Hamlins LLP

Lawyer & team quality

Joss Alcraft

Joss is a Partner in the Corporate team Joss acts for a diverse client base which includes multinational corporations, financial institutions, private equity firms, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals and spans multiple sectors including finance, technology, energy, real estate, healthcare, and manufacturing. He advises clients on a full range of corporate and commercial matters, including: \t Mergers and acquisitions; \tCorporate governance; \tJoint ventures; \tPrivate equity transactions; \tCapital markets (IPOs, secondary offers); \tCorporate restructuring; \tSecurities offerings; and \tGeneral corporate and regulatory matters. Joss believes in building strong and enduring relationships with his clients and has acted for many of them for more than a decade. His approach is characterised by open communication, active collaboration, and a keen focus on delivering exceptional client service. Joss qualified in 1999 and has worked in firms across London’s West End, Mayfair and the City.

Kate Andrews

Kate is a Partner in the Real Estate Disputes Team. Kate is a property litigator who adopts an advisory and dispute resolution role, as well as a litigious one, on a wide variety of high profile real estate disputes. Kate deals with various breaches of leasehold covenants, including dilapidations, service charges, applications for consent to assign/underlet/alter, rent reviews and other landlord and tenant issues. She also deals with contractual and development disputes, including specific performance claims, injunctions, rights to light, restrictive covenant issues, joint venture disputes, party wall act disputes and the redevelopment of business premises. In her time, Kate has also dealt with some boundary disputes, and is now dealing with a number of cases regarding business rates and the complexities of the statutory exemptions and reliefs. Kate acts on high profile real estate disputes for clients including high net worth individuals, property funds and developers. She is a keen advocate of alternative dispute resolution and has been able to settle a number of complex legal dispute at mediation or by without prejudice discussions. Clients describe Kate as an extremely talented property litigator, who goes the extra mile for her clients, finding a solution to every problem.

Stuart Barry

Stuart is a Partner in our Media and Entertainment team. His practice focuses on music-related and general commercial matters, including copyright issues. Stuart has over 25 years of commercial and music law focused expertise, and acts for a range of clients including record companies, advertisers, music publishers, record producers, recording artists and writers. Stuart’s earlier career as a sound engineer gives him unique insight and understanding when advising his music industry clients. Prior to joining Hamlins, Stuart was a founding partner of Swan Turton which followed his time at Simkins Partnership.

Julian Bentley

Julian is a Partner in our Media and Entertainment team. Julian has specialised in entertainment and commercial law for more than 30 years and his clients include independent record companies, music publishers, recording artists, composers, record producers, advertising agencies and comedians. Prior to joining Hamlins, Julian was a founding partner of commercial law firm, Swan Turton, which he joined from Simkins Partnership where he was an Equity Partner. His early career embedded his understanding of and commitment to the entertainment industry. Julian initially worked as a tour manager overseeing the live performances of musicians in the UK and Europe, before moving into management, guiding the careers of recording artists, actors and comedians.

Katie Bentley

Katie is an Associate in our Corporate team. Katie regularly advises SMEs, large corporate entities and individuals both in the UK and overseas on corporate, contractual, intellectual property and data protection matters with a strong focus on mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Katie has worked with, and advised, a wide range of clients within different industry sectors including finance, sports, technology, retail, hospitality, and real estate. Day to day, Katie advises on acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, and corporate reorganisations, as well as advising clients on corporate governance matters relating to directors and shareholders. Katie also assists with drafting and advising on complex commercial contracts, including management agreements, media rights agreements, talent agreements, supply of goods and services agreements, manufacturing agreements, terms and conditions, data protection policies, and website policies. Katie’s experience extends to acting for borrowers and banks in secured lending transactions. Katie joined Hamlins in September 2023 from a West End law firm. She is qualified to practise in England and Wales. Katie graduated from Keele University with an LLB in Law in 2014 before completing her Legal Practice Course at Nottingham Law School in 2017.

Stephanie Brown

Steph is a Principal Associate in the Real Estate team. She specialises in both real estate transactions and non-contentious construction transactions. Steph works on a variety of real estate commercial transactions including negotiating leases for occupiers in the retail and leisure sector and acting for developers and investors on acquisitions and disposals. Within non-contentious construction, Steph drafts and negotiates appointments and building contracts for developers as well as acting for lenders, occupiers and purchasers in construction matters.

