Debenhams Ottaway

Alexander Neale

Alexander is a partner in the dispute resolution and litigation team. He specialises in contentious and non-contentious insolvency, from general restructuring options to more complex recovery actions under misfeasance, wrongful trading and antecedent transactions. Alex has a particular expertise in office holder claims and recovery actions, many of which have had complex international aspects or have been reported. His cases have led to him undertaking enforcement action in jurisdictions such as the BVI, Barbados and Florida.

Andrew is a partner and the head of the corporate and commercial team. Andrew specialises in corporate and business matters working with clients across multiple sectors including pharmacy, charity, banking and private wealth. Andrew regularly works with investors, companies, LLPs and partnerships, from family run businesses and start-ups to a broad spectrum of private limited companies and unquoted public companies. Andrew has considerable experience dealing with acquisitions, disposals, investment/shareholders’ agreements, share schemes, bespoke articles of association (with different classes of shares, drag & tag, good & bad leaver provisions, growth shares), loan notes, commercial agreements (including supply, distribution and e-commerce), corporate governance and share buy-backs.

Andrew Spearman

Andrew is a partner in the Wills, trusts and probate team. He specialises in trusts but also advises on all aspects of Wills, probate and estate administration, lasting powers of attorney, Court of Protection applications and tax planning. Andrew works with a broad range of clients, including high net worth individuals and families based both locally in Hertfordshire and in and around London. Having advised on high value complex matters as well as lower value estates, he gives the same high level of service to all his clients and consistently receives positive feedback from his clients.

Barry is a partner in our award-winning Wills, trusts and probate team. He advises on all aspects of Wills, probate, tax planning and estate administration, care for the elderly and Lasting Powers of Attorney together with charity and trust matters. Barry’s client base includes a variety of private clients and high net worth individuals based locally in Hertfordshire and in London. Barry also acts on cross border estates and regularly advises clients with cross border assets. He regularly visits professional clients at their offices in London. His experience in the administration of estates ranges from small estates through to large complex estates with multi-national elements. He has experience in drafting deeds of variations and assisting executors with their responsibilities. Barry advises clients who are making a Will for the first time in addition to assisting clients who regularly review their Wills in conjunction with their estate planning. He has experience of drafting lifetime trusts, including discretionary trusts and declarations of trust and registering enduring powers of attorney, lasting powers of attorney and Court of Protection applications. Barry also assists on charitable trust matters including the amendment of Charity Commission Schemes. Barry regularly presents at seminars to clients and referrers on Wills, tax planning and elderly client matters for local banks and schools.

Claire is a partner in the Wills, trusts and probate team. She specialises in probate, trusts, Wills and inheritance tax planning, with an emphasis on trusts, including the management of a wide range of different types of trusts, and the preparation of lifetime trusts, including family settlements, interest in possession, discretionary and personal injury trusts. She also deals with elderly client work, including lasting powers of attorney and Court of Protection matters.

Helen is a partner and the head of the family team. Helen undertakes a wide variety of family work for local, UK and international clients including all aspects of divorce work, pre-nuptial agreements, living together deeds and issues involving children of separating couples. She specialises in financial disputes and settlements between couples.

James is a partner in the corporate and commercial team. He works with clients on their acquisitions, disposals, investment/shareholders’ agreements, share schemes, bespoke articles of association and other constitutional documents, company administration and share buy-backs. James also has wide-ranging experience of advising on commercial agreements, including standard terms and conditions of business, supply of goods and services agreements and distribution agreements.

Jonathan is a partner in the commercial property team, specialising in commercial property and small business sales, providing advice on all types of commercial property transactions and development matters, and the sale and purchase of small and medium size businesses in Hertfordshire. He works for a wide range of clients, including owner managed businesses, developers looking to acquire sites for future potential planning gain, new or expanding businesses looking to lease/buy/sell premises, property investors, land owners and farmers looking to increase the value of their sites, and lenders wishing to secure loans against property.

Juliet Schalker

Juliet is a partner and the head of the litigation team. With her City expertise and contacts, Juliet brings a high level of client focus and service capability to our excellent dispute resolution practice. Juliet’s practice comprises a broad spectrum of commercial disputes, but she has particular expertise in insolvency, banking litigation, private equity and professional negligence claims. Juliet regularly handles high value litigation in specialist divisions of the High Court, often being instructed to act against or alongside major UK or international firms and has been involved, acting for the claimant, in a number of high profile cases in both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Juliet’s focus is on insolvency litigation, private equity and the alternative lending markets, as well as shareholder and boardroom disputes. Juliet also has extensive experience in acting for lenders and insolvency practitioners on high profile professional negligence cases.

Louise is a partner and the head of the employment team. Louise specialises in employment law, advising employers or employees. She works with a broad range of owner-managed SMEs, family businesses, UK subsidiaries and charities, typically employing 150 employees or less. Louise offers a complete employment service which includes preparation of contracts and handbooks; advice on handling HR issues such as disciplinaries and redundancies; advice on the employment aspects of organisational change such as restructuring and mergers, and representation at employment tribunals. She also has experience of litigating employment disputes in the civil courts to include enforcing restrictive covenants, springboard injunctions for data theft and obtaining search orders. Louise regularly advises employees, particularly senior executives on service agreement terms.

