Who We Are

Areas of Specialism

Martina has worked at Dean Wilson LLP since July 2019, having previously had over 10 years of property and civil litigation experience at Brighton Law firms.

Martina runs a caseload of residential possession claims, service charge arrears matters and general property Litigation matters including Freeholder / Leaseholder disputes, Breach of Lease matters and Housing Disrepair claims. 

Qualifications, Membership

Martina is currently an Associate member of the Charted Legal Executives.

Recent Client Matters

Regularly Assist Managing Agents in Brighton with service charge arrears recovery.

Assists National Letting Agents recover possession of properties for their client’s via Section 8 and Section 21

Assist the Department with new enquiries by taking on varied property matters.

Areas of Specialism

Khushi is a dedicated trainee solicitor who is passionate about assisting clients in effectively navigating legal challenges.

She has gained valuable experience in our Personal & Medical Injury and Commercial Property teams as a paralegal where she contributed to various complex legal matters. As a trainee, Khushi is enjoying working within the Private Client team and is committed to continuously developing her skills.

In addition to English, being fluent in Hindi allows Khushi to communicate effectively with a diverse range of clients.

Qualifications

• SQE
• LLB Hons

Areas of Specialism

Annie has worked for Dean Wilson LLP for over 10 years and specialises in all aspects of Residential property transactions. 

Annie has an excellent reputation with local estate agents, mortgage brokers, surveyors and the like and has a large client base, built up over the years. 

Annie’s specialist areas are residential and buy to let sales, purchases and re-mortgages as well as transfers of equity’s. 

Annie can be contacted by email: amf@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249243. 

Annie is assisted by Chloe Whitehead, Paralegal within the Property Department. Chloe’s contact details are: Email: cdw@deanwilson.co.uk Direct Dial: 01273 249245. 

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/her direct dial: 01273 249 224. 

Areas of Specialism

Chloe has worked for Dean Wilson LLP for 6 years, 4 of the years in Residential Conveyancing. She helps with all the administrative tasks in the team and strives to help assist clients and other parties wherever possible.

Chloe has assisted Annie Fitzpatrick and the team with transactions such as sales, purchases, Transfers and re-mortgages making sure all of the administrative tasks are up to date. 

Chloe can be contacted by email: cdw@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249245.

Chloe is the assistant to Annie Fitzpatrick who is an Associate within the Residential Conveyancing team.  

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.

Areas of Specialism

Daniel is an Associate Solicitor who specialise 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).
Daniel is assisted by Melissa Birkhead, Paralegal, within the Dispute Resolution Department.
Melissa’s can be contacted by email (mrb@deanwilson.co.uk) or on her direct dial (01273 032340).

Areas of Specialism

Lauren is an experienced Paralegal working for Partner, Karl Willmott-Post in the Property Department. She assists on all aspects of conveyancing transactions, specialising in; sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity. Before changing careers, Lauren was a Project Manager in the Financial Investment industry, which gave her transferable skills to bring to her role at Dean Wilson.

Lauren is currently close to completing her legal studies with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives to progress in her career to become a Chartered Legal Executive.

Qualifications

• CILEX Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice
• CILEX Level 6 Student
• Mental Health First Aider

Lauren can be contacted by email: lg@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032321. 

Areas of Specialism

Jennie is a Solicitor in the Family team, who advises in relation to Children Act litigation (private law), Financial Remedies on divorce, cohabitation agreements and disputes, and protection from domestic abuse/injunctive relief. 

• Child arrangements orders
• Children – specific issue and prohibited steps orders - temporary or permanent removal from the jurisdiction, enforcement
• Financial remedies on divorce / dissolution of civil partnership - pension sharing, litigation and financial conduct
• Pre and Post-nuptial agreements
• Separation and cohabitation agreements 
• Domestic violence injunctions

Recent Client Matters

• Jennie regularly represents parents in private children law proceedings where mental health issues, substance misuse, and allegations of domestic abuse are a feature.
• Jennie has recently successfully defended a Specific Issue application by a mother to remove a child from the jurisdiction and secured a Port Alert Order. She has also acted for the Applicant in a Specific Issue application to permanently remove children from the jurisdiction.
• Jennie has experience of acting for parents in Children Act proceedings that include Fact-Finding hearings.
• Jennie has experience of acting for clients in both long and short marriages and recently acted for the Applicant Husband in Financial Remedy proceedings following a very short marriage of 7 months’ duration where all the assets were in the wife’s name including the Family Home. A very successful outcome was secured for the client which enabled him to rehouse and settle significant liabilities.
• Jennie is often instructed to prepare Financial Consent Orders following agreements reached between parties directly, in mediation, or as a result of solicitor-led negotiation.

