Nelsons Solicitors Limited

Melanie Bridgen

Partner & Solicitor. Melanie acts in complex family law cases including divorce, child arrangements orders, international relocation, child abduction, domestic abuse, parental alienation, care proceedings, adoption placement breakdown, deprivation of liberty and habitual residence jurisdiction.

Daniel Brumpton

Partner. Daniel specialises in professional negligence claims against solicitors and barristers, surveyors, financial advisers, accountants and insurance brokers amongst others. This includes mishandled litigation, tax advice, commercial property transactions, mergers and acquisitions, pension disputes, financial litigation including hedging claims and financial product mis-selling, professional indemnity disputes, professional fee disputes, complaints and regulatory matters. Daniel regularly delivers seminars to clients and intermediaries on all areas of professional negligence.

Partner. Chris qualified as a Solicitor in 2013 and joined Nelsons' Dispute Resolution team in January 2024. Chris has extensive expertise in property disputes, rights of way claims, landlord and tenant disputes and commercial disputes.

James Coningsby

Partner. James specialises in all types of commercial property law matters, including development projects and acquisitions and disposals. James' caseload consists, in the main, of complex development work mostly for private sector clients but also for lenders and clients in the social housing sector. James has gained considerable experience in creative residential, retail and mixed-use development projects in cities across the country. He acts as lead lawyer and so provides a single point of contact giving access to the range of services Nelsons offer. He also deals with high value acquisitions and disposals; sales and leaseback transactions; securitisations; options and promotion agreements. Areas of practice include retail property; voluntary sector property; commercial and residential development; secured lending; business leases; investment property; planning and environment.

Kieron Crowther

Partner. Kieron joined Nelsons in September 2019 and is a Partner in our expert Commercial Property team. He has particular expertise in land acquisition and disposal; commercial developments; commercial renewable energy and development work; secured lending; commercial sales and disposals; commercial landlord and tenant – asset management; and land and building plot acquisitions.

Partner. Emma specialises in family law cases and advises on divorce and financial settlements which involve complex issues and substantial assets. Working closely with our personal injury team, Emma provides specialist advice on family matters to clients who have suffered a head or brain injury. She also advises on pre and post nuptial agreements and separation agreements along with private law Children Act disputes. Emma is a qualified collaborative practitioner. Her areas of experience include matrimonial law including divorce; financial remedy; civil partnership dissolution; collaborative law; pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements; separation agreements; parental responsbility; child arrangements; and prohibited steps orders and specific issue orders.

Partner & head of commercial property. Riaz specialises in commercial property and has particular expertise in matters relating to owners, occupiers and investors, land acquisition and disposal, commercial and residential development, asset management, commercial landlord and tenant matters, secured lending and property transactions involving pension schemes.

Emma Emma Toes (née Ward)

Partner. Emma specialises in intellectual property and commercial work, providing comprehensive and pragmatic advice in respect of both contentious and non-contentious matters. Emma also advises clients on trade mark registration, acting for clients in filing and prosecuting applications at the UK Intellectual Property Office, as well as in opposition and cancellation proceedings.

Partner & Solicitor. Nadia qualified as a Solicitor in 2009 and joined Nelsons in May 2017. She has specialised in Wills and Probate matters, including Will drafting and Inheritance Tax, since 2007. Nadia's areas of expertise include Wills; Inheritance Tax planning; administration of estates; grants of Probate; grants of Letters of Administration; Powers of Attorney; administration of affairs; Trust creation and administration; declarations of Trust; residential care fee planning/protection of assets; and Surrogacy Wills.

Partner. Julie qualified as a Solicitor in 1995 and joined Nelsons' expert Medical Negligence team in January 2024. Julie specialises in a wide spectrum of clinical negligence matters, particularly in claims concerning brain injuries suffered by babies at birth and claims concerning surgical errors.

Chairman. In 2017, Tim took on the full-time, executive management role of chairman, working alongside Stewart Vandermark, with responsibility for overseeing Nelsons' strategic development and financial performance. Tim is qualified in law and management and is chair of Nelsons' Board of Management.

Paul Hinchliffe

Partner & Solicitor. Paul qualified as a Solicitor in 2015 and joined Nelsons in 2016. He specialises in commercial property law matters, including business leases, assignments and underlettings, acquisitions and disposals of freehold, leaseback arrangements, commercial mortgages, first registrations, adverse possession and commercial property portfolio management.

Chris Huntingford

Partner. Chris heads up the residential property team at Nelsons, specialising in house sales and purchased. He has been advising on residential conveyancing matters since 2005. Chris specialises in acting for HNW individuals and professional portfolio landlords in both sales and acquisitions of all types of residential properties. Chris is experienced in advising clients in connection with lease extensions for residential property as well as leasehold enfranchisement. His areas of expertise include residential freehold and leasehold sales and purchases; re-mortgages; transfer of equity; right to buy purchases; shared ownership properties; new build property; deeds of grant (rights of way, rights of services, etc); residential lease extensions; adverse possession registrations; prescriptive easement registrations; buy to let and house in multiple occupation (HMO) acqusitions; and limited company owned residential property.

