Alison Bull > Mills & Reeve LLP > Manchester, England > Lawyer Profile
Mills & Reeve LLP Offices
No.1 Circle Square
3 Symphony Park
MANCHESTER
M1 7FS
England
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Alison Bull
Work Department
Family.
Position
Area of practice includes family mediation; collaborative law; civil/commercial mediation; family court work. Alison is also a children and financial arbitrator. Types of work include complex financial settlements on divorce, wealth protection (including pre-and post-marital agreements), all issues mediation, advice in relation to disputes about children. Important cases include numerous confidential high-value divorce and pre-marital agreement cases involving individuals based in England & Wales and overseas. Increasing number of mediation cases, involving a wide range of clients, including some high profile individuals. Particular focus on resolving disputes in a conciliatory way in the best interests of the families and children involved. Reported cases include McMinn v McMinn [2003] 2 FLR 823 and [2003] 2 FLR 839, D v D (Divorce: media presence) [2009] EWHC 946. Heads the Mills & Reeve family dispute resolution practice.
Career
Trained Burges Salmon, Bristol; qualified 1997; Burges Salmon 1997-99; Addleshaw Goddard LLP (latterly as a legal director) 1999-2008; Mills & Reeve LLP 2008 to date. Publications of note: contributor to Humphreys Family Proceedings (2005); Debt and Insolvency on Family Breakdown (2002); A Practitioner’s Guide to Joint Property (2005); Divorce and the Farm, Resolution Good Practice Guide (2009/2012); numerous articles in professional journals. Lectures on family law topics to a wide range of audiences.
Memberships
Resolution National Committee, Resolution EDI committee, HOT pod, Collaborative Law Manchester, Manchester Area Resolution, Pro-Manchester EDI committee (co-chair); Association of Women Solicitors.
Education
Tiverton School; University of Manchester (1993 LLB 2(1)); Manchester Metropolitan University (1994 LPC (Commendation)); University of Manchester (2003 Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling Award); trained collaborative family lawyer (2007); Accredited CEDR civil/commercial mediator (2009); Resolution trained family mediator (2010); listed as Ministry of Justice provider of MIAMs; qualified to consult directly with children in mediation (2011).
Leisure
Family activities, cycling (member of Glossop Kinder Velo), running, skiing, school governor.
Lawyer Rankings
North West > Private client > Family
(Leading individuals)A key point of differentiation for Mills & Reeve LLP is its expertise in alternative dispute resolution, with clients praising its proficiency in ‘mediation (including lawyer assisted mediation), collaborative law, arbitration and other out-of-court options.’ ‘Exceptional’ practice head Alison Bull is highly revered for her capabilities in One Lawyer Two Clients work, helping individuals settle disputes amicably and competently with flexibility that the court system rarely provides. An accredited family and civil mediator, Bull capably handles financial remedy proceeding involving complicated business, trust and overseas assets, as well as being well-versed in the drafting of nuptial agreements. Consultant Nigel Shepherd acts as an evaluator in private FDR proceedings, and his experience and reputation in the legal sphere continues to generate a high volume of activity for the firm. Andrew Moore is integral to the practice due to his broad expertise encompassing both matrimonial finance and children work, while Sue Brookes has been the main driver behind the group’s impressive cohabitation work, as well as routinely advising on post-separation disputes. Rose-Marie Drury has a strong understanding of surrogacy and fertility issues.
London > Private client > Family: mediation
(Leading individuals)‘Mills & Reeve LLP has the only truly national family law team. The London family mediation team is first rate. They are talented and solution focused; able to handle the most complex mediations.’ Alison Bull heads the firm’s family non-court dispute resolution practice. Bull is an accredited family and civil mediator, a hybrid mediator and a professional practice consultant. Suzanne Kingston is hugely respected and also has expertise in family arbitrations. Joanna Grandfield is another highly-regarded member of the ‘very impressive team‘. Tim Whitney was recently promoted to the partnership.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
Firm Rankings
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: Manchester
- Public sector > Education
- Private client > Family
- Public sector > Health
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media and entertainment
- Real estate > Planning and environment
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: Manchester
- Real estate > Commercial property: Manchester
- Employment > Employment
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Real estate > Construction
- Insurance > Clinical negligence: defendant