Qualifications, Membership 

• Solicitor (PGDL)

Qualifications, Membership 

Legal 500 “Star in the making”

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), 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

• 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.

Samanda’s email is szm@deanwilson.co.uk and her direct dial is 01273 249 263.

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

Experience

Clare works with employers of all sizes and across all industries as well as senior executives and other individuals, advising on both contentious and non contentious aspects of employment law. This ranges from the provision of ongoing advice on disciplinary and grievance procedures, performance management processes and statutory rights to drafting contracts of employment, service agreements and staff handbooks to representing clients before the Employment Tribunal or civil courts in cases of unfair dismissal, breach of contract, claims to enforce post termination restrictive covenants and breaches of confidentiality. Clare has experience of representing clients in complex discrimination claims at first instance and in the appeal courts.

Clare designs and delivers client training on any aspect of employment law as well as undertaking regular public speaking engagements.

Recent Notable Cases

Clare recently acted for an employer and two individual Respondents in a multi million pound discrimination claim. She also successfully defended a client against a claim of race discrimination arising of out allegedly discriminatory Photoshopped images being circulated within the workplace.

She is currently advising on the design and implementation of redundancy consultation processes, including where collective consultation obligations have been engaged. 

Clare also works closely with the Dean Wilson Company and Commercial team providing employment law support to its successful mergers and acquisitions function. 

Background

Clare read Law at the University of Reading and achieved distinction in the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, Guildford. She trained at HRJ Law in Hitchin and qualified in 1999. She obtained a Masters degree in Employment Law from the University of East Anglia in 2006. She became a Partner at HRJ in 2002, joined Hewitsons in Cambridge and Northampton in 2010 and then joined Dean Wilson to head up its employment law team in October 2019.

Areas of Specialism

Unfair dismissal, discrimination, breach of contract, post termination restrictions, contracts of employment, company handbooks, disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Areas of Specialism

James is a highly experienced solicitor and heads up the firm’s Corporate team and is Managing Partner of Dean Wilson LLP.  

James specialises in a wide range of corporate transactions with a particular specialism in the estate agency, residential lettings and block management sectors.  

James is known for his practical approach and dedication to delivering transactions within client expectations.  James’ client base ranges from national corporate household names, to regional players and owner managers.

Recent Client Matters

• Advised on a £35m acquisition of an estate agency group
• Advised on a £15m acquisition of an estate agency group
• Advised on the restructuring and investment into digitally based health platform

Qualifications, Membership 

• Solicitor 
• LLB Hons

James can be contacted by email: jc@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249267. 

Areas of Specialism

Poppy is a Paralegal in the Court of Protection team. Poppy spent two and a half years in the Commercial Property Department and recently moved to Cout of Protection to apply her caring and conscientious approach to:

• 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 

Areas of Specialism

Rebecca is a Solicitor in the General Litigation team and specialises in dispute resolution, breach of contract, construction disputes, property litigation - including possession claims and debt recovery and enforcement. 

Recent Client Matters

• Rebecca successfully obtained a freezing injunction in the high court for her client to prevent the Defendant dissipating their assets ahead of high court action.
• Rebecca settled a complex high court case reported in the media in respect of a construction dispute – Rebecca achieved a three-figure settlement figure for her client.
• Rebecca settled a breach of contract dispute concerning bonus payments – this was settled ahead of a multi-track trial and achieved a very favourable financial result for the client.
• Rebecca has been instructed by and defended high profile clients in the music industry where Rebecca had the claim against them dismissed.

Qualifications, Membership 

• Solicitor (LLB Hons)

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. 

Areas of Specialism

Tom is a Paralegal in the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence team, assisting Ben Davey and Jessica Edwards with a variety of cases ranging from minor to severe. Tom has assisted on the successful settlement of a number of cases involving severe orthopaedic and psychiatric injuries.

Recent Client Matters

• Tom assisted in securing a successful settlement for two secondary victim claims, where the Claimants were witnessed to the aftermath of a close family member sustaining severe orthopaedic injuries arising out of a road traffic collision.
• Tom is assisting in the ongoing Article 3 (torture & degrading treatment) & Article 8 (private & family life) group action claim for more than 120 family members of David Fuller’s mortuary victims.