I initially wanted to study computer science and psychology, but in my year out I worked for the Crown Prosecution Service and became fascinated with law. I sat and passed the Executive Office Board and exam when I was 19 and worked as a law clerk instructing counsel in the crown court.
I read law at the University of Sussex, followed by the LPC at Guildford College of Law where I discovered the law of trusts and equity and private client work.
I qualified as a criminal solicitor with the CPS, defended and worked for the magistrates’ court after which I was able to make the leap into Private Client work.
I worked for MWB over 20 years ago before taking a career break to raise my three children. I returned to work as a private client solicitor for a local firm in Arundel whilst my children were small.
When MWB opened their Chichester Office, I was thrilled to be invited to re-join them. Whilst the firm has changed and grown over the years, there are still some familiar faces. What has remained constant is their vision, passion and warmth for their clients and colleagues.
I have over 15 years’ experience in private client work and before I had children sat and passed all the STEP exams and was a member of STEP.
I enjoy helping my clients reach informed decisions in relation to their Wills. There is no such thing as an ordinary family or estate. The drafting of documents is easier than the decision making. I also understand that the administration of estates can be very traumatic and is part of the grieving process so try to shoulder the burden for my clients when I can.
At weekends I can either be found freezing whilst my daughter is ice skating, or in the summer scoring the odd cricket match for my sons.
Occasionally, when we can escape, my husband and I can be found at the theatre or walking in Arundel Park.
Having qualified in 1988, I then worked in London as a Solicitor specialising in Property matters for many years, I relocated to Sussex and worked for a large regional firm before joining the Property Team in our Eastbourne Office.
I am experienced in all aspects of residential property work including freehold and leasehold sales and purchases, auction sales and purchases, re financing the granting of new leases and sales of part.
I have a loyal client following, and am friendly and approachable and I take a practical and common-sense approach to matters working with others to help transactions proceed as quickly as possible with communication being the key.
Outside work, I have a keen interest in aviation, travel and spending time with family and friends.
Simon qualified in 2002 and is a solicitor in the Property Team based at our Lewes office. He deals with all aspects of residential property conveyancing, including purchases and sales, freehold and leasehold, mortgages and transfers of title. He also handles a wide range of commercial property matters including land development, landlord and tenant and acquisitions and disposals.
Simon is both approachable and friendly and firmly believes that this assists clients in their property matters, which need to be kept as stress-free as possible. His attention to detail is an important aspect of ensuring he delivers an excellent service to his clients. He has a strong knowledge of the property market, both locally and nationally and his focus is to provide an efficient and friendly residential conveyancing service.
In his free time Simon enjoys traveling, karate, Ceroc dancing, jogging and clay pigeon shooting.
I am a commercial property solicitor who trained with a large regional law firm (DMH Stallard) qualifying in September 2017 and worked there until 2020.
Before joining MWB, I spent 3 years working at Buss Murton Law. Throughout my career I have dealt with a broad range of commercial property transactions including purchases and sales of commercial property, landlord and tenant work and property financing. I also have experience in dealing with more specialist development work acting for both landowners and developers on dealing with option agreements, overage provisions and related development financing.
Having originally studied economic and social history at university between 2001 and 2004, I then worked in the clinical trial industry in data management and logistics roles before completing the Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course full time between 2007 and 2009. I then worked in various commercial property paralegal roles before commencing my training contract in September 2015.
Outside of work I follow both football and cricket but as with most parents the majority of my time is taken up running around after my two young children (6 and 9), including helping coach my son’s local football team. I also enjoy travelling although that now tends to be focused on holidays with the family rather than the long weekend city breaks of years gone by.
Neisha qualified as a solicitor in October 2009. She started her career in Eastbourne, working for a well-known, well-established firm, where she spent 14 years. During that time Neisha dealt with a wide range of property matters focusing on the rights of flat owners to extend their leases and manage or purchase their building (known as enfranchisement) and commercial property. She is based in the Eastbourne office.
