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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.

Ashleigh

Ashleigh Sagar

Chartered Legal Executive, Private Client

Ashleigh

Ashleigh Sagar

Chartered Legal Executive, Private Client

Areas of Specialism

Ashleigh has worked at Dean Wilson LLP for 8 years and specialises in a range of Private Client matters. 

Having completed her CILEX qualification in 2021, Ashleigh has grown within the department and has experience in dealing with all aspects of Private Client work including Estate Administration, Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney. 

Ashleigh always supports her clients with sensitivity and expertise.

Qualifications

Chartered Legal Executive (FCilex) 2021.

Ashleigh can be contacted by email: AHS@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: (0) 1273 249275. 

 

 

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) 
Laily Taibzadah

Laily Taibzadah

Paralegal, Residential Conveyancing 

Laily Taibzadah

Laily Taibzadah

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. 

Qualifications

  • Law with business and management LLB (Hons) at Sussex University 2024.

Laily can be contacted by email: LT@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032364

Rory

Rory Lindsay

Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

Rory

Rory Lindsay

Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

Areas of Specialism

Rory is a solicitor in the Dispute Resolution team specialising in construction law.

Within the construction field, he has experience in both contentious and non-contentious transactional matters.

In dispute resolution, he has experience in a wide range of areas, including breach of contract, insurance, dilapidations, trust and cohabitation disputes, and contested probate matters.

Recent Client Matters

  • Helped a residential client in a construction dispute with a contractor over defective works, undertaking a high-value extension and renovation. The claim proceeded to trial and resulted in a judgment in favour of the client, ordering the builder to cover the costs of remedial works undertaken by an alternative contractor.
  • Assisted a land developer in an insurance claim after the insurer refused to pay out, alleging that there had been a failure of fair presentation when the policy was entered. The case involved a grey area on the legal position under the Insurance Act 2015. A settlement was achieved in mediation before proceedings were issued, resulting in the developer receiving the majority of the sums originally claimed.
  • Involved in a dispute over a land investment in which the defendant denied the claimant's (Rory’s client) entitlement to one-half of the property and/or the proceeds of sale. At trial, the court found in favour of the claimant, recognising a resulting trust over half of the property and ordering the defendant to pay the claimant’s costs.
  • Drafts various contractual documents for clients, including Bespoke terms and conditions for a high-end landscaper; An amended RIBA 2018 contract for the construction of a new build property; Amended 2016 and 2024 JCT contracts and subcontracts.
  • Instructed on multiple adjudications (representing employers, contractors and subcontractors) over the terms of a contract, payment cycles and notices, claims of contra charges for alleged overpayment and the validity of a contract termination. These resulted in the adjudicators finding in favour of his client
  • Led three mediations in contested probate matters over the last year involving claims of proprietary estoppel and claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. All three resulted in the settlement of the claims.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Arts, History, Literature and Culture

Solicitor (SQE)

Rory can be contacted by email: RFL@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: 01273 032336

ben davey

Ben Davey

Partner, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence and Practice Lead in Serious Injury Claims

ben davey

Ben Davey

Partner, Personal Injury & Medical Negligence and Practice Lead in Serious Injury Claims

Areas of Specialism

Ben is a Senior Chartered Legal Executive in the Personal Injury & Medical Negligence team. He specialises in complex personal injury and medical negligence claims, acting for the injured party or the families. He specialises in a wide range of life-changing injuries ranging from road traffic accidents, employment claims to severe injury medical negligence claims. Ben is also frequently instructed to represent families at inquest.

Ben has dealt with a number of profile matters which have been reported in the regional, national, and international media. 

Recent Client Matters

Personal Injury

Medical Negligence

Inquests

Human Rights

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Feedback

Ben works hard to get the best possible results for his clients. He is organised, has good analytical skills and a good eye for detail – Chambers & Partners 2024

 

Thinks outside the box – he sees and acknowledges my struggles – The Legal 500 2023

 

Years of relevant experience and can take cases forward and to successful conclusions with vigour – The Legal 500 2022

 

Truly outstanding professional – he is willing to go the extra mile and you can always rely on him to ensure clients get justice - Chambers and Partners 2022

 

Ben Davey was highly professional, diligent and constructively helpful in his explanations. Ben quickly identified the issues and provided a practical approach to deal with the issues in question and accordingly I have no hesitation in recommending him and his firm – Google review

Qualifications, Membership (& Directory Rankings)

  • Senior Chartered Legal Executive (FCilex)
  • Member of Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
  • Headway Panel Solicitor
  • Major Trauma Signposting Partnership (Brighton)

Ben can be contacted by email: BD@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: (0) 1273 249287. 