David Crockford

David is a Partner in our Real Estate Disputes team. David has more than a decade of experience in real estate disputes and previously created and managed a large specialist regional team. He provides clear strategic advice to his clients across the entire property sector and at all stages of transactions. He focuses on ensuring that as few disputes as possible arise for his clients but where they do, are litigated proactively and successfully. David deals with a wide variety of real estate disputes and has specialisms in right to light matters, issues concerning development of land including dealing with overage and portfolio asset management work and lease renewal proceedings, dilapidations, applications for consent, forfeiture and disputed rent reviews. He has a particular interest in working to resolve potential and actual litigious issues on development land and at business premises to facilitate construction and redevelopment. He also enjoys portfolio work for clients, where solutions need to be tailored not only to the property but to the client’s broader real estate needs. David has acted across all levels of the Court and Tribunal process. He also has considerable experience working on disputes where clients need solutions that require the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). He has expertise in resolving disputes concerning land that is being used for the purposes of biodiversity net gain or nitrate mitigation, which include supporting those considering such schemes to avoid litigation pitfalls, enforcing breaches and resolving disputes using ADR. David is the Chair of Property Litigation Association on the South Coast. He also regularly facilitates and delivers training to clients and colleagues.

Aselle Djumabaeva-Wood

Aselle is a Partner in the Corporate Team and the Real Estate Finance Team. Aselle has a corporate law background and specialises in corporate acquisition and real estate finance. She acts for banks and property investors in corporate transactions and secured lending transactions, drafts and negotiates corporate documents, facility agreements and security packages to facilitate a range of high value investment and development transactions. Clients like Aselle’s ability of managing complicated transactions effectively and achieving results in timely manner and to the clients’ satisfaction. Aselle is a Russian speaking solicitor qualified in both England & Wales and the CIS.

Kay Evans

Kay Evans is a Partner in our Real Estate team. Kay has more than 20 years’ experience acting for clients in Strategic Development and regeneration of inner-city and greenfield sites including major infrastructure projects. Kay specialises in Land Acquisition and Disposals, Option and Promotion Agreements, Development, Collaboration Agreements and Estate Development, and has extensive experience dealing with complex Planning and Infrastructure Agreements. She is friendly and approachable and is always commercially minded when acting for her clients. She acts for Land Promoters, Landed Estates, Housebuilders, Registered Providers and Landowners, bringing her professional expertise and real-world commercial experience to achieve the best legal and commercial results for clients. Her clients describe her as having a quick-thinking mind and being happy to delve into the detail of a legal matter, taking a fresh commercial approach to difficult issues.

Diana Featherstonhaugh

Diana Featherstonhaugh is a Consultant in the Real Estate Team. Diana has extensive experience in relation to all aspects of commercial property, particularly investment property including acquisitions, sales and management advising regulated and unregulated property funds, lending institutions property developers, private companies and individual investors; she has particular expertise acting for fixed charge receivers advising on complex issues.

Catherine Fehler

Catherine is a Partner in the Media Disputes team. Catherine’s practice includes complex disputes in the media sector, a specialism she has focused on for her entire career, and she has a recognised expertise in defamation and privacy. She supports clients with intellectual property disputes, challenges to registered trade marks, performance rights issues, management disputes, corporate contractual disputes and matters of professional negligence and breaches of fiduciary duties, and also advises on reputation management. Catherine acts for a range of high profile clients from the media and corporate sectors, including performers, musicians and independent record and publishing labels. Catherine has significant expertise in Court of Protection matters, including the practice and procedures of the Court; and was an appointed professional Deputy.

Marianna Foerg

Marianna is a Senior Associate in our Commercial and Tech practice. She advises a broad range of individual and corporate clients of various sizes across multiple sectors, including technology, gaming, fashion, entertainment, publishing, retail, and manufacturing. Marianna is an expert in commercial and intellectual property law, with a strong track record of advising on commercial agreements, such as licensing, assignment, and collaboration. Marianna’s previous experience has enabled her to develop a clear understanding of the commercial needs and unique requirements of each client. In addition to her practice, Marianna has a strong academic foundation that helps her advise on complex subject matter in accessible terms. She is currently pursuing a PhD in intellectual property law at King’s College London. In addition, Marianna frequently writes articles and is a recognised contributor to the Kluwer Copyright Blog. Marianna is also qualified to practise Russian law and is a fluent Russian speaker.

