Our People

Alex joined Russell and Russell in 2015 and works as a conveyancer in our Bolton office. He has over 10 years of experience in conveyancing and deals with all types of residential property transactions including freehold, leasehold, new build and remortgages. Outside work, Alex likes to spend time with his partner and son. He’s a keen sportsman and enjoys both playing and watching football and cricket.

Amanda joined Russell & Russell in 1990 as a trainee solicitor.

She found her niche early on within the family areas of the law and developed a reputation for providing excellent client care and a solution based ethos. Committed to providing sound legal advice, Amanda became accredited as a Resolution member for private law children work and advocacy showing a specialism in these areas.

Following this she was made a member of the Children Panel showing her experience and experience in representing children within care proceedings.

This commitment to excellence saw Amanda become a junior partner in 1997 and then take over as head of the department in 2000. Since then, the family department has grown considerably.

Amanda promotes a caring, solution based approach which can also be a firm one when required to protect a client’s interests.

When not in work, she enjoys riding her horse, walking her dog and cooking. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Andrew read Law at the University of Wales and completed his legal practice course at Chester College of Law, before finishing his training contract at a leading Brighton criminal practice. After joining Russell & Russell in 2001, he quickly qualified as a duty solicitor, becoming an equity partner in 2010.

He was Russell & Russell’s first Higher Court Advocate at a time when there were relatively few solicitors exercising these rights in the Crown Court. His experience covers the whole spectrum of criminal offences - from motoring to murder - including dealing with high profile clients.

Andrew has had a pivotal role in developing Russell & Russell’s highly respected in-house advocacy team. He deals in all areas of advocacy with a particular interest in sentencing, proceeds of crime and mental health. This work has led to him dealing with specialist areas, such as Imprisonment for Public Protection, Extended Determinate Sentences, Section 37 Hospital Orders and Section 41 Restriction Orders. He has also dealt with complex cases involving explosive substances and firearms.

This work takes him to courts throughout England and Wales; The Royal Courts of Justice, the Central Criminal Court (‘the Old Bailey’), Bolton, Manchester, Liverpool, Derby, Birmingham, Preston, Carlisle, Reading and Chester Crown Courts. He has had consistent success in jury trials, combating issues of bad character, joint enterprise, hearsay, identification and alibi to secure not guilty verdicts in offences ranging from theft to Section 18 Wounding.

He has also appeared in the Court of Appeal, successfully challenging various sentences over the years; Lord Toulson (now of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom) commented on one such occasion: "That was an excellent example of a concise and effective plea."

Other recent work has seen Andrew advising boxers and their management regarding issues involving work visas and contracts. Being a life-long Liverpool FC fan, and having acted for numerous footballers over the years, he is also a Registered Lawyer under The FA Football Agents Regulations.

Andrew is a very sociable character with a keen interest in good food, wine and anything to do with cars. He has also been known to do the odd bit of running, although nothing more than a half marathon! All second to a wife, two young children and, of course, Russell & Russell.

Memberships:

• Solicitors Regulation Authority
• Duty Solicitor
• Solicitor’s Association of Higher Courts Advocates
• Registered Lawyer under The FA Football Agents Regulations

Asad obtained a psychology degree from the University of Bolton in 2006, before going on to complete his LPC at the University of Central Lancashire. He qualified as a solicitor in 2011.

Working from the firm’s office in Bolton, Asad is involved in all elements of criminal defence work, including attending police stations as a duty solicitor.

In his spare time, he enjoys going to the cinema and watching sport – particularly Manchester United. He also to likes to spend time with his family and travel.

Carly obtained a law degree from Durham University in 2008 and completed her LPC in Chester. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2012.

Working in the conveyancing department of Russell and Russell’s Chester office, she deals with all aspects of residential property, including sales and purchases, new build properties, properties with Help to Buy or Shared Ownership schemes, transfers of equity, re-mortgages, leases extensions and enfranchisement.

In her spare time she enjoy Pilates, reading and spending time with friends and family.

Ceri studied Law at the University of Liverpool, graduating in 2013. She went on to complete her LPC at the University of Law, Chester.

Originating from Anglesey, Ceri is a fluent Welsh speaker and works from our Chester office. She deals with all areas of private family law.

She is a keen musician, playing the piano and tenor horn. Ceri also enjoys charity work and is currently fundraising for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Her other hobbies include running, reading and spending time with family and friends.

David obtained his degree at Queens University, Belfast before completing his LPC training at the College of Law in Chester. He qualified as a solicitor 2013.