Davey, Ben

Hattie Silverman

Hattie Silverman

Trainee Solicitor 

Hattie Silverman

Hattie Silverman

Trainee Solicitor 

Hattie joined the firm in January 2026 as a Trainee Solicitor and is currently undertaking her first training seat in the Personal Injury and Medical Negligence Department. 

Prior to joining the firm, Hattie undertook a range of legal experiences, including internships in commercial law and legal recruitment, and shadowing experiences in the criminal courts. Hattie was also a solicitor’s assistant flexibly supporting a small firm in Haywards Heath over a few years.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor of Law: Graduated with first class honours from the University of Sussex. 

Master of Law: Graduated with merit from BPP University alongside passing the Solicitors Qualification Exam (SQE). 

CONTACT DETAILS 

Hattie can be contacted by email: HBS@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 032312

dean wilson placeholder staff profile

Helen Philpott

Senior Legal Assistant, Dispute Resolution

dean wilson placeholder staff profile

Helen Philpott

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.

CONTACT DETAILS 

Helen can be contacted by email: hsp@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249299.

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)
amy edwards dean wilson

Amy Edwards

Solicitor, Commercial Property & Real Estate

amy edwards dean wilson

Amy Edwards

Solicitor, Commercial Property & Real Estate

Areas of Specialism

Amy joined the Commercial Development team in 2023, after successfully completing her training contract with Dean Wilson LLP. Amy studied the LPC after completing the GDL with the University of Law part-time whilst working at Dean Wilson LLP as a paralegal.

Amy has experience in dealing with a variety of commercial and residential property transactions, including acquisitions and sales of freehold and leasehold land for both Landlords and Tenants, refinances and re-mortgages for commercial and residential properties and dealing with development site set-up requirements. 

Amy works closely with the team which comprises David Hodge (Partner) Sinead Dye (Associate 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

  • Involved in the ongoing plot sales at a large residential development site;
  • Completion of a simultaneous headlease surrender and the grant of five sub-leases in a large commercial unit; and
  • Involved in an ongoing refinance of a commercial portfolio worth over £32m.

Qualifications, Membership 

  • Solicitor
  • BA
  • MA

Amy can be contacted by email: ae@deanwilson.co.uk and her direct dial is  01273 249 268.

Jonathan Porter

Jonathan Porter

Partner and head of Private Client 

Jonathan Porter

Jonathan Porter

Partner and head of Private Client 

Jonathan has recently joined us as Head of the Private Client Department, following 25 years at his previous firm.  

Jonathan is able to deal with all types of private client work, whether you require assistance with Wills, Estate Planning, Inheritance Tax, Lasting Powers of Attorney or administration of estates.  Jonathan is experienced in dealing with the most complex cases, which often involve tricky family dynamics.  

Jonathan has acted for many of his clients for many years, which is testimony to his passion, which is for exceptional, communication-led, client service.  Jonathan has managed and grown, high performing teams with regular communication at the heart of everything.

Jonathan also has a background in property work, contentious probate and Court of Protection matters, and therefore has a good working knowledge of how different areas can interlink.  Being able to recognise nuances, and the interrelationship between different aspects in cases, Jonathan believes, is hugely beneficial to providing proactive, joined-up, advice. 

erin boland dean wilson

Erin Boland

Trainee Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

erin boland dean wilson

Erin Boland

Trainee Solicitor, Dispute Resolution

Areas of Specialism

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.  

Recent Client Matters

  • Regularly assists one of the largest property agents in the UK to acquire letting and block management agents across the country.
  • Assisting buyers in purchasing a hospitality business in Brighton;
  • Assisting sellers and buyers of estate agency businesses; 

Qualifications, Membership 

  • LLB Hons

Erin can be contacted by email: egb@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249227.  