Partner and head of employment and education. Laura has a strong reputation in all aspects of employment law and has particular experience of developing HR support services for businesses. She has advised on employment law matters since qualifying as a solicitor in 2005. Her areas of expertise include employment tribunal litigation; hearing advocacy; discipline and grievance issues; unfair and constructive unfair dismissal claims; restructuring, redundancy and transfer of undertakings issues; all forms of discrimination including disability, race, sex and religion; employment contracts, handbooks and policies; settlement agreements and industrial relations issues. Laura was The Lawyer Assistant Solicitor of the year 2011, Birmingham Law Society Assistant/Associate Solicitor of the Year 2010, and won the Women on their Way: Woman in Law award in 2009.

Partner and head of Nelsons' debt recovery team. His areas of practice include commercial contract claims; civil litigation; B2B disputes; civil fraud; defamation; injunctions; international disputes; judicial review; professional negligence; partnership disputes; winding up petitions and individual bankruptcy; debt recovery.

Catherine McCannah

Partner. Since qualification in 2005, Catherine has specialised in wills and probate. Her areas of expertise include will drafting; inheritance tax planning; administration of estates; grants of probate; grants of letters of administration; court of protection; powers of attorney; administration of affairs; trust creation and administration; declarations of trust; residential care fees planning/protection of assets.

Partner. Kevin's areas of expertise include, contentious probate and Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 claims; disputes relating to the administration of trusts and estates; Insolvency litigation, including, preference/transaction at an undervalue claims and other types of claim on behalf of liquidators/trustees in bankruptcy; bankruptcy; director disqualification proceedings; professional negligence claims against all types of professionals including solicitors, accountants and surveyors. Breach of data protection claims; general commercial and civil litigation, such as, shareholder and partnership disputes; contract claims financial irregularity claims such as breaches of the Consumer Credit Act/mis-selling of financial products and guarantee disputes.

Peter Nicholson

Partner. Peter qualified as a Solicitor in 2012 and joined Nelsons' Employment Law team in 2018. He has specialised in employment law matters since qualification, advising businesses and individuals on a wide range of issues, including unfair and constructive unfair dismissal claims; discipline and grievance issues; all forms of discrimination including disability, race, sex and religion; settlement agreements; employment contracts, handbooks and policies; restructuring, redundancy and transfer of undertakings issues; and employment tribunal litigation.

Partner. Areas of practice include all clinical negligence claims with specialist expertise in medical inquests. Matthew was registered General Nurse in 1992, and has nursing experience in most areas of acute hospital care.

Partner. Rik joined Nelsons in November 2023 He specialises in corporate law services, including mergers, acquisitions and disposals, corporate restructuring/reorganisations, management buy-outs and buy-ins, company formations and shareholders’ agreements. Rik has a particular specialism in accountancy practice sales and purchases.

Partner and head of personal injury and clinical negligence. Lisa specialises in serious injury work, with a special interest in brain and spinal injury cases; accidents at work; and inquests. Specialist interest in head injuries and serious orthopaedic injuries. Volunteer for Headway Lincolnshire.

Gareth Protheroe

Partner & Solicitor. Gareth qualified as a solicitor in 2014 and joined Nelsons in 2016. He specialises in children law, including children proceedings (acting for parents in care proceedings, child arrangements and prohibited steps orders and specific issue orders), parental responsibility and domestic violence – injunctions.

Partner and head of corporate services. Alice has a wealth of experience advising clients on a variety of acquisitions and disposals (both shares and assets) and joint ventures in a number of sectors. Alice has a particular specialism dealing with Nelsons’ company clients’ share scheme and reorganisation work including option arrangements, employee share schemes, shareholders’ agreements and articles of association and also documents relating to shareholder protection arrangements including single and double cross option arrangements. Alice has also worked with a number of charity clients providing corporate governance advice.

Partner, Solicitor & Mediator. Gayle qualified as a Solicitor in 1997 and worked in Nelsons' Family Law team from 2001 to 2013, and then re-joined in December 2020. Gayle specialises in family law, advising and mediating in relation to divorce and separation cases, often involving complex financial settlements. Gayle also advises on private children law matters and applications (parental responsibility, specific issue orders and prohibited steps orders), including the resolution of children arrangements, civil partnership dissolution, pre and post-nuptial agreements, separation agreements and cohabitation agreements.

Partner. Andy specialises in all areas of commercial litigation, including commercial contract, director and shareholder and partnership disputes. He also regularly advises on corporate and personal insolvency and property litigation matters.

Helen Salisbury

Partner & Solicitor. Helen has specialised in Wills and Probate matters since qualification in 2009. Her areas of expertise include Wills, Inheritance Tax planning, administration of estates, Grants of Probate, Grants of Letters of Administration, Powers of Attorney, administration of affairs, Trust creation and administration, declarations of trust and residential care fee planning/protection of assets.

