigation matters. Daniel has experience in dealing with landlord and tenant disputes for both residential and commercial properties, real estate disputes, lease extensions and enfranchisement. Daniel also deals with contractual disputes, debt collection, claims under the Consumer Credit Act, and takes a keen interest in taxi licensing having been instructed in the leading case of Kaivanpor v Sussex Central Justices (High Court).

Recent Client Matters

  • Claim for possession of a residential property upon the grounds of redevelopment;
  • Opposing a claim for a new lease of a commercial property (pursuant to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954) based upon alleged breaches of leasehold covenants;
  • Appeal against a noise abatement notice served by the Local Authority upon a well-known and highly regarded local restaurant;
  • Appeal against the revocation of a taxi licence by Brighton & Hove City Council.

Qualifications, Membership & Directory Rankings

  • Solicitor (LLB Hons)
  • Committee of the Sussex Law Society
  • “Solicitor Daniel Dickson is well regarded for his work on disputes involving forfeiture and breach of contract”; “A well led property team has meant that there are various up and coming junior solicitors learning from talented partners and are being prepared to be the next stars. Daniel Dickson requires particular mention” – Legal 500, 2022

Daniel can be contacted by email (djd@deanwilson.co.uk) or on his direct dial (01273 249232)

Amanda Hayward Dean Wilson

Amanda Hayward

Finance Director

Amanda Hayward Dean Wilson

Amanda Hayward

Finance Director

Areas of Specialism

Amanda is the Finance Director for Dean Wilson LLP and has over 20 years of experience in both this field and practice management.   She is responsible for the overall financial management and performance of the firm.  She enjoys looking at new and improved ways to make the financial process and reporting more efficient and seamless from both a management and fee earning perspective.  She works closely with the James Chadburn, the Managing Partner in supporting the firm’s plans for future growth and development. 

Claire Whiteman Dean Wilson

Claire Whiteman

Partner, Dispute Resolution

Claire Whiteman Dean Wilson

Claire Whiteman

Partner, Dispute Resolution

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. 

Whiteman, Claire

Eimer Batchelor

Eimer Batchelor

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution

Eimer Batchelor

Eimer Batchelor

Paralegal, Dispute Resolution

Areas of Specialism

Eimer is an experienced Paralegal in Dispute Resolution, specialising in property-related matters. Eimer primarily deals with landlord and tenant disputes and assists landlords in recovering possession of their property and any rental arrears that have accrued. Eimer also has experience dealing with broader Property Litigation matters including adverse possession, rights of way disputes and nuisance claims alongside general Civil Litigation. 

Eimer previously worked as a Paralegal in Conveyancing and later as a Paralegal in Property Litigation, while assisting interdepartmentally.

Recent Client Matters 

  • Eimer assisted residential landlords recover possession of their property (and rental arrears) by way of both section 21 and section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.
  • Eimer successfully settled a neighbour dispute arising from an alleged breach of easement early in proceedings.
  • Eimer assisted in settling a high-value insurance dispute concerning alleged misrepresentation. 

Eimer’s Approach

Client satisfaction is at the heart of Eimer’s work as she understands the legal process is daunting, so maintains communication and breaks the process down to be better understood. Eimer aims to empower clients by using plain English and avoiding using legal jargon to give clients clear advice upon all of their options. Eimer is also a strong advocate for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Law (LLB Hons) from the University of Sussex
  • ILSPA Legal Diploma
  • Member of Aspiring Solicitors 
Julian Potter

Julian Potter

Senior Associate Solicitor, Private Client

Julian Potter

Julian Potter

Senior Associate Solicitor, Private Client

Areas of Specialism

Julian has over 20 years’ experience as a solicitor dealing with all aspects of Private Client work including Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Administration of Estates and Estate Planning.

Julian can advise on a variety of Wills to suit differing circumstances including advising on various types of trusts for efficient tax planning and asset protection.

