Oliver Sloam

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Leaders in Law endorses Oliver Sloam as our exclusively recommended Private Client Law expert in the United Kingdom. If you wish to get in touch with Oliver, please use the contact information provided above.

Oliver Sloam graduated from The University of Birmingham in 2005 with a BA in Political Science and subsequently obtained an LLB degree from The College of Law.  He is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

He spent a year in The City of London acting in Financial PR and subsequently trained and qualified as a solicitor in 2012 at Howard Kennedy (formerly Howard Kennedy FSI).

Oliver specialised previously in Private Client law, advising on the Administration of Estates, Wills, Inheritance Tax planning, Lasting Powers of Attorney and the formation and registration of Charities.

He is now involved in all aspects of our firm’s activities and development and co-ordinates all legal issues of the firm.

Firm Description:

Nigel Sloam & Co is an independent firm of actuaries and consultants, established in 1979, with a strong focus on producing imaginative and effective solutions for an extraordinarily diverse clientele.

We offer a full range of services, actuarial, investment consulting, independent trusteeship and financial planning advice across the pension spectrum and in the assessment and quantification of future uncertain financial events.

We aim to ensure that our clients receive a full and comprehensive menu of information so that they can make the best possible decisions. In a pensions context, the NSS Solution is that pension planning must be integrated with financial planning for other assets and resources in the most tax efficient manner and that good investment selection is a part of that process.

We provide holistic solutions to clients’ problems. We aim to build friendly, relaxed and enduring relationships with our clients, with a clear understanding of their needs and aspirations.

A principal speciality is to provide pensions and related wealth management advice to entrepreneurs, directors, partners in professional firms, senior management and high net worth individuals in respect of themselves, their families and also their employees, where appropriate.

We have an investment team dedicated to designing and implementing appropriate strategies, which meet the requirements and risk profiles of both individuals and trustees.

A major area of expertise is on advising self-administered pension schemes of all descriptions – and their members – both in the UK and overseas. We are a market leader in advising on occupational Small Self Administered Pensions Schemes (SSASs) and Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), where the members require maximum flexibility. Nigel Sloam was the first and is the current Chairman of the Association of Consulting Actuaries Committee on member directed pension schemes.

In addition, we advise employers and boards of trustees on how to manage staff pension schemes in the most optimal manner.

 

Michel Kallipetis QC FCIArb

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Leaders in Law endorses Michel Kallipetis QC FCIArb as our exclusively recommended Commercial Mediation expert in the United Kingdom. If you wish to get in touch with Michel, please use the contact information provided above.

Michel is the former Head of Littleton Chambers, and has 40 years’ experience as a practising barrister in the field of general commercial, professional negligence and employment work. He is recognised in The Legal Directories as an expert in his field in Mediation, Commercial Litigation and Professional Negligence. He is an Accredited Mediator with CEDR and ADR Chambers, was appointed to the Hong Kong HKIAC Accredited Mediator Panel and as one of the first CIArb Mediation Fellows in 2008.

In 2009 he was made a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators and was its President for the year 2021-2022. In 2012 Michel was invited to become a member of the Singapore International Mediation Centre’s Panel of Mediators. He is a member of The Sports Resolution Panel and The Panel of Independent Mediators and is a Chartered Arbitrator. He is fluent in German, and has a working knowledge of French.

Mediation Experience:

Michel Kallipetis regularly mediates a wide variety of disputes national and internationally including: partnerships; banking; insurance and re-insurance; all areas of employment disputes including racial and sex discrimination claims and pension rights; solicitors and valuers’ negligence claims; medical negligence and personal injuries claims; construction, engineering and commercial disputes with claims over several £100m including referrals from the Commercial Court and the Technology & Construction Court. He has also mediated a variety of land disputes involving rights of way and disputed boundaries. Many of the mediations have been multi party disputes and others have involved international companies and the laws of other countries. He has mediated for the ICC, and the AAA.

Michel initiated and was the first Chairman of the Bar Council ADR Committee holding the position for 9 years until retiring from the position in summer of 2008. He was a member of the working party which drafted the EU Code of Practice for Mediators, and gave expert opinion to JURI, the legal service committee of the European Parliament, prior to its adopting the European ADR Directive. He was a member of the UNCITRAL Working Group II which drafted the Singapore Convention on Mediation.

Michel regularly conducts training sessions for barristers and solicitors to enable them to represent their clients more effectively in mediation. He carried out mediation training for the Hong Kong judiciary at the request of the Chief Justice, and more recently, conducted a seminar on mediation advocacy for the Hong Kong Bar which was streamed to the PRC.

Michel Kallipetis led a team to train Arbitrators for the Kingdom of Bhutan at the request of the Chief Justice and arbitrates a variety of national and international commercial disputes.

He is a founding member of Independent Mediators Limited

Other dispute resolution experience

He was counsel for the ADR Group in the seminal case Halsey v Milton Keynes, and in Brown v Rice and Patel, and has been instructed on behalf of the Appellant in the forthcoming case of Merthyr Tydfil v Churchill which will revisit the Court of Appeal decision in Halsey.

In November 2020 Michel was awarded ‘Lawyer of the Year’ in the Mediation category in the Who’s Who Legal awards, and has been one of WWL’s Thought Leaders in mediation for several years.