Partner & Licensed Conveyancer. Trevor has been practising land law and advising on residential conveyancing matters since 2002. Trevor's areas of expertise include all aspects of freehold and leasehold sales and purchases; limited company property investments/portfolio transfers; buy to let and House in Multiple Occupation (HMO); lease extensions; unregistered property; adverse possession; transfers of part and plot sales; new build purchases; help to buy equity scheme; remortgages; transfers of equity; matrimonial conveyancing; right to buy, shared ownership and social housing schemes; equity release and life time mortgages; severance of tenancy; declarations of trust; probate/deputy dispositions of land; auction sale preparation; pre-auction purchase advice; private lending security; lender only representation; creation and registration/discharge of third-party interests in land; general title investigations; independent legal advice; ID1 forms; appointed commissioner for oaths.

Partner. Adrian qualified as a Solicitor in 1998 and joined Nelsons as a Partner in May 2024. Adrian advises on contentious insolvency matters and commercial debt collection, supporting insolvency practitioners, businesses and individuals, with a particular focus on investigating the reasons for a company’s failure and identifying any potential claims that can be pursued through the Courts for the benefit of the company’s creditors. This includes investigating the conduct of directors, antecedent transactions, frauds such as Ponzi and pyramid schemes, and tracing assets in multiple jurisdictions. Adrian is also experienced in trust and property issues arising in the context of bankruptcy, investigating the extent of the bankrupt’s interest in a property, and realising that interest for the benefit of the bankrupt’s creditors. Adrian also updates a chapter in Tolley’s Insolvency Law Service entitled “Official Receiver: Personal”.

Partner & Independent Financial Adviser. Areas of expertise investment advice for individuals and trustees, Inheritance Tax planning, advice on Trusts, pensions and retirement planning, cash flow modelling, life insurance advice.

Jane Sutherland

Partner and head of wills and probate. Since qualification, Jane has specialised in all areas of wills and probate. Areas of expertise include wills; inheritance tax planning; administration of estates; grants of probate; grants of letters of administration; court of protection; powers of attorney; administration of affairs; trust creation and administration; declarations of trust; and residential care fees planning/protection of assets. Jane is experienced in high value estates.

Partner. Duncan has practised exclusively in company and commercial law since qualification and is recommended by The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners guides to the legal profession. His areas of expertise include acquisitions, disposals and mergers; management buy-outs and buy-ins; banking and corporate finance; corporate governance; joint ventures; corporate reorganisations; and share sales and purchases.

Partner & Independent Financial Adviser. His areas of specialism include investment advice for individuals, trustees, deputies and attorneys; advice on long-term care; life insurance advice; pensions and retirement planning; investment fund research and analysis; cash flow modelling.

Partner, Chartered Financial Planner & head of investment management. Zoe’s areas of expertise include providing bespoke advice for Personal Injury, Court of Protection deputies and attorneys, alongside holistic financial planning for private clients and business owners. Zoe also specialises in Personal Injury Trust investment; pensions and retirement planning, investment advice for individuals and trustee clients, investment fund research and analysis, Inheritance Tax planning, life insurance advice; and cash flow modelling.

Partner. Ian joined Nelsons in 2023 as a Partner in our Commercial Property team. His areas of expertise include landlord and tenant (commercial); land acquisition and disposal; commercial developments; commercial landlord and tenant – asset management; pension scheme-related property transactions; secured lending.

Stewart Vandermark

Chief Executive. Stewart is responsible for Nelsons' strategic oversight. He has a full time management role and works alongside Tim Hastings. Before becoming Nelsons' Chief Executive, Stewart was a partner in the dispute resolution department, specialising in resolving intellectual property disputes.

Partner. Amanda qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and joined Nelsons in July 2024. Her areas of expertise include Wills, Inheritance Tax planning, administration of estates, grants of Probate, grants of Letters of Administration, Powers of Attorney, administration of affairs, and residential care fee planning/protection of assets.

Simon Waterfield

Partner. Simon has extensive expertise in property disputes; rights of way claims; landlord and tenant disputes; and commercial disputes. His areas of expertise include: - Property disputes (boundary disputes, adverse possession, restrictive covenants, emergency injunctions; planning issues and appeals, squatters' claims); - Rights of way claims (access and easement disputes, enforcement of rights of way, advising and representing clients at public rights of way enquiries); - Landlord and tenant disputes (rent arrears claims for commercial and residential landlords, forfeiture and relief from forfeiture claims, distraint and dilapidations claims, commercial lease renewals); - Commercial disputes. Simon is Editor on the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) website.

Partner. Lucy qualified as a Solicitor in 2007 and joined Nelsons in March 2022 as a Partner. Lucy specialises in all areas of medical negligence cases and advises and represents people involved in inquests. The cases that she advises on involve the whole range of NHS trusts, private doctors and other healthcare professionals and the claims that could arise from errors or failings in any form of medical treatment. Since qualifying, Lucy has helped clients to obtain substantial compensation in cases involving birth-related injuries, delayed diagnosis of cancer, surgical errors and in circumstances where their loved ones have tragically passed away as a result of negligence.

Partner. Emma qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and joined Nelsons' expert Medical Negligence team in January 2024 . Emma specialises in a wide spectrum of clinical negligence matters and assists with representation at inquests.