Working from our Bolton head office, he specialises in all aspects of residential property, dealing with sales, purchases, auction properties, new builds, shared ownership and lease extensions.

In his spare time David is an avid Bury FC supporter and enjoys participating in, and watching, various sports. He’s also a keen gardener and cook, but likes nothing better than walking his border collie.

Debra is an experienced conveyancer with over 30 years experience in the sector. She joined the firm in 1986, straight from college, as a secretary to Stephen Crompton, before qualifying as a Licensed Conveyancer in 1999.

Debra works from our Farnworth office and deals with all types of residential conveyancing including sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity.

Outside work, she likes walking, trekking, skiing and socialising.

Derrick obtained an honours degree in Law at Manchester Metropolitan University in 1982. After completing his Law Society Finals, he joined Russell & Russell in Farnworth in 1983 as a green Articled Clerk and completed his Articles in 1985 when he qualified as a Solicitor. He was almost immediately made an Associate Solicitor with Russell & Russell.

He initially practised in all areas of law, including personal injury, general litigation, matrimonial, conveyancing and probate. However, he has exclusively specialised in accident and injury claims acting on behalf of injured Claimants for over 25 years.

Derrick is a Senior Partner in Russell & Russell and the Head of the personal injury department. He has seen the department achieve year on year growth in a competitive and dynamic market. Whilst managing the department he runs a large number of cases including accidents and injuries in the workplace including industrial disease, repetitive strain injury and severe injury cases.

He has in recent years successfully concluded several head injury cases where the award of compensation has been above £1 million. He has also dealt with a number of fatal accident cases. He has the knowledge and experience to offer guidance and assistance to those left to pick up the pieces after tragic and catastrophic accidents.

Away from the office Derrick enjoys to spending time with his wife Gill, and his family. He enjoys all sports, walking, listening to music and reading.

His professional memberships include The Law Society Panel for Approved Personal Injury Solicitors, The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS).

Donna graduated from Nottingham University with a degree in law in 1997. After working as a Law Costs Draftsman, she went on to gain her LPC from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2004. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2006.

An accredited specialist with, and member of, Resolution, an organisation committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes, Donna works at Russell and Russell’s head office in Bolton.

Her specialist areas are divorce and matrimonial finances, including high net worth cases and private law children matters. She also deals with judicial separations, dissolution of Civil Partnerships, cohabitation issues and domestic violence.

In her spare time she enjoys running, reading and cooking. She also likes to spend time with friends and family, along with taking her dog, Wilf on long walks.

Emma is a salaried partner at our Horwich office, working in the wills and probate department. She joined the practice in 2003 as trainee solicitor and qualified with a degree in Law in 2006. 

She now carries out all types of work in our busy elderly client department, specialising in 
wills, probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney and advice on care fees.

 Emma is also a member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), an independent organsiation of solicitors, barristers and chartered legal executives who provide specialist legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers.

In her spare time, Emma enjoys reading, golf, swimming, socialising and spending time with her family. 

Gail joing the practice in 1997 and works at our Farnworth office.

As a paralegal, she deals with all aspects of wills and probate work. 

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and socialising with friends. 
        

Hannah is an experienced conveyancer in our residential property department.

Hannah joined Russell & Russell in June 2000 and deals with all aspects of the legal process in buying, selling and re-mortgaging residential property. Hannah has a degree in Law and Business and is a qualified Licensed Conveyancer.



Outside of work, Hannah is pretty busy being a keen traveller to pretty much any area of the globe! She also enjoys going to the cinema and theatre and watching rugby and cricket matches. Hannah is an active member of a local tennis club and also enjoys swimming and running. The past three years have also seen Hannah happily digging away on her allotment when not doing any of the above!



Worst job? Working on a daffodil farm standing at a conveyor belt for hours removing stones and debris from the bulbs whizzing past! If she wasn't a conveyancer, Hannah would like to be a Policewoman, so watch out!

Harry carries out private client work within our very busy wills and probate department. He joined the practice on 2010 after gaining a degree from Nottingham Trent University. He qulalified as a solicitor in 2014 and works at our head office in Bolton.

In particular, Harry specialises in acting for older and vulnerable clients. He is a member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) and holds both the Older Client Law in Practice (OCLP) and Older Client Care in Practice (OCCP) certificates.

Outside of work, he enjoys watching cricket, usually at Old Trafford, as well as playing sports.