Since joining the firm Neisha specialises in residential landlord and tenant matters and has particular expertise in dealing with:
- Lease extensions of leasehold flats, whether by agreement or by the formal notice procedure;
- Sales and Purchases of buildings containing flats either by agreement or where formal notices are served by the Landlord (known as the right of first refusal) or the flat owners collectively (known as collective enfranchisement);
- Sales and Purchases of the freehold of leasehold houses, whether by agreement or by the formal notice procedure (known as enfranchisement);
- Granting new leases of flats whether to replace out of date leases or for a new development;
- Right to Manage buildings containing flats, acting for landlord or flat owners;
- Deeds of Variation of residential leases;
- Advice on doubling ground rent clauses in residential leases;
- Advising Landlords, Tenants and Management Companies generally on issues with residential leases.
Neisha has over her many years of experience developed a pragmatic approach to helping clients achieve their aims as cost effectively as possible. She also tries to make the process as stress free as practical for clients by explaining this complex area of the law in plain English.
Neisha works closely with our Property Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team, who can advise where matters turn contentious or where applications to the Tribunal or the County Court may be required – for example, where Landlord’s are missing, refuse to cooperate, there are service charge/ground rent disputes, or Landlord’s are in breach of their obligations under the lease etc. She also works closely with the firm’s professional negligence specialists in assisting clients with potential claims against former solicitors who have failed to advise or given incorrect advise in relation to a lease, ground rent or other enfranchisement issues. Neisha is also part of the wider Property Litigation team that focusses on resolving issues between Landlords and Tenants, Management Companies and other third parties in the most effective way possible.
Outside of work Neisha is a keen rock climber. She also enjoys skiing, travelling and spending time with her young family.
What attracted, and keeps you in this area of law?
After completing my law degree at Staffordshire University, I qualified as a solicitor in 1997. During my career I have worked in many areas of the law, criminal, family, litigation, and a short time in conveyancing. I never thought that I would end up in Private Client but now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I really enjoy meeting clients, getting to know them, and helping them.
I specialise in personal legal issues including the preparation of Wills and the administration of estates after someone has passed away. I love figuring out that facts and figures, making it simple for our clients to understand the processes.
I am also a member of the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners. My Probate work ranges from giving relatives one-off advice to managing the whole matter through to the final distribution of very complex estates.
What do you most enjoy about your role?
What I like most about working in our Private Client department is that no two days are the same. Each client is different and each one’s circumstances are distinct. I love meeting new clients, helping them, and then getting to know them more over the years as they come back to change their Will, prepare Powers of Attorneys. And then meeting their children, who come in to do their own Wills.
It is such a diverse role.
What are your strengths and skills?
I am a good listener, compassionate, patient, and great at talking in plain English, helping clients to understand each step of their matter. I create comprehensive Wills for all sorts of situations including those that cover guardianship arrangements for children and Wills that cover complicated family structures.
Whilst mostly working from our East Grinstead office I regularly make home visits to clients who find it difficult to travel.
What would your colleagues say about you?
I think they would say that I’m approachable, helpful, always calm and gets on with the job. I think we all work well together as a team.
Outside of work
Outside work, I love to make the most of the beautiful Sussex countryside and enjoy long walks, and horse-riding. I also play netball in the East Grinstead netball league.
I graduated from Bournemouth University in 2014 with a 2:1 in Law and went on to complete my LPC in 2019. I then trained at a Sussex firm and qualified in 2021. Now I specialise in commercial property at our Brighton office.
I advise on a variety of matters including grants and assignments of leases, sales and purchases and refinancing. I’ve experience in acting for both landlords and tenants, as well as lender’s, purchasers and sellers, from small start-ups to global, multi-million pounds companies.
I am known for my pro-active and pragmatic approach to matters and have a friendly and approachable nature.
Outside of work, I love to travel and scuba dive all around the world. When closer to home, I enjoy reading, Zumba and exploring the Sussex countryside with my husband and rescue dog.
