Our People

Andrew Newbury

Partner

Andrew has been rated as a Leading Expert in the top tier of the two leading legal directories for over 25 years, recognising his 30 years of experience in family law

Meet Andrew

Izzy Walsh

Partner/Head of London

Izzy is the head of Hall Brown’s London office, a member of the British Russian Law Association, British Ukrainian Law Association and the International Bar Association.

Meet Izzy

Martin Loxley

Consultant

Martin is recognised as being a Leading Expert in Family Law and is well known for his empathy, accessibility and commitment to helping clients.

Meet Martin

Alison Fernandes

Partner/Head of Sheffield

Alison is the head of Hall Brown’s Sheffield office, has over 20 years’ experience and is ranked as Band 1 in Chambers & Partners and Tier 1 in Legal 500

Meet Alison

Beth Wilkins

Partner

Beth Wilkins has been a family lawyer for over 30 years, working for a large cross section of clients and is described as the “doyenne of family law”.

Meet Beth

Mike Devlin

Partner

Mike has specialised in the law relating to children for over 35 years and is ranked in the Legal 500’s top tier, having a reputation for finding positive solutions.

Meet Mike

Catherine Bell

Consultant

Catherine advises on all aspects of family law, specialising in the financial complexities of divorce and acting for high net worth individuals

Meet Catherine

Claire Reid

Partner

Claire is recognised for her technical knowledge and meticulous attention to detail and provides excellent client care, is calm, empathetic and focused

Meet Claire

Laura Guillon

Partner/Head of Leeds

Laura specialises in financial remedy proceedings and gives concise, straightforward advice and seeks to ‘cut through the detail’. She speaks French fluently.

Meet Laura

Zoe Round

Consultant

Zoe has nearly 30 years’ experience and is particularly well known for representing high net worth clients and/or those with complex financial arrangements

Meet Zoe

Andrew Breakwell

Partner

Andrew is a national figure in family law and a longstanding Resolution Accredited Specialist and trained Collaborative lawyer

Meet Andrew

Sarah Manning

Partner/Head of Mediation

Sarah specialises in complex children and financial matters from mid to high-net-worth clients in both her capacity as a mediator and solicitor

Meet Sarah

Janine Hobday

Senior Associate Solicitor/Head of Birmingham

Janine advises on all aspects of private family law, with a particular emphasis on the resolution of financial issues for wealthy individuals.

Meet Janine

Alice Rogers

Senior Associate Solicitor

Alice specialises in complex high value financial settlements, international and variation cases and private children law proceedings

Meet Alice

Ellen Fell

Senior Associate Solicitor

Ellen’s expertise encompasses cases involving businesses, property portfolios, private equity interests and shares, inherited wealth and family trust structures

Meet Ellen

Madelaine Hailey

Senior Associate Solicitor

Maddy is a Resolution accredited expert in complex higher income financial remedies and cohabitation & TOLATA and advises on all aspects of private family law

Meet Madelaine

Sarah Hewitt

Senior Associate Solicitor

Sarah has experience of dealing with mid to high net worth cases, involving pensions, business assets, family trust structures and farming cases

Meet Sarah

Melanie Hadwin

Senior Associate Solicitor

Melanie specialises in complex financial settlement cases and has a particular interest in wealth protection in the form of pre-nups/cohabitation agreements

Meet Melanie

Emma Dewhurst

Senior Associate Solicitor

Emma specialises in complex child arrangement disputes, domestic and international relocation, abduction, domestic abuse, surrogacy and adoption

Meet Emma

Michelle Ashworth

Senior Solicitor and Professional Support Lawyer

Michelle’s brings her significant and valuable experience to the training and career development of junior team members

Meet Michelle

Melanie Kalina

Senior Solicitor and Head of Children Law Department

Mel specialises in arrangements for children after separation, Special Guardianship orders, adoption and child welfare issues involving social services

Meet Melanie

Emma Hubbard

Senior Solicitor

Emma is an expert in children cases involving surrogacy, Parental Orders, relocation of children, allegations of domestic abuse and parental alienation

Meet Emma

Rachael Brownlee

Associate Solicitor

Rachael advises and represents clients on all aspects of divorce and dissolution, financial settlements, child arrangement matters and cohabitation disputes.