Julian deals with a variety of estates of all values including intestacies and estates with business interests and can provide a service tailored to your needs whether it be obtaining the Grant of Probate or dealing with the administration of the entirety of the estate.

Julian can advise on Estate Planning matters including Inheritance Tax saving, the Inheritance Tax Nil Rate Band, the Residence Nil Rate Band and preservation of the same as well as providing Capital Gains Tax advice.

Julian always aims to forge a close relationship with his clients in trying to provide the best service and advice for them.

Julian can be contacted by email: JP@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: (0) 1273 249219. 

Lily Hossani Dean Wilson

Lily Hossini

Associate Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

Lily Hossani Dean Wilson

Lily Hossini

Associate Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

Areas of Specialism

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. 

Qualifications, Membership & Directory Rankings

  • Law Degree, LLB Hons
  • Legal Practice Course, LPC
  • Law, Business and Management, MSc

Memberships

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.

Craig Shoosmith

Craig Shoosmith

Compliance Manager

Craig Shoosmith

Craig Shoosmith

Compliance Manager

Craig joined Dean Wilson in March 2026, after a 20 year career in the financial services industry, providing regulatory and financial crime guidance to a number of high-street firms. 

Craig is now providing that expertise to Dean Wilson to help the firm achieve the ‘gold standard’ in the legal sector for compliance with regulatory and legislative requirements, assisting the Managing Partner and Finance Director with data protection, complaint management, and other related activities. 

CONTACT DETAILS 

Craig can be contacted by email: cfs@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249269.

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

Rosie Harfield

Rosie Harfield

Paralegal, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Rosie Harfield

Rosie Harfield

Paralegal, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Paralegal in the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence team, assisting Alex Brown, Rachel Makore and Lyubov Nikolchova with a variety of cases involving:

  • Severe Orthopaedic Injury
  • Brain Injury
  • Spinal Cord Injury
  • Birth Injury 
  • Psychiatric Injury
  • Amputation 

 RECENT CLIENT MATTERS

  • Assisting with matters signposted by the Royal Sussex County Hospital via the Major Trauma Signposting Partnership.
  • Assisting with a mixed caseload of claims as a result of road traffic accidents, accidents-at-work, criminal injuries, accidents on public property, sexual assault and clinical negligence.

QUALIFICATIONS

LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology and a Study Year abroad 

CONTACT DETAILS 

Rosie can be contacted by email: RCH@deanwilson or on her direct dial: 01273032357.

Aibhlinn

Aibhlinn Carroll

Solicitor Apprentice, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Aibhlinn

Aibhlinn Carroll

Solicitor Apprentice, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Aibhlinn is an Solicitor Apprentice within our Personal Injury & Medical Negligence. 

Having previous experience as a paralegal within our Corporate Commercial team, working on various aspects of corporate transactions, including company restructuring, share and asset acquisitions and disposals, and shareholders’ agreements. Some of Aibhlinn’s responsibilities include drafting legal ancillary documents, legal due diligence reports and carrying out research.

Aibhlinn graduated from the University of Oxford in 2024 with a BA in Jurisprudence. 

Recent Client Matters

  • Regularly assists one of the largest property agents in the UK to acquire letting and block management agents across the country.
  • Assists in the sale and purchase of estate agency businesses.  
  • Assists sellers and buyers of hospitality businesses. 

Qualifications, Membership 

  • BA (Hons) in Jurisprudence

Aibhlinn can be contacted by email: ALC@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032335

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. 

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. 

duncan wilks dean wilson

Duncan Wilks

Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution 

duncan wilks dean wilson

Duncan Wilks

Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution 

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.

David Barling Dean Wilson

David Barling

Partner, Property Department

David Barling Dean Wilson

David Barling

Partner, Property Department

Areas of Specialism

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.

becca porter dean wilson

Becca Porter

Paralegal, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

becca porter dean wilson

Becca Porter

Paralegal, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

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

Qualifications, Membership 

  • BA (Hons)

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