Mediation style

Mixing the authority and stature of a KC and a former Deputy High Court Judge with his personal charm Michel is able to quickly gain the trust of the parties. He blends facilitative and evaluative techniques as the situation demands to create his own versatile and effective style of mediation and is able to affect settlement in a more direct manner than many other mediators.

Training/talks/books/articles

Talks and Training Michel has given include:

He regularly conducts training sessions for barristers and solicitors to enable them to represent their clients more effectively in mediation. He has carried out mediation training for the Hong Kong judiciary at the request of the Chief Justice, and the for the Bar in England, Hong Kong, Trinidad, Guernsey and Jersey. He was a Recorder and sat as a deputy High Court Judge in Queen’s Bench, Chancery and the TCC for over twenty years.

Books/articles:

He is the author of several articles on mediation in the English legal press.

  • He is the author of a chapter on ‘Mediation in Employment disputes’ in “Mediators on Mediation”
  • Co-author with Stephen Ruttle KC of the chapter on “Mediation in the UK” in Volume I of ‘Mediation in Business’ published by Kluwer
  • Author of the chapter on ‘Mediation Privilege and Confidentiality and the EU Directive’ in Volume II.
  • Author of the Chapter on ‘Mediation Ethics’ in “How to Master Commercial Mediation” published by Bloomsbury in January 2015.

Areas of Expertise

  • Banking / Finance
  • Commercial contracts
  • Commercial fraud / Fraud
  • Company shareholders
  • Competition
  • Construction and engineering
  • Defamation
  • Employment
  • Franchise
  • Group actions
  • Insolvency
  • I.T.
  • Insurance / reinsurance
  • Intellectual Property
  • International
  • Local and national government
  • Medical negligence / Personal injury
  • Oil and gas
  • Partnerships
  • Pensions
  • Probate / Trusts / Estates
  • Professional negligence
  • Property
  • Regulatory
  • Sport
  • Transport / logistics

Professional memberships

  • Hong Kong HKIAC Accredited Mediator Panel
  • CIArb Mediation Fellow
  • Distinguished Fellow and former President of the International Academy of Mediators
  • Singapore International Mediation Centre’s Panel of Mediators
  • Japan International Mediation Centre’s Panel of Mediators
  • Member of Sport Resolution (UK) panel
  • PIM Senior Mediator
  • CMC Registered Mediator
  • International Mediation Institute Certified Mediator
  • Chartered Arbitrator

Firm Description:

We are…

  • a group of leading, full-time civil and commercial mediators whose independent practices are centrally managed
  • Europe’s only dedicated chambers of full-time independent commercial mediators
  • all our members are listed as top mediators in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500
  • the most efficient, cost-effective and only way to appoint these mediators.

We offer…

Quality

  • direct access to some of Europe’s leading commercial mediators

Convenience

  • a single phone call to confirm availability and book any of our mediators
  • immediate access to these mediators’ diaries for enquiries and bookings
  • we won’t have to “check if they are available and get back to you”
  • other leading mediators available instantly if first choice is not

Value

  • clients only pay for the mediator
  • there are none of the administration costs, mark-up or overheads associated with some mediation service providers

Transparency

  • complete transparency of fee arrangements

Advice

  • if required, on choice of mediator and the appropriateness of mediation

We are not…

  • another mediation service provider
  • another mediator panel
  • offering inexperienced or unsuitable mediators – we only have top-flight mediators
  • “pushing” particular mediators – we let their reputations speak for themselves

 

Edite Ligere

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Leaders in Law endorses Edite Ligere as our exclusively recommended Banking & Finance Law expert in the United Kingdom. If you wish to get in touch with Edite, please use the contact information provided above.

Edite’s practice focuses on the regulation of artificial intelligence, global financial regulation, banking, insurance, human rights, machine learning and cyber security.

Edite has participated in and advised on global regulatory standard setting and the national implementation of global regulatory standards. Edite is a regular contributor to various pro bono human rights and environmental initiatives, an author of various legal publications and a speaker at international and national conferences.

Edite Ligere holds an LLB (First) and an LLM from the University of London. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales by the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn and is a Hubert Greenland Scholar of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn.

Practice Areas

  • Regulation of Artificial Intelligence
  • Global Financial Regulation
  • Banking
  • Insurance
  • Human Rights
  • Machine Learning Cyber Security

Appointments

  • Member of the board of the Assured Cyber Protection/Financial Times Cyber Resilience Summit 2022
  • Honorary Vice President of The Windsor Platinum Jubilee Committee for the celebration of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee
  • Member of the Bar Council’s and the Law Society’s joint Cybersecurity Working Group
  • General Council of the Bar of England and Wales 2019-2022 (Elected member)
  • Director of Politeia think tank 2021-2022
  • Bar Council Law Reform Committee
  • Galileo Global Group, New York, NY, U.S.A., Senior Advisor
  • Philanthropy Board of the Institute of Cancer Research
  • Chairman of the Windsor Benefit Trust (for the advancement of music and the arts)
  • Member of various international and U.K. pro bono legal initiatives
  • Rights of audience in the courts of England and Wales

Awards

  • Hubert Greenland Scholar, awarded by The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn (2000)

Education

  • Intern at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law focusing on EU and international law (1999 – 2002)
  • Bar Vocational Course, (Outstanding in Advocacy), Inns of Court School of Law, London (2000)
  • LLB (First Class Honours: 1996-1999); LLM in EU law, international law, human rights and United Nations law, University of London, (2000-2001)

Memberships

  • The International Bar Association (2008 – Present).
  • Insurance Institute of London (2008-Present).
  • The Bar Association For Commerce, Finance and Industry (2008-Present).
  • The Bar Council’s Law Reform Committee (2006-Present).
  • The European Law Committee of The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn (2005-Present).
  • The Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association of England and Wales (2002-Present).
  • The Bar European Group (2002-Present).

Firm Description:

1 Crown Office Row, the Chambers of Richard Booth QC, is recognised as one of the leading sets in the UK, particularly in the fields of civil and public law. Our commitment to excellence has led to an equally dedicated and diverse client base, which includes entrepreneurs, small businesses, large corporations, NGOs and local and central Government.

1 Crown Office Row has a stellar reputation for advocacy, court-craft, and specialist advisory work. Our barristers are known both for their forensic expertise and the versatility of their talent, which underpins all of their work. Matthew Phipps, our Senior Clerk, leads a dedicated team of Clerks who provide a top-drawer client service. We remain recommended by Chambers & Partners as one of the top twenty sets for client service.  Legal 500 describe the clerking team as “definitely the benchmark for other sets’” “and everyone at chambers from the tea ladies to the Head of Chambers is a pleasure to work with.”

Members practise in a broad range of Civil Law specialisms including Health Law, Public Law, Professional Discipline, Professional Negligence, Inquests, Public Inquiries, Human Rights, Environmental Law, Immigration, Tax and Multinational Torts. Our Brighton annex offers extensive experience in Civil, Criminal and Family law.

1COR has a pre-eminent reputation in Health Law, including its Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury practice, and Regulatory work for leading Medical organisations and individuals.

Members regularly appear in many of the most significant and high profile Inquests and Inquiries, both public and private. Recently, this has included the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Paterson Inquiry and Hillsborough Inquests.

Tax, Costs, Immigration and Environmental Law are specialist practice areas for a large number of 1COR members, who have been involved in many of the leading cases in these areas in the European Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

Corporate Social Responsibility

The set has a long tradition of active in the legal and wider community. Robert Seabrook QC and former Members (Guy Mansfield QC and Sir Robert Owen) have all been Chairmen of the Bar. Members regularly provide their time on pro bono cases and write and lecture extensively on their areas of expertise in the UK and Overseas. Former members have continued this tradition of service while holding some of the highest judicial positions in the country.

We run the widely acclaimed UK Human Rights Blog and Law Pod UK, a legal podcast with a growing audience. The blog and podcast provide case analysis, interviews and the latest legal news by members of 1COR and external speakers free of charge and advertisement.

Our drive to ensure that our chambers is socially responsible is based on four core principles; Community, Equality & Diversity, Sustainability and Wellbeing.

1COR have passed Cyber Essentials Plus as part of our commitment to cyber security.

History

Chambers was founded in 1935 and takes its name from its current address, 1 Crown Office Row, Temple, which is situated opposite the Inner Temple Gardens in the heart of the Inns of Court. Chambers has occupied its commanding position in the Temple since it relocated after the Second World War from 3 Temple Gardens.

The founding Heads of Chambers, Hildreth Glyn Jones (Glyn) and Stanley Rees, established a culture and atmosphere which has been central to Chambers’ ethos since its foundation and which still continues today.

The hallmarks of the 1COR ethos are standards of excellence and integrity interwoven with a strong sense of responsibility for delivering legal work and advocacy of excellent quality with outstanding client care.

Glyn Jones set these values in motion and they have been the principles at the heart of Chambers growth to its current standing as one of the leading sets in the UK.

The early Heads of Chambers and Members inevitably were moulded by their experience of the Second World War, and after these events they were united as much by friendship as by their roles in Chambers. From this grew a social togetherness and warmth, which continues to be a distinct feature of relationships in Chambers today.

Our previous heads of chambers, Robert Seabrook QC, Philip Havers QC and now Richard Booth QC as Head of Chambers continue to exemplify these core values. Despite very significant growth in Chambers over recent years we maintain a strong identity and a commitment to the ongoing success of chambers as a whole.

The Clerks and staff at 1 Crown Office Row have always been seen as integral to this Chambers family, and they have a longstanding reputation of providing a distinguished quality of work alongside the work of the barristers.

The membership of 1COR has a distinguished record of judicial service and service to the legal profession.

No fewer than 16 former members have been appointed as judges of the High Court and above, with Lord Woolf being appointed a Law Lord, Lord Chief Justice and Master of the Rolls and both Lord Justice Watkins and Lord Justice Latham being appointed Deputy Lord Chief Justice. Numerous members have been appointed to positions on the circuit bench and in the County Court.

High Court & Above

  • Sir Hildreth Glyn-Jones (High Court Judge 1953-1968 and former Head of Chambers)
  • Sir Stanley Rees (High Court Judge 1962-1977 and former Head of Chambers)
  • Sir Tasker Watkins, VC (High Court Judge 1971-1980, Lord Justice of Appeal 1980-1993 and Deputy Chief Justice)
  • Sir Kenneth Jones (High Court Judge 1973-1989)
  • Sir John Wood, MC (High Court Judge 1977-1993, President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal 1988-1993 and former Head of Chambers)
  • Lord Woolf (High Court Judge 1979-1986, Lord Justice of Appeal 1986-1992, Lord of Appeal in Ordinary 1992-1996, Master of the Rolls 1996-2000, Lord Chief Justice of England & Wales 2000-2005)
  • Sir Anthony McCowan (High Court Judge 1981-1989, Lord Justice of Appeal 1989-1997, Senior Presiding Judge of England & Wales 1991-1995 and former Head of Chambers)
  • Sir John Alliott (High Court Judge 1986-2001 and former Head of Chambers 1981-1986)
  • Sir Scott Baker (High Court Judge 1988-2002, Lord Justice of Appeal 2002-2012, Justice of the Court of Appeal of Bermuda 2011-present and former Head of Chambers 1986-1988)
  • Sir David Latham (High Court Judge 1992-2000, Lord Justice of Appeal 2000-2009, Chairman of the Parole Board 2009-2012)
  • Sir Rodger Bell (High Court Judge 1993-2006 and former Head of Chambers 1988-1993)
  • Sir Robert Owen (High Court Judge 2001-2014)
  • Sir David Foskett (High Court Judge 2007-present)
  • Dame Philippa Whipple (High Court Judge 2015-2021, Lord Justice of Appeal 2022-present)
  • Sir Neil Garnham (High Court Judge 2015-present)
  • Dame Christina Lambert (High Court Judge 2018-present)

Circuit & District Judges

  • His Hon Michael Kennedy QC
  • His Hon Duncan Matheson QC
  • Her Hon Judge Christine Henson QC
  • His Hon Judge Anthony Niblett
  • His Hon Simon Coltart
  • His Hon Brian Grant
  • His Hon Christopher Oddie
  • District Judge Keeley Bishop

Three members have served as the elected Chairman of the Bar: Robert Seabrook QC in 1994, Robert Owen QC in 1998 and Guy Mansfield QC in 2005.

We have a distinguished list of associate members, which includes not only former members who remain in legal practice but also those whose practice is predominantly in other diverse jurisdictions.

 

Paul Wordley

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Leaders in Law endorses Paul Wordley as our exclusively recommended Insurance Law expert in the United Kingdom. If you wish to get in touch with Paul, please use the contact information provided above.

Paul is one of the founding partners of Wordley Partnership, having been a partner in a major international law firm where he was a member of the Management and Strategy Boards respectively.

Paul’s expertise is geared towards advisory, complex claims, dispute resolution and coverage issues in the international insurance and reinsurance markets, acting for policyholders, insurers, brokers, intermediaries and reinsurers.

His particular areas of expertise are in the oil, gas, mining, commodities, marine, construction and TMT sectors.

Paul has been involved in a number of high-profile international insurance and reinsurance claims in recent years and has also advised on a number of recent major oil, gas, mining and commodities claims. He also has significant mediation experience having represented clients in several successful multi-million-dollar mediations. Paul has also conducted numerous arbitrations before LMAA, ICC, SCC and LCIA.

He is recommended by expert legal directories as ‘exceptional’ and has become a thought leader in the natural resources insurance world.

Areas of Expertise

• Aviation
• Commodities
• CommTech
• Construction
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Fraud
• Hotels & Leisure
• Industrial Risks
• Insolvency
• (Re) Insurance
• Marine
• Mining
• Powergen
• Property
• Space
• Sport

Firm Description:

Launched in early 2019, Wordley Partnership is a commercial law firm with particular expertise in all aspects of dispute resolution, commercial problem solving and insurance / reinsurance / coverage.

The Partners have many years of experience working on some of the largest and most complex disputes across the globe whilst at an international firm based in the City of London. With proven track records they have consolidated that expertise into their own firm.

They are often instructed to advise boards and directors of companies on legal liability, asset recovery and preservation as well as advising on strategies to resolve disputes and limit liability, whether that be working in the background or openly in arbitrations and litigation. Their expertise extends to prosecuting claims where required and they have a strong track record of success.

In addition to disputes, the firm has a significant non contentious capability.

 

Sophie Newbould

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Leaders in Law endorses Sophie Newbould as our exclusively recommended Data Solutions Law expert in the United Kingdom. If you wish to get in touch Sophie, please use the contact information provided above.

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

A UK-licensed solicitor. Sophie’s background spans corporate, commercial and government legal work at the highest levels. Her decisive approach to business means clients receive clarity, simplicity and rapid execution.

On top of impressive academic achievement, Sophie’s stellar career has seen her work as a business lawyer for private companies, law firms, county councils, the UK police and central government. As a commercial lawyer at The Police ICT Company, Sophie advised on ICT procurements, digital policing portfolio projects and commercial data transfers.

She has served as a Commercial Contracts Advisor for the UK Home Office, as an EU Exit Contracts Advisor with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and acted in a legal advisory capacity on several significant projects, including the Met Office £1bn Supercomputer 2020+ Programme procurement, the UK Gambling Commission’s 4th National Lottery License Competition, supporting the Department for Transport (DfT) Rail Projects Team and consulting the Bank of England on its information management systems procurement & supply chain policies.

While still advising national public sector clients, and utilising her public sector technology experience, in 2019 Sophie co-founded an automation software provider, Athensys, to help suppliers and authorities work more efficiently together.

Today, as well as shaping a bright future for her private law practice Newboulds Solicitors and its ever-growing client roster, Sophie acts as a consultant to the UK’s largest bus company, Stagecoach, advising on large franchising bids, Zero Emission Bus fleet and infrastructure projects plus various transport data commercial models & agreements. She is also working on her own new ground-breaking legal innovation company, innov8aw, which provides UK Legal and justice practitioners access to the world’s finest data, digital and technology through streamlined procurement, marketplace and contract management services.

When not resolving complex commercial legal issues for some of the UK’s most innovative technology companies and public sector organisations, Sophie is leading the pro bono community initiative Who Cares? to inspire social justice revolution by educating and supporting individuals and their families harmed by the UK Authorities’ neglect in fulfilling their duties of care in public services provision.

Firm Overview:

innov8law was established in November 2020 to provide best of breed data, digital and other technology solutions that support busy lawyers and law firm departments that need essential and advanced capability.

innov8law has simplified the procurement process for its clients to be more strategic and precise in their data, digital and technology requirements and returns on investments.  We focus on the benefits that result from protect, process and grow procurement of latest global data, digital and tech, selecting only the finest providers on to the innov8law marketplace.

Our clients are smaller law practices with acute and chronic needs for no-nonsense, high quality and trustworthy legal innovation that provides safe and secure protect, process and grow business innovation support.

 

Simon Costain

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Leaders in Law endorses Simon Costain as our exclusively recommended Podiatry expert in the United Kingdom. If you wish to get in touch with Simon, please use the contact information provided above.

Simon Costain is the owner and senior partner in the Gait and Posture Centre LLP and has more than 45 years of practice experience in Podiatry. He held a Consultant Podiatry post in the NHS and has worked in Harley Street since 1985. Simon is one of the founders of Podiatric Surgery and Podiatric Sports medicine in the UK, but for many years has specialised in non-surgical gait evaluation techniques and, where possible, offers alternatives to surgery for foot problems. He divides his time between his private practice and expert witness work.

His expert witness work involves mainly personal injury evaluation both for plaintiffs and defendants, with a ratio of 75% Claimants, and 25% defendants. He has been involved in criminal cases calling on his expertise in gait analysis of CCTV footage and footprint analysis but
concentrates more now on personal Injury and medical negligence cases. These deal with injuries to the feet, ankles, and lower legs, considering the long-term effect those injuries have upon mobility, gait and posture. These cases can arise from an injury sustained in the workplace, a road traffic or cycling accident, negligence in surgery, or other causes.

Where a patient has an injury that impacts their ability to walk, to be mobile or has continued pain Simon can get involved. The cases often require the use of bespoke made specialised insoles called “orthoses” which often help to optimise foot leg and back function and can include referral to a bespoke shoemaker if necessary. Simon has completed his official expert witness training and holds a (CUBS) Bond Solon
certificate. He was first registered with the Legal Services Commission as a Podiatric expert in
1985. He holds full Expert Witness institute insurance indemnity cover.

Firm Description:

The Gait & Posture Centre LLP consists of several highly qualified and experienced HPC registered Podiatrists, who offer both a full range of footcare treatments, and the latest in advanced Gait Analysis to identify the mechanical cause of musculoskeletal problems of the foot, leg and back. In addition due to our well established team, we have fast track access to a number of other healthcare therapists and specialists where other treatment is required to compliment Podiatry.

We remain an “Accredited Practice” within the framework of our professional governing body ensuring the highest standards available.

The Practitioners all undertake to maintain their CPD (continual professional development) and regularly spend their time out of hours with Multi Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) to help share challenging clinical problems with the goal of being able to help resolve foot, leg and back problems that may require input from other disciplines. We enjoy a symbiotic relationship in this respect with a number of excellent Orthopaedic, Rheumatological, Osteopathic Consultants, Physiotherapists and GPs.

 

Kate Wormald

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Leaders in Law endorses Kate Wormald as our exclusively recommended Prime Brokerage and Derivatives expert in the UK. If you wish to get in touch with Kate, please use the contact information provided above.

Kate has advised and represented a large cross section of the hedge fund community and alternative asset managers over the past 20 years, since founding Oesa in 2002. She has also been engaged by Ernst and Young, large pension funds, a well-known charitable trust, industrial corporates and proprietary trading houses, all of whom required specialist legal advice in relation to their trading and derivative documentation.

Kate qualified as a barrister but decided to pursue a career in the City in house, as a sales and trading legal adviser. Specialising in derivatives and complex structured products, she gained invaluable experience in-house at several large financial institutions including Daiwa Securities, Salomon Brothers (now Citi) and Goldman Sachs, where she was the head of the European capital markets legal team that encompassed not only all the derivative trading activity for EMEA but also its prime brokerage business.

Kate’s advice at all of these institutions was integral to the development of a vast array of new innovative financial products.  In addition, she contributed to the many industry initiatives to standardise documentation, including the ISDA Master Agreement and CSA, FOA ETD agreements, and the GMRA.

Prior to setting up Oesa, Kate was a consultant to the then FSA and was one of the original authors of the Market Abuse Code and the Wholesale Money Markets Code of Conduct.

Kate’s wealth of experience is unmatched today in the alternative asset manager space and she has used this to run Oesa successfully as a bespoke consultancy focused on delivering timely solutions to clients.

Firm Description:

We pride ourselves on working in the most commercial and effective ways to ensure the best fit with our clients’ strategies and objectives.

As a niche consultancy we are able to offer a fresh and flexible approach to fees. We are not constrained by billing at hourly rates and in increments of minutes whether used or not. We can offer retainers, fixed fees, project fees or an hourly rate to meet individual needs and budgetary requirements.

We have several different strands to our business. Whatever service is required we will always be practical, commercial and easy to deal with. We truly understand our clients and their business environments enabling us to give the best solutions in a timely manner.

 

Mia Forbes Pirie

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Leaders in Law endorses Mia Forbes Pirie as our exclusively recommended Independent Mediator expert in the United Kingdom. If you wish to get in touch with Mia use the contact information provided above.

An international mediator, facilitator and coach, Mia has had careers in law and science. In addition to her corporate clients and former career as a solicitor in a top City of London law firm; Mia has worked with governments, religious organisations and Members of Parliament. She has advised the US Department of Energy on using facilitated negotiation to develop controversial legislation.

Described as “a quiet storm”, Mia is trilingual. Educated in the UK, France and Belgium, she holds both a Masters of Law and Science. She has spoken at Chatham House on Conflict Resolution and hosted the European Commission’s Business Awards for the Environment. Recognised by We Are the City as an Inspirational Woman, Mia works with leaders on some of the most challenging issues of our time.

Building on her unique experience in law, negotiation, science and regulation, she approaches mediation as a process in which every party should win, following the philosophy that a jointly developed compromise generally yields the best results for all. She has a reputation for achieving practical and creative solutions whilst improving relationships. Before training as a mediator, Mia practised law for over seven years in the London office of a leading global law firm. As an EU, regulatory and international trade lawyer, she advised FTSE 100 corporations on some of the largest transactions in Europe. She further worked for several years advising the UK and US Governments on the development and implementation of product environmental performance regulation and has advised industry and international organisations on the implementation of energy efficiency regulation. She also advised the US Department of Energy on the merits of using the Negotiated Procedure, a more collaborative approach for the development of regulation.

Mia is trilingual (fluent in English, French and Italian). She has worked and lived in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, France and Italy. Recently, Mia facilitated between different parts of the Mongolian Government supporting them in developing and agreeing on new legislation. Her interests outside her professional work include sailing, yoga, hiking, poetry and arts.

Qualifications

Mia is a CEDR accredited workplace and commercial mediator. She holds a Masters in EC Law from the College of Europe, Bruges and a Masters of Science in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London. In additional to her CEDR accreditation, Mia has studied a number of other types of mediation including transformative mediation and faith-based dispute resolution. Her undergraduate degree is in Law with French Law from University College London. She has also studied coaching (including Health Coaching and Advanced Transformative Narrative Coaching) and a form of psychotherapy (Self-Leadership: IFS).

Energy, the environment and technology

Having already worked on cases involving energy and the environment, Mia left her career as a City solicitor in 2007. She studied at Imperial College where she was awarded a Masters of Science in Environmental Technology with Distinction. She was also joint winner of the Arcadis prize for risk assessment. Mia then worked for several years on two of the world’s leading energy efficiency programmes (in the UK and the US) and has also advised industry and international organisations on developing energy efficiency regulation. She has headed teams of experts developing analysis and legislation on TVs, consumer electronics and information technology.

Much of her work is focused on sustainability, energy and the environment, including facilitating on waste and circular economy for the European Commission and MCing the European Business Awards for the Environment.

Mia has visited waste treatment plants, recycling plants, sewage treatment plants and power stations. After a year spent visiting too many sewage treatment plants she decided to let go of her hiking boots!

Approach, Skills and Values

Mia’s approach is warm, friendly and professional, reflecting her skills and values. Her primary strengths are empathy and strategy (Gallup Strength test). Her business values underpin everything she does as well as supporting each other. They are:

  • Authenticity and integrity;
  • Humanness; and
  • Excellence in delivery.

Giving back

Giving back has always been important to Mia. Alongside her career, since 2012, Mia has volunteered as a community and commercial mediator, initially in Camden and then in Wandsworth as part of an innovative model subsidising community mediation with commercial mediation. She also works on intergenerational matters.

Mia has worked on a number of projects for charities and NGOs pro-bono or for reduced fees. She donates a portion of her profits to Trees for the Future, a charity which helps plant trees.

Firm Description:

Mediation

Disputes are costly, taking time and money whilst damaging morale and ruining relationships. Mia is known for resolving difficult conflict. CEDR accredited, she mediates commercial and workplace matters, specialising in technology, start-ups, partnerships, energy and the environment. READ MORE

Facilitation

Consultation and inclusivity are essential for organisations to thrive. Being involved in the process makes people invested and committed to delivering results. Engaging, participative events and workshops lead to better conversations, better decisions, and better results. READ MORE

Coaching

Group, personal and corporate coaching help teams and individuals to overcome obstacles and reach their potential. As a trusted ally and confidante, Mia supports people in working better together and obtaining the results they most want. READ MORE

Speaking

A compelling and engaging speaker, Mia works closely with organisations to create and deliver talks that make a profound and sustained difference. Experienced and sought-after, she regularly speaks in corporate, personal development, and academic settings to exceptional feedback.READ MORE

Training

Mia develops bespoke training for a wide variety of audiences in both corporate and academic settings. Topics covered include mediation, conflict, difficult conversations, leadership, communication, team dynamics, workplace culture, diversity and inclusion, mental energy and creating change. Her style is interactive and she leaves participants with powerful practical tools. READ MORE

Consulting

You want your team to be as committed to your organisation as you are. But what can you do when they aren’t as motivated or efficient as you would like? An experienced outsider can help you pinpoint the cause, find a solution and get everyone on board. READ MORE

 

David Englehart

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Leaders in Law endorses David Englehart as our exclusively recommended Commercial Property Law expert in the United Kingdom. If you wish to get in touch with David please use the contact information provided above.

David Englehart qualified as a Solicitor in 1966 . Over the ensuing years David has developed considerable expertise in the area of Commercial Property Law and Practice and consequently David provides a trusted and first class service to many valued Clients. The importance of property generally to the economy of the UK has always engaged him, especially the way that property is used as collateral security for business transactions, enabling many small businesses to start up in a way which they would not otherwise have been able to afford to do.

David understands that commercial property is a central part of the firm’s clients’ business, investment and personal lives. He recognises that clients operate in a highly competitive business environment which is a minefield of ever changing policy and legislation. David’s ethos is that he believes that commercial property growth in the UK is critical for clients’ businesses to grow, for the overall growth of the economy and to the UK as a whole.

David acts for a number of property investment clients and is aware of the importance to these clients of their tenants. He has considerable expertise in Landlord and Tenant Law and Practice. He also acts for numerous tenants of commercial property.

David recognises that it is important for his clients to be able to depend on their legal partners hence his firm’s slogan; ‘Your Legal partners for Life’.

He is fascinated with the diversity that we have in this country, and in particular the close-knit family values prevalent in those businesses formed by people coming to the UK and establishing themselves through hard work.

David devotes his spare time to being with his wife, Angela, who also manages the firm. At weekends he enjoys reading and spending time with his beloved dog, Stanley.

Specialist Area of Law

  • Commercial Conveyancing
  • Commercial Business Matters

Other Areas of Law Covered

  • Landlord and Tenant

Commercial Property

Engleharts understands that commercial property is a central part of our clients’ business, investment and personal lives. We recognise our clients operate in a highly competitive business environment which is a minefield of ever changing policy and legislation. At Engleharts we believe that commercial property growth in the UK is critical for our clients’ businesses to grow, for the overall growth of the economy and essentially to the UK as a whole.

The current climate is fuelled by political uncertainty, with the possibility of many businesses relocating overseas. There is also the looming pressures on the Government to provide social housing as well as the rising costs associated with development and property investment.  It is now important for our clients to be able to depend on their legal partners and to be able to discuss their proposed business transactions with them.

Firm Description:

Engleharts Solicitors is a well-known independent law firm specialising in business and personal law. Our highly skilled team of solicitors and executives provide over 100 years of experience. We specialise in business, property and the personal side of law such as Wills and disputes, whether matrimonial or otherwise.

Our Promise To You

We pride ourselves on building relationships with our clients that last a lifetime. Our straightforward approach and no-nonsense style means that we bring clarity to our clients, even in the most complex of legal situations. At Engleharts, we care deeply about our clients and place them at the centre of everything we do. We listen carefully to their needs and work tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.

Our aim is to become your legal partners for life.

 

Kim Simmonds

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Leaders in Law endorses Kim Simmonds, CEO and Founder of Law 365, as our exclusively recommended Technology Law expert in the United Kingdom. If you wish to get in touch with Kim please use the contact information provided above.

“Law 365 is unique because it is the only law firm in the world to cater solely to the day to day needs of Microsoft Partners. For ambitious businesses that can’t (or don’t want to) hire their own legal team, we’re the perfect partner.” Kim Simmonds, CEO and Founder

Law 365 is a specialised commercial and employment law firm under the leadership of the Founder and CEO, Kim Simmonds.

Law 365’s Legal-as-a-Service (LaaS) model has been a great success among Microsoft Partners because of its unique combination of specialization, affordability and client service. Part of its success is owed to the Microsoft Technologies that the firm has embraced to offer real-time legal advice, enhanced communication and efficient processes. The clients love the business model which emulates their own way of selling and billing – Software as a Service (Saas).

Kim Simmonds – a mindful leader

Being a mindful leader is a critical element in Kim’s success. Mindfulness isn’t a skill we were taught in school and not a practice often associated with the legal profession. So to hone these skills, which Kim takes seriously, Kim has started an “Inner MBA” course at New York University with other mindful CEOs to learn the elements of great leadership.  

Kim applies what she learns at NYU to every aspect of the business, but especially the wellbeing practices of the firm such as the daily led meditation by Kim for all staff.

If it all feels a bit zen for a law firm, it’s important to point out that mindful leadership is successful leadership. Last year, while many businesses faltered, Kim Simmonds quadrupled the number of clients on the Law 365 books – from 11 to 40 – and increased her team from 3 to 14 (which continues to increase even now). She also added an employment practice to compliment her commercial offering and has won numerous awards.

What makes Law 365 unique?

  • Our ‘Forever Promise’ to our clients. We sell our legal services as a subscription for members, like Spotify or Netflix. Clients pay a flat monthly fee tied to tangible results instead of the minute-counting that comes with the old law firm model of billable hours. Our clients love this as they have a fixed price every month, no surprises.
    How it works: At the beginning of our relationship with each client we make a commitment to them which we call our “Forever Promise.” We promise that we will work with them to make sure their business is in the best possible shape and has a solid foundation for sustainable growth. As American Express articulated in their famous ad campaign, “Membership has its privileges.” As well as providing excellent and specialist legal advice, our subscription membership includes a “Book club” for 40+ of our client members, which has been so popular we’ve received requests to be added to the list. We are also expanding the member privileges to include coaching and networking opportunities where Microsoft partners can mentor each other as their businesses grow.
  • Law 365 is a happy place to work. Kim Simmonds doesn’t just want to be disruptive in the way law firms work with clients, she wants to be disruptive in the way employees are treated too – employee engagement is her main KPI. She provides every employee with an Executive Performance coach, for two hours, every month. There are team coaching sessions too, yoga and meditation weekly, and special treats like gong baths, chocolate making and cooking classes. When the country went into lockdown last year, she sent food and wellness care packages to all her staff at home. Happiness and wellbeing are the heart of the business.
  • Law 365 works exclusively for Microsoft Partners. We know our clients’ businesses as well as they do, and sometimes we know it better because it’s rare there’s an issue we haven’t seen before. We act as advisors not just lawyers, helping their businesses to grow with less risk.

What have been the firm’s key achievements over the past 12 months?

  • We’re growing fast. Law 365 has quadrupled in size during the pandemic lockdown. We’ve grown from 3 employees to 14 and from 10 clients to more than 40.
  • We launched our employment practice last August, which has been an instant success. It’s the perfect complement to our existing commercial services and has really been essential for our clients as they navigate challenges like Covid, Brexit and IR35.
  • Our Executive Performance Coach has come on board full-time, which Kim sees as cementing the foundations of the wellbeing goals she has for her staff.

Looking ahead

At the moment Kim is focussed on changing the business model – implementing our subscription model pricing and creating a true member organisation where clients feel inspired and delighted by our service. This is like nothing else in the legal market. What we offer is a true gamechanger for our clients – they get our expertise in an easy to use, and easy to buy, format and become part of an incredible membership of their peers.

We are also developing technology to enhance our services. Law 365 is developing some incredible Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools which will come to the market in the next few years and will be available for our existing clients before that.

We also recruiting and growing fast so that we can support the demand from Microsoft Partners.

What our client’s say about Law 365

“We were looking for a modern and innovative legal firm with a deep understanding of the complexities of the technology world. The on-boarding process was very efficient and incredibly fast, with a series of agreed tasks and activities underway within a few days. Law 365’s commercial models were flexible and fitted our requirements perfectly.”

Scott Dodds, CEO at Ultima Business Solutions

“Having a legal partner in Law 365 has given us the solid foundations to not only have great contracts and agreement templates to support our growth, but legal experts on hand who understand our industry and how Microsoft partners work with customers. As part of the partnership with Law 365, they took the time out to learn about our team and the customers we have and conducted an audit to identify any areas for immediate attention. They then provided us with recommendations and walked us through the contract documents provided through a client portal and clearly explained what we should using when and what to look out for in any contracts supplied to us by customers. If you’re a Microsoft partner looking to have a stable foundation with contracts that protect your future, then Silicon Reef would recommend you speak to Law 365 today.”

Alex Graves, Co-Founder of Silicon Reef

“We chose Law 365 to help us because they’re specialists in Microsoft contracts, Microsoft Partners and the IT/Software channel.  It’s been fantastic, they’re always there when we need them.”

Nicole Hill, Sales Operations Manager at Grey Matter 

“Kim and her team are absolute professionals. Over the past four years Kim has worked on some complex multi service projects and helped to negotiate and close them. Her attention to detail is second to none. I have no hesitation in recommending Kim or any of her team.”

Simon Maddock, Business Director at Content + Cloud 

“I’ve relied extensively on Kim and the team as we standardise our paperwork across our customer base. The team are very responsive to my requests and always manage to deliver within the agreed timeframes. Law 365 have been a great business for us to partner with.”

Kieran Sutherland, Commercial Lead at COEO

Firm Description:

We know what Microsoft Partners want in a modern law firm

We asked 50 CEOs of Microsoft Partners and leading tech firms and they told us that the traditional legal model was broken.

Just like you, they don’t want billing by the minute, tons of legalese or overly complex agreements. And they certainly don’t want sky-high legal bills that are hard to budget for. We know there’s a better way. We’ve got what you need.

At Law 365, our technology solicitors are different. We know that you don’t want boring, stuffy lawyers. That’s why we pride ourselves on hiring the brightest and friendliest staff, who are coached in providing exceptional client service. The Law 365 team are experts in commercial contract negotiation and they are approachable, principled and have an unrivalled passion for the technology industry.