Meet Rachael

Holly Cook

Associate Solicitor

Holly has a wide range of experience in all aspects of family law including cases with assets and income of high value and complex children cases

Meet Holly

Rachel Darrell

Associate Solicitor

Rachel advises and represents clients on all aspects of divorce and dissolution, financial settlements, pre and post nuptial agreements and cohabitation disputes

Meet Rachel

Rebekah Edwards

Associate Solicitor

Rebekah Edwards (nee King) deals with high value financial settlements with complex business structures, international elements or jurisdictional disputes

Meet Rebekah

Michael Swanick

Associate Solicitor

Michael brings his wide-ranging depth of experience including complex children cases where mental health and parental alienation issues are a factor

Meet Michael

Bronwyn Warmington

Associate Solicitor

Bronwyn goes the extra mile for her clients and offers valuable support alongside her straightforward advice every step of the way

Meet Bronwyn

Jodi Ford

Associate Solicitor

Jodi specialises in cases involving children including relocation, abduction and domestic abuse. She also sits on the Fostering Panel.

Meet Jodi

Hannah Currie

Associate Solicitor

Hannah considers her approachability and communication skills to be her key qualities and understands that building a level of trust is essential

Meet Hannah

Hannah Pilling

Associate Solicitor

Hannah also has a particular interest in company assets and helping clients achieve a financial settlement with their business interests in mind

Meet Hannah

Matthew Hodgson

Solicitor

Matthew has significant experience working with Elite Athletes, particularly professional footballers, and prides himself on his discretion and professionalism

Meet Matthew

Emma Whitehead

Solicitor

Emma advises on complex financial disputes, private law child arrangements and pre/post-nuptial and cohabitation agreements

Meet Emma

Allie Pitchford

Solicitor

Allie advises and represents clients on all aspects of divorce and dissolution, financial settlements and child arrangement matters

Meet Allie

Harriet Williams

Solicitor

Harriet recognises the importance of understanding her client’s needs bringing a blend of expertise and empathy to every case she handles

Meet Harriet

Sky Langwieser

Solicitor

Sky has a wide range of experience in family law including divorce, financial remedy and private children matters

Meet Sky

Ella Ashforth

Solicitor

Ella advises on all areas of family law, specialising in child arrangements and financial disputes arising from divorce

Meet Ella

Savannah Davies

Solicitor

Savannah brings her dedication and passion working on high net worth cases, complex financial remedy disputes and sensitive children act proceedings

Meet Savannah

Rachel Cocker

Solicitor

Rachel qualified as a solicitor in November 2024 after graduating with a first class honours degree in Law prior to joining Hall Brown in February 2020

Meet Rachel

Rebekah Fender

Trainee Solicitor

Rebekah is currently undertaking her training contract and is developing expertise across all areas of family law, including divorce, finances and children matters

Meet Rebekah

Alexandra Marshall

Trainee Solicitor

Alexandra achieved a First Class degree in International Relations at the University of Exeter and assists on a variety of areas of family law

Meet Alexandra

Hannah Durkin

Trainee Solicitor

Hannah has a wide range of experience in family law, including mediation, divorce, financial remedy and private children matters

Meet Hannah

Kirsty McKenzie

Trainee Legal Executive

Kirsty assists senior fee earners across all the firms’ offices in all aspects of divorce, financial remedy and children matters

Meet Kirsty

Eleanor Scott

Trainee Solicitor

Eleanor joined the firm in June 2022, having graduated with a Law degree from Oxford University and was an ambassador for Oxford Women in Law,

Meet Eleanor

Anna Davies

Paralegal

Anna joined the firm in May 2023 and brings her knowledge working as a paralegal specialising in the law relating to children