Hilary qualified in 1990 after taking her Law Society Finals at Lancaster Gate.

Working from Russell and Russell’s Bury office, she deals with family matters including divorce, finances, cohabitation issues, injunctions and children matters.

Outside of work, Hilary likes nothing more than long distance long distance walking and running.

Howard is an Equity Partner and heads up our Criminal department in Chester. He joined the practice in 1990 and is a qualified solicitor with a LLB Hons (2.1). In addition Howard is an accredited police station representative, Duty Solicitor and Higher Court Advocate.

 Howards work is criminal litigation in both the Magistrates and Crown Court. He also advises suspects at the police station, defends private prosecutions from the DWP, RSPCA, LEA and the British Horse Racing Board.


He is responsible for all areas of criminal litigation at Russell & Russell, including motoring offences, road traffic offences, private prosecutions as above and the most serious offences of drug trafficking, murder, GBH, ABH, Rape and sexual offences. Higher Rights of Audience in court. Outside of work he enjoys cricket, canoeing, walking his Labrador dogs Wilko and Archie and the occasional dabble at the races on the odd nag.

Ian has been with the firm for over ten years and is a Crown Court Fee Earner and Accredited Police Station Representative.

Ian joined Russell & Russell in April 2002, having studied law at Newcastle University. He is responsible for a large number of cases in the Crown Court and is a fully accredited police station representative. He has dealt with a number of high profile cases and a large amount of offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.



His work has also extended to prison law and has carried out a number of successful parole applications as well as adjudications.



Notable cases dealt with by Ian include:



R v Robinson (Part of Operation Incrusto) – not guilty verdict to a large scale conspiracy to import heroin.



R v Lomax – Successful challenge to the presumption of a minimum sentence for firearms offences.



R v Smith – Successful defence of a person accused of the widescale handling of stolen vehicle parts.



R v McGuire – Offences of robberies and aggravated burglaries in which the police used a ‘supergrass’ to tackle offences of this nature for the first time.



R v Marr – Case of dangerous driving reported nationally.



R v Jackson – Allegation of robbery and false imprisonment which received attention in the national press due to the bizarre circumstances of the offending.



R v Sangster and others – Large scale national fraud committed against a bank.



R v Jackson – Attempted Murder.



R v U – Allegation of widespread familial sexual abuse.

Jacki graduated with a degree in Law and Criminology from the University of Sheffield in 2010. She joined Russell and Russell in 2011, working as a paralegal in our personal injury department, whilst completing her LPC at Manchester University of Law (previously College of Law). 

Having completed her training across a number of departments, she qualified as a solicitor in 2015. Now working in the probate department, dealing with all aspects of wills, probate and elderly client work, Jacki splits her time between our Farnworth, Bury and Middleton offices.

Outside of work, she is an avid reader and loves to travel.

James has worked in Russell & Russell’s criminal law department in Chester since 2003. He is a duty solicitor and a Higher Court Advocate.

He obtained his law degree from the University of Wolverhampton in 1998 and attended the College of Law in Chester to complete his Legal Practice Course. His legal training was undertaken at a solicitors firm in Shrewsbury where he qualified in 2001.

Outside of work, James enjoys playing golf and is a loyal West Bromwich Albion supporter. He is also actively involved in raising money for the Wales Air Ambulance service.

Jane attended the University of Central England where she obtained a degree in Politics and Government. Following her graduation, she enrolled with Manchester Metropolitan University where she completed both her CPE and LPC with distinctions.

After qualifying in 1999, she became a solicitor within the personal injury department.  

Gaining a reputation for winning cases other firms refused to act on, Jane’s talent as a litigator was clear. It was her passion for successfully helping clients that led her to become an equity partner in the firm in 2002.

As well as managing the personal injury department at our Middleton branch, Jane still runs a large case load, acting for clients who have sustained serious spinal or traumatic brain injuries. She also specialises in representing amputees and works closely with residential rehabilitation centres which provide an holisitc approach to restoring maximum mobility and independence.

Jane maintains her knowledge of serious injury law by attending training events provided by relevant industry bodies, such as the brain injury association, Headway. Her professional memberships include The Law Society’s Personal Injury Panel (PIP) and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).

In her spare time (when she has some) Jane likes to attend a Pilates class, spend time with family and friends or immerse herself in a good book.

Jane graduated with a degree in Law and Politics from Keele University before going on to complete her Law Society finals at the College of Law Chester in 1988. She qualified as a solicitor in 1990.