Michael Kerrigan

Michael Kerrigan is a partner in the employment team. He has a diverse range of experience in advising both employers and employees. His practical, supportive and commercial approach to advising clients has seen him build a large and loyal base of clients across Hertfordshire and North London. Michael handles a broad spectrum of work ranging from advice on policies and contracts to conducting complex litigation. Recently Michael has been involved in a number high-profile disputes in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal. He has developed a specialism in advising on complex employment status disputes, sexual harassment investigations and claims, whistleblowing and potentially age discriminatory policies (employer justified retirement age). With an extensive experience of advising on all aspects of disciplinary, performance review and sickness absence processes Michael is often called upon on an urgent basis to advise his clients on general HR issues or disputes within the workplace. Michael regularly delivers seminars and training around the latest developments in employment law. As a promoter of equal opportunities and women’s rights, Michael is often asked to speak and comment on the topic of menopause in the workplace.

Natalie Lester is a trusted adviser and partner in our top-tier family law and team, recognised for her strategic expertise in mid to high-value financial settlements and complex family matters. She acts for a broad range of clients, including business owners, high-net-worth individuals, and professionals, offering practical, results-focused guidance on all aspects of divorce, separation, and children arrangements. Natalie is especially known for her financial acumen. As an accredited Resolution specialist in complex financial remedies and cohabitation, she brings clarity and control to even the most challenging financial disputes. Whether navigating multi-million-pound asset divisions or intricate ownership structures, Natalie delivers tailored solutions that protect her clients’ long-term interests. She adopts a pragmatic and non-confrontational approach, seeking to resolve issues constructively and avoid litigation where possible. However, when court proceedings are necessary, clients benefit from her robust determination and unwavering commitment to securing the best possible outcomes, so that they can move on with their life. In addition to her financial expertise, Natalie has built a strong reputation in the specialist area of surrogacy law, advising intended parents and surrogates across the UK and internationally. Natalie also advises individuals at the outset of relationships and is experienced in drafting robust pre-nuptial and cohabitation agreements, helping clients safeguard their wealth and plan for the future with confidence.

Neil is a partner in the commercial property team. His expertise encompasses commercial letting and leases; landlord tenant relations; rent reviews and recovery; buying and selling companies and businesses; development, refinancing and disposals. He works with clients, from small businesses to large companies with diverse property portfolios, in a range of sectors including hospitality, banking, charity, education, leisure, ecclesiastical and healthcare (doctors, dentists, pharmacists and care home owners).

Nigel is a partner and the head of the residential conveyancing team. He is also the senior responsible officer for the purposes of the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation. He is experienced in all aspects of residential property from the sale or purchase of existing freehold houses or leasehold flats to acting for developers or purchasers of new build properties.

Rachel is a partner in the Wills, trusts and probate team. Rachel advises on all aspects of Wills, probate, tax planning and estate administration. Her experience also includes the fields of care of the elderly, nursing home fees, registration of enduring powers of attorney, lasting powers of attorney and deputyship work, as well as advising clients in relation to deferred payment schemes and disability facilities agreements with the local authority. Rachel’s client base includes a variety of private and high net worth clients based both locally in Hertfordshire and in London.

Ruth is a partner and the head of the property team. She specialises in all types of commercial property including landlord and tenant, freehold and leasehold sales and purchases and secured lending work. Ruth is experienced at dealing with a range of transactions from complex and high-value multi-million-pound sales and purchases to simple leasehold matters. She handles sales and acquisitions, investment and owner-occupied commercial property, portfolio management and property aspects of company sales and purchases. She acts for a wide range of clients from large corporates and banks to private individuals, retailers, investors, public bodies and developers.

Stacey St Clair

Stacey is a partner in the family law and divorce team and has over 10 years’ experience in all areas of divorce and family law, helping clients who are facing relationship breakdown or other family conflict. She has a wealth of experience in dealing with divorce and high value financial cases and provides practical advice and clear guidance on achieving the best outcome for her clients. She also handles complex and challenging private children disputes involving residence, contact, welfare and relocation issues. Stacey trained as a collaborative lawyer and offers a non-adversarial approach when appropriate. She has a calm, measured approach and works tirelessly to resolve family disputes in a constructive, conciliatory and cost-effective way, without fuss or legal jargon.

Susan Glenholme

Susan is the managing partner of Debenhams Ottaway and also manages the growing Wills, trusts and probate team. She offers specialist advice in Wills, probate, trusts, tax planning and estate administration and also advises elderly clients in relation to their general affairs, in particular, the preparation of lasting powers of attorney and their registration. Susan is regularly appointed by clients to act as executor, trustee and attorney. Her client base includes a variety of private clients and a number of high-net-worth clients based both locally in Hertfordshire and in London.