Meet Anna

Megan Woodcock

Paralegal

Megan achieved a first class degree in Law at Sheffield Hallam University and prides herself on her compassionate nature

Meet Megan

Rosella Barnes

Paralegal

Rosella assists in high net worth cases and complex financial remedy disputes and has also acted for vulnerable clients and victims of domestic abuse

Meet Rosella

Chloe Taha

Paralegal

Chloe joined the firm in March 2024 after graduating from Sheffield Hallam University with a Bachelor of Laws degree and also aims to begin studying the LPC

Meet Chloe

Phoebe Gergely

Paralegal

Phoebe joined Hall Brown in March 2024 and brings with her an empathetic and pragmatic approach as a result of working on mental health cases in serious injury law

Meet Phoebe

Emily Williams

Paralegal

Emily joined Hall Brown in July 2024 after graduating from the University of Leeds with a Bachelor of Law degree

Meet Emily

Cara Duffy

Paralegal

Cara graduated from The University of Liverpool with a first-class honours degree in Law and completed her LPC at BPP university with a distinction

Meet Cara

Georgia Manches

Paralegal

Georgia joined us in September 2024 and assists the team dealing with cases involving children and financial remedy disputes

Meet Georgia

Mia Ridsdale

Paralegal

Mia joined Hall Brown in October 2024 after graduating with a first class degree in Law from the University of Manchester in 2023

Meet Mia

Sophie Ferguson

Paralegal

Sophie joined Hall Brown in October 2024, having previously worked as a divorce and family paralegal at another firm in London.

Meet Sophie

Will Taylor

Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Will has 15 years’ experience in finance leadership roles in consumer-facing businesses and brings a personal and inclusive approach to financial management

Meet Will

Jo Wilson

Operations and Senior Office Manager

Jo is a highly experienced multi-award winning Operations and Office Manager with over 35 years’ experience, specialising in family law for over 30 years

Meet Jo

Eve Fitzpatrick

Secretarial Manager and Legal PA

Eve has spent her career as a legal secretary and has specialised in family law for 27 years meaning she is familiar with all stages of the legal process.

Meet Eve

Hayley Flaherty

Legal Secretary

Hayley has worked for a number of family solicitors at varying levels for over 15 years and has also successfully achieved her CILEX qualification.

Meet Hayley

Cathy Matthews

Legal Secretary

Catherine’s 15 year knowledge and expertise of family law legal process allows her to provide support with both confidence and with the highest quality.

Meet Cathy

Lisa Le Boutillier

Legal Secretary

Lisa is a highly experienced legal secretary, having spent her whole career in law and specialising in family law for the last 24 years.

Meet Lisa

Jessie Watkins

Office Manager/Legal Secretary (London)

Jessie joined in February 2019, has over 10 years’ family law experience and is also an Associate Member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs.

Meet Jessie

Gillian Sadler

Legal Secretary

Gill has worked in the legal sector since 1989, working for a family law solicitors and then within a court of protection firm before joining Hall Brown in April 2019.

Meet Gillian

Zoe Barker

Office Manager/Legal Secretary (Sheffield)

Zoe began her family law career back in 1990 and her experience and knowledge of the legal process enables her to perform at the highest level.

Meet Zoe

Kelly Patten (Thickett)

Office Manager/Legal Secretary (Leeds)

Kelly has over 18 years of PA and Secretarial experience and enjoys coordinating a number of different projects and taking care of client relationships

Meet Kelly

Janice Anslow

Office Manager/Legal Secretary (Birmingham)

Janice has extensive experience in family law and her knowledge of the process enables her to assist both our clients and team to provide the highest level of support

Meet Janice

Joanne Snelling

Legal Secretary/Office Administrator

Jo has worked as a family law legal secretary for over 40 years, giving her many years of experience and knowledge

Meet Joanne

Kate Buttery

Mediation Co-Ordinator/Legal Secretary

Kate commenced her legal career in 2013 as a legal secretary whilst also assisting with mediation work and therefore has an overview of the mediation process

Meet Kate