Working from our Bury office, Jane focusses on public law (care) proceedings. She is also a member of the Law Society Children Panel, making her an accredited specialist to represent both children and parents in care proceedings.

In her spare time, Jane enjoys looking after her family and fulfilling her role as an assistant Cub Scout leader. She is also reluctantly committed to attending her local gym.

Janine is a qualified conveyancer and amongst her varied roles is a member of the new business team and PA to the head of the department, Stephen Crompton.

Janine joined the firm in May 1999 and is a qualified licensed conveyancer. In the intervening period, Janine has undertaken many varied roles including fee earner, PA to the head of department and one of the new business team dealing with enquiries from members of the public and professional introducers.



Janine is married with three children and outside work, she enjoys Zumba, swimming and socialising with friends.



She lists her worst job as being back in her college days selling cheese on a market stall mainly due to two factors. Firstly, she doesn't really like cheese and secondly, the early morning starts! Apparently Janine didn't last long in this job!!



Self-description in three words? Hard working, friendly and easy going.

Jean is a salaried partner in our family team. She joined the firm in 2005 and works predominantly on public and private children law cases.

Jean obtained a LLB (Hons) degree and also achieved grade 3 in the euphonium, playing in a band regularly when she was a lot
younger ("that was a long time ago though!"). Jean has an NVQ in retail management (something she did as it was available when she was working part time in retail in Liverpool whilst studying for her degree).

Her specialist area is public law (care proceedings) and she considers her strongest achievements to be gaining panel membership of the children panel (in December 2010) and the positive feedback she gets from her clients about the difference she makes to their lives and those of their children/grand children etc.

Outside work, Jean enjoys her faith as a practising Catholic, the odd spot of gardening and above all, time spent with her family.

Having lived in Reading for over 30 years, Jeanette returned to the North West and joined Russell & Russell in September 2014. She now works from the firm’s Middleton office, dealing with residential conveyancing matters.

She graduated with a law degree from Leeds University in 1977 and went on to Chester College of Law before qualifying as a solicitor in 1980.

In her spare time, Jeanette loves going to the cinema and learning about history. She also enjoys writing fiction and poetry as well as painting and visiting museums and art galleries.

Jemma completed an LLB Law Degree at University of Hull in 2008 before completing her LPC at BPP Law School in Manchester in 2009.

She joined Russell and Russell in May 2011 as a conveyancing paralegal, before starting her training contract in July 2012. She qualified as a solicitor in July 2014 and specialises in residential conveyancing and commercial property.

Outside of work, Jemma enjoys socialising with friends, eating out and going on as many holidays as possible!

Jennifer is a paralegal at our Bolton office. Since joining the practice in 1995, she has progressed from being a secretary in the commercial team to assisting in the day to day running of the wills and proabte department. 

She specialises in private client work, mainly cross wills, probate and Lasting Powers of Attorney. Her biggest achievement at Russell and Russell has been helping Judith Bromely build the department. Jennifer also gets a lot of reward from helping the elderly in the community. 
 


Outside office hours, she loves to shop (especially for shoes). Her time around the home is spent trying out new recipes, gardening, reading and spending time with her family. 



Jill is a Solicitor in our residential conveyancing department covering work at both our Bolton and Bury offices.

Jill qualified with a degree in mathematics and subsequently a postgraduate degree in Law and she now deals with all types of residential property transactions.



Jill joined the firm in 2005 after hearing about it's enviable reputation in conveyancing circles and has worked hard (and successfully!) since then to uphold the standards which have earned this reputation.



In her spare time, Jill enjoys spending time with her family and cites her worst job as working in a shoe shop on Saturdays as a teenager ("all those smelly socks!")

Judith is joint managing partner at the practice and heads up the wills and probate department. She joined Russell & Russell in 1990 after completing her Law degree and solicitors finals at Leeds University.

Her passion for probate and court of protection work has enabled Judith to grow a successful team of 21 solicitors, legal executives and paralegals who offer a comprehensive service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to acting for clients with wills and probate requirements, Judith’s department also provides specialist advice for older and vulnerable clients.

Her drive to provide excellence as standard led her department to become the first legal practice in the Bolton area, and one of the first in the North West region, to have been awarded the prestigious Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS) accreditation. This is the Law Society's standard for delivering tailored wills and probate advice and sets the benchmark for best practice and transparency in the provision of wills and estate planning services. Equally, all solicitors in Russell and Russell’s probate department are members of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) as well as Dementia Friends, an Alzheimer's Society initiative which helps people and organisations learn more about what it is like to live with dementia.

