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.
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.
Craig can be contacted by email: cfs@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249269.
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.
Rachel can be contacted by email: RAM@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: 01273 249290
Paralegal, Commercial Property and Development
Tara graduated from the University of Sussex in 2023 with a degree in Law and Business Management. Since graduating, she has gained valuable experience as a Paralegal, joining Dean Wilson LLP in 2026 from a regional law firm where she worked within Commercial Property. During this time, Tara has assisted with and managed a wide range of commercial property transactions.
At Dean Wilson LLP, Tara primarily supports Jo Taylor, Partner in Real Estate, Commercial Property and Development, assisting with a broad range of matters and providing valuable support across the team.
LLB (Hons)
Tara Dewey can be contacted by email: tid@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249 206
Paralegal, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence
Summer Woodman joined the Personal Injury & Medical Negligence team in September 2023, first starting as a Legal Assistant before moving into her current role as Paralegal in June 2025.
Summer assists Ben Davey, Jessica Edwards, and Lyubov Nickollchova on a broad range of personal injury and medical negligence claims including:
In her role, Summer assists the solicitors in her team throughout a claim, providing a compassionate and empathetic approach, to ensure their clients are kept informed, updated and supported throughout the process of their legal claim.
Summer has assisted the team in successfully settling claims for client’s, including some of the following personal injury, inquest and medical negligence cases:
Substantial Six-Figure Settlement Following Road Traffic Accident | Dean Wilson LLP
£5.6 million brain & spinal injury settled
Dean Wilson Secures Settlement for Spinal Injury Following Aircraft Crash
Failure by NHS Trust Played Part in Mother’s Suicide | Dean Wilson LLP
Law LLB
Legal Practice LLM (LPC)
May 2026
‘I cannot thank Ben, Jessica, Dean Wilson Solicitors and Summer their paralegal enough for everything they have done for me throughout my accident and injuries claim case over the past three and a half years.
From the very beginning, they have been incredibly professional, compassionate, and genuinely supportive during what has been a very long and emotional journey.
Communication has always been timely and clear, and they consistently checked up on me to make sure I was doing okay. What stood out most was how much they truly had my best interests at heart at every stage of the case. They were also very flexible and understanding whenever challenges arose, which made such a difference during difficult times.
My family, friends, and colleagues who interacted with Ben, Jessica, and Summer also appreciated their kindness, patience, and professionalism. Every interaction was handled with care and respect, and it was clear that they genuinely cared about both me and the people supporting me.
After three and a half years, they successfully brought the case to a close with a very good settlement, and I will always be grateful for their dedication, hard work, and unwavering support throughout the process.
There is a lot more I would love to say but this is already lengthy.
I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for solicitors who are not only highly skilled and professional, but also kind, patient, and truly compassionate people.’
CONTACT DETAILS
Summer can be contacted by email: szw@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249297.
Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution
Duncan advises clients on a range of contentious issues relating to property including:
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.
“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.
Paralegal, Dispute Resolution
Maddie is a recent law graduate and a paralegal in the Dispute Resolution team. She specialises in Landlord and Tenant possession claims, including Section 8 and Section 21 proceedings. Maddie is currently training to manage her own caseload, with a focus on drafting pleadings and progressing matters through court to obtain possession orders and cost awards on behalf of landlords. She is enthusiastic about developing her career in the legal field and gaining further experience in Dispute Resolution.
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
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.
Senior Paralegal, Dispute Resolution
Sara is a Senior Paralegal within the Dispute Resolution department and has extensive experience in all matters concerning residential possession claims. Sara works with both landlords and tenants and also works with providers of insurance cover for landlords.
Additionally, Sara has experience in regard to breaches of lease in relation to running Holiday Lets, with Dean Wilson LLP acting for both leaseholders and freeholders.
Sara is fluent in English and Norwegian and has a working knowledge of the Scandinavian languages.
Sara can be contacted by email: sn@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249276
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.
Samantha can be contacted by email: slb@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249298.
Paralegal, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence
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:
Paralegal, Dispute Resolution
Joseph joined the firm as a Legal Assistant and has since been promoted to Paralegal within the Dispute Resolution team. He specialises in landlord and tenant possession matters and also assists with a broad range of general litigation work.
QUALIFICATIONS
Degree – Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of York
CONTACT DETAILS
Joseph Phillips can be contacted by email: jcp@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249 243.
Partner, Family Department
Sarah is a Partner in the Family team, who specialises in complex Children Act litigation (private law), Financial Remedies on divorce, cohabitation agreements and disputes, and protection from domestic abuse. Sarah has a particular interest in advising in cases where allegations of coercive control are in play.
Recent Client Matters
Qualifications, Membership
Recent client testimonials
Sarah was wonderful throughout she was very knowledgeable of the Law but also very relatable as a person. Sarah took her time to understand me and what my concerns were and was empathetic throughout. Sarah was efficient and effective in representing me always giving me the best advice that I felt I could rely on. I have no hesitation in recommending Dean Wilson.
(Applicant Father – PSO) - 26 March 2026
Sarah can be contacted by email at SCP@deanwilson.co.uk or by telephone on 01273 249295
Paralegal, Dispute Resolution
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.
Partner & Head of Commercial Real Estate
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.
Scott can be contacted by email: sg@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 249265.
Senior Associate Solicitor, Personal Injury & Practice Lead in Abuse Claims
Senior Associate Solicitor, Personal Injury & Practice Lead in Abuse Claims
Areas of specialism:
Claire is a Senior Associate in the Personal Injury & Medical Negligence team. She specialises in complex and high value serious injury claims, including claims for sexual assault perpetrated by high-profile individuals.