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)

poppy spencer dean wilson

Poppy Spencer

Solicitor Apprentice, Family Department

poppy spencer dean wilson

Poppy Spencer

Solicitor Apprentice, Family Department

Areas of Specialism

Poppy is a Solicitor Apprentice within the family department. Before embarking on the Solicitor Apprentice journey Poppy has paralegal experience within both the Court of Protection and Commercial Property Departments.

Poppy has experience with the following: 

  • 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 

Poppy can be contacted by email: PS@deanwilson.co.uk or on their direct dial: 01273 249225. 

Rado

Radosveta Stoeva

Solicitor, Corporate Department

Rado

Radosveta Stoeva

Solicitor, Corporate Department

Areas of Specialism

Radosveta works in the Commercial & Corporate team at Dean Wilson. She qualified as a solicitor in June 2024, having experience in various complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, setting up joint ventures, and corporate reorganisations. 

Radosveta also has considerable experience working with startups, assisting with structuring investment rounds (including advising on SEIS and EIS), and advising on and implementing investment agreements and shareholders' agreements. She has expertise in lending and financing transactions, advising both lenders and borrowers. 

Radosveta takes a commercial perspective on matters, ensuring that legal solutions are not only compliant but also beneficial for clients' business goals. Radosveta's expertise and meticulous approach ensure that clients receive comprehensive legal support, tailored to their unique business needs.

Recent Transactions

  • Overseeing a corporate reorganisation for a group of companies looking to demerge their operations.
  • Implementing bespoke articles of association for a company looking to become a B Corporation.
  • Acting for buyers and sellers in various company and asset acquisitions.

Qualifications

  • Solicitor
  • LLB Hons

Radosveta can be contacted by email at rts@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: (0) 1273 249237

Josh

Joshua Baxendale

Senior Associate Solicitor, Corporate Department

Josh

Joshua Baxendale

Senior Associate Solicitor, Corporate Department

Areas of Specialism

Joshua works in the Commercial & Corporate team at Dean Wilson. He works in mergers & acquisitions and acts on both sides of the transactions. Many of these transactions are in the estate agency sector. He has a wide range of commercial experience, having worked for many recruitment companies in litigation matters. 

Joshua focusses on his client’s intentions and makes those work to ensure that transactions are a client led and not lawyer led process. 

Joshua has acted in cases involving cross-border jurisdictional issues involving many companies in the EU and further afield.

Joshua grew up in Brighton and Hove, and then studied at UEA and the College of Law in Guildford.

Joshua enjoys riding his bike slowly up hills, a dry riesling, and small cups of strong coffee and speaking conversational French.

Qualifications

  • Solicitor
  • LLB Hons

Recent Transactions

  • Large regional estate agent selling to a nationwide corporate acquirer;
  • Acting for the Buyer of a hospitality business in Brighton;
  • Acting for acquirers moving into new geographic areas and
  • Acting for an estate agent in taking over a local competitor on their retirement.

Joshua can be contacted by email: jjb@deanwilson.co.uk or on his direct dial: (0) 1273 032337. 

Joshua is assisted by Natalia Revesz, Senior Paralegal within the Corporate & Commercial Team. Natalia’s contact details are: Email: nxr@deanwilson.co.uk Direct Dial: 01273 032334.

Sarah Stevens

Sarah Stevens

Head of HR

Sarah Stevens

Sarah Stevens

Head of HR

Areas of Specialism

Sarah is a highly experienced HR generalist with a full and comprehensive knowledge of all HR practices and employment law.  With over 30 years of experience in the field of HR, Sarah has established a reputation for providing excellent service, with strong commercial awareness and a pragmatic approach to outcomes.

Sarah specialises in coaching and mentoring, assisting others to reach their full potential, whether that be through training, career development, performance or people management practice.  

Sarah has a passion for fostering a professional, engaging and supportive culture, through working practices, recruitment, retention, succession planning, well-being and learning and development.  

Sarah is known for her practical, resourceful approach, always seeking the most efficient and productive outcomes and solutions for all.  

Qualifications

  • CMCIPD

Sarah can be contacted by email, sjs@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial, 01273 032318. 

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