Ellen Gallagher

Ellen is a Partner in the Media Disputes team. She is a skilled litigator with extensive experience of representing high-profile clients ranging from senior politicians to renowned individuals in the media, entertainment and sports industries as well as entirely private individuals. Ellen advises clients on all aspects of media law, including in relation to defamation, infringement of privacy, breach of confidence, data protection, copyright infringement, harassment, and image-based abuse. She works on the phone hacking litigation against News Group Newspapers (in respect of which Hamlins is the Lead Solicitor) and MGN Limited. She is also experienced at providing pre-publication advice. Ellen prides herself on providing clear and pragmatic advice to secure the best possible outcome for her clients, whilst recognising the need to protect their reputations and private lives. Ellen is a Solicitor-Advocate and was also called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 2018.

Joseph Holder

Joseph Holder is Senior Partner and a Partner in the Real Estate Team. Joseph has 30 years’ experience of acting in the whole range of commercial real estate transactions, from the sale and purchase of nationally-known shopping centres to high street shops, from trophy office blocks to simple office suites, from industrial estates to owner occupied industrial warehouses and from multi million pound portfolios to individual tertiary properties. He has also developed a strong residential investment practice dealing with sales and acquisitions of blocks of flats and individual flats and houses. He deals with general landlord and tenant transactions and management as well as matters under the 1967 Leasehold Reform act and the Leasehold Reform Act 1993.

Penny Hunt

Penny is an Employment Partner and head of our Employment practice. Penny has more than 20 years’ experience in employment law gained at international firms. She provides strategic, proactive and practical advice to clients, both domestically and internationally, across a broad range of sectors, including tech, financial services and life sciences, with a particular focus on music, media, entertainment and sport. Penny advises employers on the full range of employment issues which arise during the employment life cycle, from recruitment through to redundancies, performance dismissals and executive exits. Her practice covers complex and sensitive investigations, grievances, disciplinaries, equal pay, whistleblowing, TUPE and industrial relations issues. Penny has also worked on secondment to a client during a well-publicised industrial relations dispute.

Mark Hurst

Mark joined Hamlins as a partner in 2004 having trained and worked in a top tier City firm and he is now head of the real estate team. He acts for a number of property companies, off-shore funds and high net worth individuals dealing with all aspects of non-contentious commercial property. Mark’s specialist experience includes large portfolio sales and acquisitions and dealing with complex portfolio re-financing and re-structuring as well as the more standard sales, acquisitions and lease/management work.

Christopher Hutchings

Chris is a Partner in the Media Disputes team. He has specialised in media law for 28 years, acting for individual and corporate clients both as claimants and defendants, in leading privacy and libel cases including Douglas v Hello! and recently Ali v Channel 5. Chris has also a wealth of experience in pre-action reputation management, successfully preventing publication of damaging allegations or private information and data of his clients. His team are increasingly instructed on issues concerning online publication, including social media, and have significant experience in persuading search engines to remove material based on the developing ‘right to be forgotten’.

Harmony Kennedy

Harmony is an Associate in our Commercial and Tech team. Harmony provides advice and guidance on all aspects of entertainment transactions including trade marks, copyright, data protection and clearances for the use of third party copyrighted material. In her earlier career, Harmony spent more than 10 years in the music industry in a variety of roles including tour manager, production and management assistant, and executive assistant for multiple high-profile clients. She uses this practical experience to provide pragmatic and relevant advice to her music practice. Her work involves negotiating and drafting agreements in the publishing and recorded music sector for individual creatives and companies. Prior to joining Hamlins, Harmony spent two years with commercial law firm, Swan Turton, and qualified in October 2024.

Ben Kilshaw

Ben joined Hamlins in 2002 and is a Partner in the Real Estate Department heading the Construction team. He has a wide range of experience in commercial property and construction law. Ben acts for property investors, occupiers, leisure operators and receivers and advises on non-contentious construction law, acting for developers and occupiers. He negotiates on behalf of clients with consultants and contractors on building contracts and all manner of professional contracts.

Maya Kuchhadiya

Maya is a Senior Associate in our Real Estate team. With a background in asset management, Maya acts for landlords and tenants and assists on a wide range of commercial transactions including freehold and leasehold acquisitions, disposals and refinancing matters. Maya joined Hamlins in July 2021 from national firm, Irwin Mitchell. Maya began her career with Royds Withy King as a paralegal before completing her training and focusing on commercial property law. Maya gained her LLB from the University of Leicester which included a year abroad at La Tribe University in Australia. She achieved her LPC in Law from The University of Law.