Claire only ever acts for claimants, and her clients have suffered severe, sometimes fatal, injuries, including brain, spinal, orthopaedic, and psychiatric injuries, and injuries leading to amputation. She is passionate about using the litigation process to get practical help, support, and treatment in place for her clients as quickly as possible. She seeks early financial assistance from defendant insurers, in particular, funded rehabilitation programmes and interim payments of damages. This support helps clients financially while they cannot work and allows them access to specialist medical treatment while their claim is ongoing.
Claire has dealt with a number of high-profile matters which have been reported in the national media and has been interviewed by TV, radio and press regarding her work.
Claire’s clients live in Sussex, London and across the UK, she also works with overseas clients who have sustained injury in the UK.
Sexual assault claims against high profile individuals
Claire has particular expertise representing clients who are claiming compensation for psychiatric injuries and other substantial losses arising out of sexual assault perpetrated by high-profile individuals.
Claire is currently acting on behalf of claimants who have made allegations of sexual assault against Mohammed Al-Fayed and the financier Crispin Odey. She has previously successfully represented female and male victims of sexual assault against other perpetrators who are well-known in the world of film, TV, sport and business. Claire works on these cases with sensitivity and compassion and has a strong desire to use the law to achieve recognition of the human damage caused by the abuse of power and position.
In 2006, she was part of the legal team that took a personal injury claim for rape to trial, one of only a handful of such cases to be litigated in the civil courts and won at trial.
Road traffic collisions, accidents at work and E.coli O157 claims
Many of Claire’s clients have been injured in road traffic accidents, as drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. In some cases, the driver causing injury is not identified or insured, and she assists her clients with claims to the Motor Insurer's Bureau, gathering as much police, video, witness and other documentary evidence as possible to establish liability on the part of the defendant driver, and this includes instructing accident reconstruction experts when needed.
Claire also acts for those injured in accidents at work or premises outside the home, including those who have sustained serious injury as a result of negligent exposure to the bacteria E.coli O157. Claire has acted for a number of children who have sustained Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome as a result of an E.coli O157 infection, and has claimed for the ongoing health complications that that condition can cause
Victims of serious violent assault and acts of terrorism
Claire has represented seriously injured victims of violent assault and acts of terrorism, making applications on their behalf to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. She has claimed compensation for UK victims of overseas terrorism, both from overseas governments and from the UK Victims of Terrorism Overseas Compensation Scheme.
Having worked in the field of serious injury for many years, Claire understands the impact that accidents and assaults have on her clients and their families. In each case, she works hard to gather all relevant evidence to ensure that she can show the full extent of her clients' injuries. She works with experienced barristers and instructs well-respected medical witnesses to prepare expert reports. She also works with forensic accountants and others to value other complex financial losses. She aims to maximise her clients' damages while supporting them through the litigation process.
Feedback:
‘Claire is assertive, provides clear direction and firm advice, and is a collaborative communicator.’ Chambers & Partners 2026
‘Claire is very good: she works very hard, has good medical knowledge and is very practical.’ Chambers & Partners 2026
‘Claire and her team have been phenomenal during my time with them. They have been thorough and meticulous, responsive, empathetic and understanding, proactive, and did a brilliant job with my case from beginning to end. I have been thoroughly impressed with how they handled my case and grateful to have been recommended them. I could not have wished for a better team and better care.’ – Client, polytrauma
‘Claire’s client was seriously injured in an RTA and showed incredible stoicism, determination, and an inspirational attitude towards rehab and recovery. The rehab funding was provided without any quibble, and her client was supported by a great case worker. Claire was brilliant in her approach, and I am pleased that her client now has the means to continue their life post-accident. I have no doubt her client will succeed in everything they choose to pursue.’ – Defendant insurer
‘Whilst no amount of money will ever bring Ben* back, the outcome of the settlements will allow us to move forward, albeit slowly, with our lives without having the immediate financial pressures to endure as well as everything else. I cannot understate the importance of this outcome to us as we face the array of huge challenges in living the rest of our live without Ben*. The support from Claire has been outstanding in guiding us through this hugely challenging and intrusive process. We cannot thank you enough. The very tragic circumstances make this a highly emotive process - you and your team have been keenly attuned to this and have been very sensitive. This has made it far more tolerable for us that’s for sure.’ Client, fatal accident
‘When Claire … took on my case with the integrity and intelligence that they/she did. I felt supported, clearer and no longer alone in my battle. Claire and the entire team helped me get to the other side. Her compassion, patience and knowledge grounded me, heard me and I knew that my very best outcome, well-being and sense of justice was what they were striving to attain at all points of the now closed case.’ Client, high profile sexual assault claim
‘Claire is an advocate for true justice, a voice for the vulnerable and above all hope. She and her team truly supported me in my case. They helped find professionals to diagnose my current condition and future needs, highlighted my difficulties and even, unbeknown to me, covered all the costs until settlement because I could not afford them. Against constant denial, pushback and lack of clarity in CICA rules, they fought for me. I felt valued when all things became dire, I was even told I was to blame for my own injuries. Claire continued and helped me clear my name. I deeply cannot express how wonderful she is, when I felt all was lost and a fair outcome would never be reached.’ Client, amputation, CICA
‘When dealing with a difficult emotional subject as mine, I felt empathy, understanding and care … Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so kind and gracious.’ Client, high profile sexual assault claim
Key recent settlements:
Voluntary positions
Claire is a trustee for Headway Sussex, a charity that provides advice and support for those living in Sussex with acquired brain injury.
Claire is a member of the Sussex Acquired Brain Injury Forum (SABIF) steering committee
Claire is also a trustee for Core Arts, a charity based in Hackney which promotes positive mental health and wellbeing through a college-like environment of creative learning.
Qualifications, membership and directory rankings
Claire can be contacted by email on: ceg@deanwilson.co.uk or by direct dial on (0)1273 032345
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