Outside work, Judith enjoys anything to do with mountains - skiing down them or trekking up them. She is a keen walker and loves Cavalier King Charles spaniels. She is also chair of Bolton Hospice and spends a lot of her spare time fund raising for it.

Karen is a long term employee of Russell and Russell, having worked at the firm since she was 20 years old. She works in the conveyancing department at at the firm's Bolton office and is training to become a solicitor.

Outside of work, Karen is kept busy by her four children. When she’s not taking them to football, rugby or helping them with their homework, she enjoys going for a run.

Karen is an equity partner at the practice and heads up the Conveyancing department at our Chester office. She joined Russell & Russell in 1991 and is a qualified solicitor with a LLB Law degree. In her role Karen is responsible for all aspects of our conveyancing offer. Her biggest achievement at the practice is managing to retain a sense of humour (most of the time!)
  Outside of work, Karen enjoys holidays, ancient history and mythology, food and friends.  

Kevin joined Russell & Russell as a senior solicitor in September 2014. He deals with all aspects of criminal law, representing clients at police stations, magistrates courts and crown court.

Qualifying with a law degree from the University of Liverpool in 2000, Kevin went on to complete his legal education at Chester College of Law. He has also been a Higher Court Advocate since October 2010.

Happily married, Kevin has a keen interest in travel and is an active amateur footballer. When he is not playing, he is an avid spectator of the ‘beautiful game’.

Laura joined Russell and Russell in 2002, working as a secretary in the firm’s conveyancing department. She went on to become a conveyancing assistant in 2004.

Keen to expand her knowledge, she studied to become a residential conveyancing paralegal with the Institute of Paralegals, qualifying in 2016. Now working from our Farnworth office, Laura runs her own caseload dealing with all aspects of residential transactions.

Outside of work she likes to spend time with her husband, two dogs, three guinea pigs and their rabbit. She’s also a qualified Zumba fitness instructor and teaches four classes a week.

Lauren studied for her law degree at Edge Hill University before going on to complete her LPC at the University of Law in Chester. She began her legal career as a secretary in 2010 and progressed to paralegal status in 2011. In 2012, she began her training contract and qualified as a solicitor in 2013.

Now working in the conveyancing department of our Chester office, Lauren handles all elements of the home moves process, including buying, selling, remortgaging, self-build and conversions and buy to let.

Outside the office, Lauren enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going the gym and participating in charity events.

Lee’s career began in 1979 when he established his own catering business, which he ran for a number of years, before joining BT. He spent the next 18 years working in a variety of roles, including customer service, procurement and project management. In 2002, he became operational manager at Countrywide plc, running various teams. Lee joined Russell and Russell in 2016 and heads up operations for the conveyancing department, working from the head office in Bolton.

Married to Diane, he’s dad to Charlotte and James. In his spare time he cycles, does a spot of gardening and is an avid follower of rugby league. He also enjoys the company of friends and family and a cold glass of Pinot.  

Louise is a salaried partner based at our Farnworth office. She joined the firm in June 2007 and is a qualified solicitor with an English and Linguistics degree as well as a Law degree.

She’s a member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), an independent organisation of solicitors, barristers, and chartered legal executives who provide specialist legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers. She also holds her Advanced Certificate in Will Preparation, a qualification she gained through the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). This enables Louise to advise on a range of much more complex areas of will drafting and probate law.

When she's not working, she loves socialising with friends and enjoys running, walking and skiing.

Louise attended university in Liverpool, graduating with BA Hons Law LLB degree in 2006. Following this, she received a commendation for her Legal Practice Certificate from the College of Law in Chester and qualified as a solicitor in 2013.

Working in the conveyancing department at our Chester office, Louise specialises in all aspects of home purchases and sales on behalf of private clients and housing developers.

Outside of work Louise enjoys spending time with friends, reading and keeping up to date with the latest cinema releases. She also plays the solo cornet in a brass band which competes across the country.

Having joined the practice in 1983 as an office junior, Marie is now a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives.

Working from our Bolton head office, she deals with all elements of wills, probate, court of protection, DSS appointeeships and elderly client work.

In her free time, Marie loves spending time with my family and friends.

Martin is an experienced Police Station Accredited Representative and Crown Court Fee Earner within the Criminal Department.