Louise specialises in commercial property at the Lewes office working alongside Simon Baillie-Hamilton on agricultural and rural property matters.
Louise can assist on a wide range of commercial matters including;
- Sale and purchases of land, farms, woodland, and commercial property;
- Transfers of part of a title;
- Easements and Wayleaves for rights of way, rights of access, and utilities;
- Auction sales and purchases including the review of the auction packs prior to the auction taking place;
- Commercial Lease matters for both Landlords and Tenants including Assignments (the sale of an existing Lease), the grant of new Leases, Lease renewals and the Surrender of a Lease;
- Drafting and amending Partnership Agreements and Deeds of Admission to a Partnership with a specialism in Farming Partnership Agreements;
- Acting on development site sales and purchases, with or without an Option or Conditional Contact;
- Acting for landowners on Overage Agreements; and
- Commercial lending (acting for both borrower and lender).
Louise works with a wide range of clients from small farming families and individuals to established companies and has a strong focus on building client relationships.
Outside of work, Louise enjoys spending time with her family and growing brood of cats. Louise also holds a British Sign Language level 2 qualification.
What attracted you and keeps you in this area of law?
I have worked for MWB since 2008 having qualified as a solicitor in 1994 and I spent the years in between working in the personal tax department of various accountancy firms.
I moved into private client work to have more regular client contact and to be able to engage with a wider area of practice which includes drafting Wills and creating Lasting Powers of Attorney, to the administration of estates including the final tax and estate accounts.
As well as being a solicitor I am a Fellow of the Association of Taxation Technicians and I am a Full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I like helping others whether clients or colleagues and I take satisfaction from a job well done whether small or large. I also enjoy talking to people about why they might need a Will or LPA and I have done some local talks on these important matters.
What are your particular strengths and skills?
I am naturally organised, and I also enjoy puzzle solving and untying problems. I am good at maths and organising figures and one of my roles is to assist colleagues with the trickier estate accounts. My background in personal tax compliance also gives me a good basis to assist my clients and colleagues with aspects of income tax up to the date of death and during the administration of an estate.
Tell me about a memorable time when you have helped a client?
It is a privilege to talk in depth with our clients about their affairs or those of someone they have lost. When at the end of a client meeting a client says that it was OK and nowhere near as stressful or difficult as they though it would be, I feel a good sense of having helped someone.
What would your colleagues say about you?
That I am kind and gentle and a nice person to have around the office. That I am a good listener both to them and to my clients. And that I am good at accounts and tax and enjoy helping them out with these.
Outside work….
I love being with family and friends, my garden and running by the sea. I am also a self-supporting Church of England priest licenced to the Lewes and Seaford Deanery which means I could pop up in a church near you on a Sunday morning.
I am the Chichester Diocese Bishops Advisor on Self Supporting Ministry and I am also a member of the PCC of St Leonards and St Lukes Seaford, the Deanery Synod of Lewes and Seaford and Chichester Diocesan Synod.
I qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and worked for Allen Ticehurst for 10 years before the merger with Mayo Wynne Baxter in 2012. My main areas of expertise are property litigation and employment law.
In terms of property litigation, I regularly deal with disputes regarding rights of way, boundary/neighbour disputes and claims for adverse possession, plus residential and commercial landlord and tenant disputes ranging from possession proceedings, service charge disputes and dilapidation claims. My expertise in these areas has been recognised by the independent legal guide known as the Legal 500 in which I am described as “highly experienced in contentious rural property work and commercial landlord and tenant matters”
On the employment side, I advise on everything from contracts and settlement agreements to unfair dismissals, redundancies and discrimination cases and am a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.
I also deal with contentious probate, company and partnership disputes and breach of contract claims.
Disputes can be distressing for those involved and the issues at stake are often of considerable importance. I find it very satisfying to be able to assist clients in achieving the best possible outcome for their particular case and to be able to support them through what is often a challenging process.
Outside of work I enjoy long country walks with my family, gardening and visiting National Trust sites.