John Leasure

John is a Partner in Hamlins' Real Estate team. Having previously been based in the United Arab Emirates, John is well-versed in advising clients from all backgrounds and experience levels – from seasoned investors to those whom may be may be making their first foray into UK real estate. John’s clients operate in a variety of market sectors, including retail, hotels and leisure, healthcare and light industrial and John is known for targeting his advice to the key commercial drivers of the businesses which he supports. John’s instructions often involve cross-jurisdictional advice and he is used to working closely and effectively with clients’ other professional advisors around the globe.

Martin Ochs

Martin is a Partner in the Entertainment, Media and IP team. Martin has wide experience of contentious IP and commercial litigation, particularly in the media and entertainment fields where he focuses on contentious music and copyright litigation.

Roger Pointon

Roger is a Corporate Consultant with more than 20 years’ experience acting on acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, management buy-outs, management buy-ins, mergers, de-mergers, group re-organisations, general corporate advisory work and fund raisings. Roger acts for a diverse portfolio of private and public companies and individuals, including SMEs, high net worth individuals and national corporates. He supports clients across a broad spectrum of sectors including Property Development and Investment, Sport and Leisure, Automotive, Recruitment, Engineering, Healthcare and Payroll.

Natalie Powers

Natalie is a Senior Associate in the Media Disputes department. She works across a variety of media law matters including defamation, harassment, infringement of privacy and data protection. Natalie advises on both pre- and post-publication matters, including in respect of issues relating to online publications and social media. Natalie acts for a broad range of clients comprising high profile individuals, sports agents and senior politicians, including in respect of their unlawful information gathering claims against both Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) and News Group Newspapers (NGN). Natalie is also part of the Lead Solicitor team in the Mobile Telephone Voicemail Interception Litigation against NGN. Natalie has experience in general civil litigation matters including commercial contract disputes, shareholder disputes and fraud. Natalie previously trained at a London based firm and qualified into their litigation practice in 2020. Natalie joined Hamlins in September 2022. She graduated from the University of Southampton with a BA in History, before completing the Graduate Diploma in Law. In 2018, Natalie completed the Legal Practice Course at BPP University (London), achieving a Distinction.

Matthew Pryke

Matthew is the Managing Partner at Hamlins and leads the Commercial and Tech and Sport teams. He is widely recognised as an expert in intellectual property law, IT and commercial matters, particularly in the media, sports, leisure, travel, entertainment and creative industries. He has a broad client base with long-term partnerships across multiple disciplines. He advises clients across a range of creative and entertainment industries including television, modelling and sports and has acted for some of London’s biggest names in the bar, restaurant and nightclub arenas. He also has a solid client following in the technology sector. Matthew protects and increases his clients’ wealth, reputation and businesses to facilitate growth. He is trusted by his clients to provide confidence, solutions and strategic business advice. Working as so much more than a legal advisor, he is seen as a true business consultant. Matthew advises CEOs and senior management on how to create the best legal, technological and security governance strategies for their business. His practice covers a wide variety of contracts, often of a global or an international nature. He also has particular expertise in the structuring, negotiation and protection of tech-led arrangements. Matthew has extensive experience in developing, protecting and implementing commercial rights programmes for a large number of sports, media and entertainment organisations and events, advising on intellectual property, IT and media rights strategies. He is recognised for his strategic advice and expertise on the structuring and launch of new sports events and sports formats including SailGP, Tie Break Tens, The Hundred, Padel UK, Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO), Zone Golf, Shoreseeker Challenge, A1 Grand Prix, innovative short-sided football concepts and The Shell Eco-Marathon, Tie Break Tens, SailGP, Shoreseeker Challenge and a number of other sports and digital concepts. Matthew is renowned for his knowledge and understanding of brand protection strategies having advised on the use of terms such as “FINE”, “GRAND PRIX”, “NEW LOOK”, and “FABÉRGE”. Matthew is also a Notary Public and a member of The Notaries Society. Matthew writes as a legal expert for many publications and has appeared on CNN and Sky News.

Vicky Stanborough

Vicky Stanborough is a Partner in the Commercial Property Department. Vicky joined Hamlins as a trainee solicitor in 1993 and became a partner in 1998. Vicky is experienced in all areas of commercial property including acquisitions, lettings and disposals and landlord and tenant issues. She has particular expertise in the leisure and parking sectors.

Lauren Twidale

Lauren is a Senior Associate in the Media and Entertainment team. Lauren has experience with a range of commercial litigation matters with a particular focus on the media sector with defamation, privacy, reputation management, data protection and copyright infringement claims. Lauren has extensive experience with phone-hacking claims, assisting with claims brought by individuals against both News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers.