Meet the Team

CEO

Solicitor – Qualified 1994

Legal Areas of Expertise

• Commercial Contracts
• Data Protection & Cyber
• Risk and Compliance

Bio:

James worked for 25 years at two major commercial law firms and then as Group Legal Counsel and Company Secretary at an AIM-listed pharmaceutical company. There, he developed a legal team and led projects to reduce risk and improve the quality and efficiency of its contracting, governance and compliance systems.

James is CEO of Haddletons, as well as a senior lawyer.

James is also a non-executive director of iEthico.

Chief Operating Officer

HR Specialist, Mediator & Employment Lawyer

Jacqui is a highly experienced HR Specialist and Employment Solicitor, with an impressive academic background, holding an LL.B Hons and a Diploma in Legal Practice (Dip L.P.). Through her career trajectory Jacqui has gained a profound understanding of corporate intricacies and legal dynamics.

Jacqui cites strong client relationships as the backbone of a successful partnership and strides to provide straightforward, actionable advice that delivers results, focusing on preventing issues before they arise.

Beyond her professional capabilities, Jacqui is a warm and caring individual who places people at the heart of everything she does. This empathetic approach defines her consultancy style. Jacqui’s dual capability, combining deep HR knowledge with legal acumen, ensures our client’s get the best of both worlds: a dedicated HR expert and a sharp employment lawyer, all wrapped up in a person who truly cares.

Outside of work, Jacqui loves to play tennis, travelling and exploring the great outdoors with her husband Daniel, son Teddy, and their dog, Bruno.

Head of Business Growth

Bio:

Erica has over 25 years’ experience of working across a variety of industries; including financial, education and technology. She has a broad background in design, marketing, communications and IT.

In her role as Head of Business Growth at Haddletons she does pretty much exactly that. Looks at ways to grow our business – including building relationships with our clients and developing our communications – whether that is through the website, social media, digital print or simply by talking to people.

Financial Controller

Bio:

Mel has over 16 years’ experience of working in finance; including roles as Financial Controller and Management Accountant within a range of business sectors.

She is a natural number cruncher and loves an Excel Spreadsheet!

Mel is fundamental in budgeting, forecasting, strategy and risk analysis at Haddletons. She works closely with clients, consultants and the wider team for all things finance related.

Her pragmatic and calm approach to work and life make her a real strength in our busy team.

Business Growth & Communications Manager

Bio:

Sarah joined the Haddletons team in 2019, bringing with her a wealth of experience from her decade-long tenure as a residential property sales negotiator. Her career trajectory also includes significant roles as a Personal Assistant to a company director and a senior administrator, experiences that have laid a solid foundation for her contributions to Haddletons.

At our firm, Sarah offers a broad spectrum of services to our clients and is an integral member of the business growth team. Her comprehensive background across various departments empowers her with a unique perspective on enhancing operational efficiencies, streamlining communications, and boosting overall productivity. Sarah’s multifaceted expertise and dedication are instrumental in driving our team’s success and fostering our continued growth.

Outside of work, Sarah is devoted to her family, managing a bustling household with three young children. She also finds time to pursue her passion for tennis, staying active and engaged in her personal life.

Office Manager

Bio:

Gillian brings over 20 years of experience of Board Level Executive Assistance along with PA and Office Management to the Haddletons team; having worked in many sectors including Construction, Publishing, Professional Services and Local Authority. She is highly organised and enjoys getting stuck into any projects that come her way, either working alone or as part of a team.

Outside of work Gillian loves spending time with her husband, son and dog exploring the great outdoors, getting away in their camper van and meeting up with family and friends.

Legal Assistant

Bio:

Wilf is a highly capable Legal Assistant at Haddletons, with a Master of Laws (LLM) from Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where he achieved First Class Honours. A tenure at Weightmans LLP in Leeds provided him with substantial real-world experience, deepening his understanding of legal procedures and client relations, while simultaneously confirming his ambition to pursue a career in the law.

Wilf has meticulous attention to detail, superior organisational skills, and an ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly. He excels in multitasking and prioritising tasks efficiently, ensuring that every aspect of the legal process is handled with precision and care.

Outside of work, his love of sports and travel reflects his dynamic nature and ability to work well in a team, adapting quickly to new challenges. Wilf is not just proficient in his field but brings a passion and dedication to his role, making him a valuable asset to any legal team.

Legal Assistant

Bio:

Jeanne is one of our versatile Legal Assistants here at Haddletons. She has a BA in Comparative Literature & German and a Graduate Diploma in Law, both from the University of London. Her academic prowess fuels her research, analysis, and critical thinking skills, making her adept at handling complex legal tasks.

Jeanne excels in customer service and thrives under pressure, skilfully managing multiple responsibilities simultaneously.

As a bilingual native French speaker, she offers enhanced communication capabilities and cultural insight. Jeanne’s distinctive skillset and educational background make her a significant asset to any legal team.

Outside of work Jeanne enjoys reading, spending time with her family and friends and is also keen to keep fit and healthy by taking part in boxing classes.

Accounts Assistant

Bio:

Carrie has over 15 years’ experience of working in accounts; including both managerial and financial assistant roles across a diverse range of business sectors.

Carrie has an integral role within the finance team here at Haddletons. Her task list is varied, including the processing of client bills, assisting in managing the credit control process and financial reporting.

Carrie’s logical and measured approach to her work make her a real strength in our very busy team.

Outside of work Carrie enjoys keeping fit by taking part in regular exercise classes.

Governance and Compliance Practitioner

Bio:

Andrea is one of our highly skilled Governance and Compliance Practitioners. She previously trained and practised as a solicitor in London, working in several City law firms. Andrea’s specialist area while practising law was Corporate Finance.

Most recently, Andrea worked as in-house counsel for a hedge fund, where she carried out company secretary work as well as more general legal and compliance work. Andrea’s calm, patient and methodical nature is appreciated by all of her clients. She is immensely detail-oriented, while remaining calm and carrying out all tasks efficiently during sometimes high-pressure situations.

As a mother of 3 children, spare time is limited, but Andrea enjoys reading, the occasional exercise class and walking the dog for some peace!

Governance & Corporate Growth Advisor 

Bio:

George is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, a registered Legal Practitioner in Zimbabwe, and an Associate of both the Corporate Governance Institute and the Chartered Institute of Business Management. He is currently undertaking the SRA exemption process for registration as a Solicitor in England and Wales.

George has over 25 years’ experience in Company Secretary and Legal Counsel positions, for Stock Exchange Listed mining and industrial corporations in Africa and the United Kingdom. He has also served as an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair on several Boards of Directors, overseeing the implementation of practical governance frameworks for growth companies, prior to stock exchange listings, private equity and investment rounds.

George brings a wealth of legal, governance, company secretarial practice and general business knowledge to the Governance and Compliance Team.

Outside of work, George is a keen Equestrian, loves animals and spending time in the Great Yorkshire Outdoors! He enjoys eating out, travelling, and Spinning, Pilates and Yoga classes.

Head of Intellectual Property

Senior IP Solicitor

Bio:

Kirsten is an IP specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in both contentious and non-contentious IP. Kirsten trained and worked in London at Hammonds (now Squire Patton Boggs) and then moved to Sydney, where she qualified as an Australian solicitor.

Kirsten specialises in IP and that lends itself to working with a wide range of business in many different sectors. She advises clients on any area of IP (including trade marks, design, patents, copyright, trade secret and confidentiality) and her no-nonsense, practical and commercial approach to the law has been appreciated by all who work with her.

Most businesses own and or use IP but they often don’t realise its value, how to manage or protect it properly or how to commercialise it effectively. Kirsten is passionate about changing this for our clients!

Kirsten is actually originally from Denmark – which brings us to the pronunciation of her name ‘Kirsten’: ‘Kir’ rhymes with ear and ‘sten’ rhymes with pen. Lovely 😊

Outside of work Kirsten loves to spend time with her family and two sausage dogs, as well as to socialise with her friends.

Company Compliance Manager

Bio:

Lesley’s background is as a Legal Assistant in commercial law practices.  With over 20 years’ experience in the legal sector she has a deep and detailed understanding of what her clients need. Lesley’s particular areas of expertise have been predominantly in finance and restructuring but more recently she has been working on matters of professional negligence and risk management. Lesley maintains a high level of customer service to all her clients.

Head of Regulatory Compliance

Solicitor

Bio:

Tim is our Head of Regulatory Compliance at Haddletons. He focuses on areas crucial to our clients’ success, including privacy & UK GDPR, competition law, GSCOP, health & safety, anti-bribery, and compliance programme reviews.

With a robust background spanning over 12 years as Head of Compliance for major national organisations before joining Haddletons, Tim brings a deep well of practical compliance expertise and specialist regulatory knowledge to our team.

Tim is originally from the Netherlands, where he obtained a masters degree in oil and gas engineering before completing his LLB in the UK and qualifying as a solicitor.

Tim is extremely passionate about his work. He enjoys supporting our clients across diverse sectors with their business needs and finding solutions that work for them.

In addition to his native Dutch he is also fluent in English and German, and proficient in French.

He lives with his family in London, where his two young boys keep him very active outside of work.

Head of Commercial 

Senior Commercial Solicitor – Qualified 2008

Legal Areas of Expertise

• Commercial Contracts
• IP
• E-commerce

Bio:

Sarah is a highly experienced commercial lawyer with over ten years of experience in the legal industry. She has worked at some of the country’s best known commercial law firms and is well respected in her field. Sarah specialises in commercial contracts, IP, and e-commerce, advising a wide variety of clients in many sectors, ranging from fast-growth start-ups to global companies.

Sarah also ran her own business away from law and has a strong understanding of the issues that business owners face and what works commercially, rather than just legally.

Away from work, Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors with her three young children and long dog walks with her golden retriever.

Team Administrator

Bio:

Sarah has over 20 years’ experience as an administrator, office manager and personal assistant. She has worked across a variety of business sectors and has hands on experience of the day-to-day running of both small and large businesses. Sarah is the team administrator at Haddletons, she is a key linchpin in the smooth running of our dynamic working environment.

Solicitor – Qualified 1990

Chartered Tax Adviser

Legal Area of Expertise

• Tax Disputes

Bio:

Karen has 30 years experience of defending claims against professionals, mainly solicitors, accountants and tax advisers and has acted for firms from sole practitioners through to magic circle and global firms, gained at national market leading firms. She is also a Chartered Tax Adviser and has a national reputation in the taxation field. As well as acting in contentious tax matters across the whole range of taxes, Karen frequently advises professionals about risk management and is a published author on the topic as well as having passed the IRM exams.

Solicitor – Qualified 1998

Legal Areas of Expertise

• Employment & HR

Bio:

Rowena is an employment solicitor with over 18 years experience gained at three large, commercial law firms and on secondment as part of an in-house employment legal team. Rowena provides commercially focused advice, representation and project support. She is an experienced presenter and has had a number of articles published in legal and industry journals.

Solicitor

Legal Areas of Expertise

• Commercial Contracts
• Risk and Compliance

Bio:

From her experience as GC for Sanofi, Novartis and Head of Legal for Abbott EMEA, Helen has significant life sciences and compliance experience in legal risks associated with launch and exclusivities of medicines and their supply chain.

She also has a strong expertise in Product Lifecycle Contracts, digital marketing & apps for Pharmaceutical Products & Devices in Europe, and regulation & reimbursement of Orphan Indications & Medicines.

As a past member of a UK regulatory authority, she has first-hand experience of compliance & penalties for Promotion of Medicines & Devices and in risk management of online promotion.

Licensed Conveyancer

Bio:

Cathryn is part of the Commercial Property team here at Haddletons. She has a broad range of experience in property transactions and specialises in landlord and tenant management of large retail estates having acted for a large supermarket retailer on their estate management portfolio. Cathryn has also assisted in large portfolio acquisitions for retail tenants, supermarket development acquisitions and retail disposals.

Solicitor – Qualified 2003

Legal Areas of Expertise

• Commercial Property

Bio:

Shereen has over 15 years’ commercial property experience, having worked in both private practice and in-house. She advises on a wide range of commercial property transactions across a broad range of sectors. Shereen will work with you to deliver pragmatic, commercially viable solutions to all of your property needs.

Solicitor – Qualified 1984

Legal Areas of Expertise

• Disputes
• Employment

Bio:

Debbie has over 30 years’ experience as a trusted advisor and a solicitor working in-house and at several large, commercial law firms. She spent 4 years as head of a commercial legal team. Debbie deals with commercial disputes and employment issues. Her particular strengths include good relationships with her clients, empathy and people skills. She has experience of developing and delivering training for clients and lawyers covering complex legal issues in an accessible way.

Solicitor

Bio:

Tom is is an experienced commercial property solicitor at Haddletons. He advises clients from a broad range of sectors on transactional real estate matters. He also acts for institutional investors, retailers, banks property companies and corporate occupiers.
Tom specialises in landlord and tenant transactions, real estate finance, acquisitions/disposals and asset management work relating to a broad range of assets including shopping centres, mixed use investments, airports, train stations and prime office buildings.

Professional Advisor

Legal Area of Expertise

• Boardroom Support

Bio:

Keith, a Chartered Director and Chartered Engineer, is a successful senior executive with a wealth of experience as CEO, Executive Director, Interim and Non-Executive Director on more than 20 Boards; SMEs, family-owned, scale-ups, start-ups and third sector.

An Institute of Directors UK Director of the year 2016 with more than 20 years’ directorship experience and success as NED and Chair, he has a proven history of vision, strategic foresight and strong governance that has enhanced board performance. Keith deploys his expertise to train directors, help your board develop and effectively manage the governance cycle, advancing aspects such as foresight, strategic thinking, supervising management and accountability to stakeholders. He will work with you to enhance board performance and make your board meetings much more strategically focused.

Solicitor – Qualified 1980

Legal Areas of Expertise

• Corporate Advisory

Bio:

Simon is a highly respected and experienced corporate lawyer. Simon has advised on a wide range of UK and international corporate projects.

Simon’s work has included both IPO’s and secondary market equity issues as well as issues of convertible and non-convertible debt securities.

Moreover, Simon has extensive experience advising boards on corporate governance compliance as well as advising on relationships with major shareholders and on reacting to shareholder activism.