Martin has been with the firm since 1999 and has dealt with a wide range of matters including allegations of Murder, Manslaughter, serious sexual offences and complex drugs cases.



Working closely with top Barristers and QC’s, and with the assistance of experienced experts, Martin has dealt with a high profile Murder case which was broadcast on the Crime Watch television show in 2008, where not guilty verdicts were returned by the jury after a long Trial process in 2009.



Martin represented a defendant in a multi-handed allegation of Manslaughter where an inmate was alleged to have been unlawfully killed whilst in a Prison cell at HMP Forest Bank.



On behalf of the firm, Martin dealt with a multi-handed Rape case, acting for the lead defendant in that matter. This case involved the joint instruction of computer experts to analyse the complainant’s online messaging accounts, the net result of which was to cause the Crown to re-consider their approach to the case and ultimately offer no evidence in respect of all defendants.



Martin also instructed an in-house advocate, Nick Ross, to deal with a substantial, complex and serious allegation of drug trafficking which resulted in several weeks of Trial hearing before the Minshull Street Crown Court before a not guilty verdict was returned by the Jury.



Martin has experience in Proceeds of Crime Act cases where the “intentionally draconian” nature of the Act generally leaves a defendant at some substantial risk of confiscation of all assets and funds attributed to them – in one such case before the Liverpool Crown Court, Martin worked with Senior Queen’s Counsel and specialist Junior Counsel where the application for Confiscation was in excess of £2,000,000 – the end result of that case was a nominal Confiscation Order of £1, achieved as a result of enquiries made both in England and Northern Ireland regarding the defendant’s historical financial position.

Michele joined the conveyancing team at Russell & Russell’s Bolton office in October 2014. She has over 25 years’ experience of working within the legal profession, including working for a number of major house builders.

Michele qualified as a Licensed Conveyancer after attending a distance learning course through the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

Happily married with a grown up daughter, she loves to socialise with friends and family and enjoys attending her local gym. With a particular fondness for all things Italian, Michele aspires to learn the language to help her on trips around the Amalfi coast.

Michelle is a salaried partner based at our Chester office.

Michelle began her career with Russell and Russell in 2006 before qualifying in 2008 when she became a permanent member of the family law team. Michelle has background experience in all areas of family law but specialises in representing parties in care proceedings and children law matters.

Michelle is an accredited member of the Law Society’s Children Panel and a member of Resolution.

In January 2015 Michelle moved to our Chester office where she is developing the thriving family law department.

In her spare time, she likes to keep active and where possible combines this with charity events; she has recently trekked to Everest Base Camp raising money for Action for Children. When she is trying to save her energy, Michelle enjoys socialising, reading and cooking.

Natasha joined the firm’s conveyancing department in 2012.

She works from Russell and Russell’s head office in Bolton and deals with sales, purchases and re-mortgages.

Outside of work Natasha enjoys walking her dog and watching motorsport, in particular the British Touring Cars.

Neil obtained a Law Degree with honours at Manchester Metropolitan University in 1980 and then went on to complete his Law Society finals course at the University. In 1981 Neil joined a law firm in Leigh as an Articled Clerk and then joined Russell & Russell in 1985 as a solicitor within our Horwich branch working in general practice.

Neil’s considerable abilities as a litigation lawyer led him to become a partner of the firm in 1994. He now works from Russell & Russell's Newport Street legal advice center in Bolton.

A member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), Neil still runs a substantial case load as well as managing staff. His knowledge and experience within the legal profession means that he deals with all forms of accident claims. He has successfully run exceptionally high value claims and is qualified to act on behalf of clients with more complex maters and in serious injury claims.

Nick is an Equity Partner in our Criminal team and is the Head of the Crown Court Department. He joined the practice in 1986 and is a qualified solicitor with a LLB Hons Law degree. Nick is responsible for all criminal law cases including road traffic offences. He is also a Duty Solicitor and a Higher Court Advocate.

 His biggest achievement at Russell & Russell was being one of very few solicitors to have appeared before the Court Of Appeal and before the most senior Judge in the country, The Lord Chief Justice.

 Outside work Nick enjoys spending time with his  family and travelling. He also enjoys sports including football and skiing. 

Obtaining a degree in Law from Leeds Metropolitan University, Nicola went on to study her LPC at Chester College of Law.

Once Nicola had completed her LPC she enrolled with a Manchester based law firm to complete her training contract.

Nicola joined Russell & Russell Solicitors personal injury department in Middleton in 2001, with 9 years experience she has the knowledge and expertise to deal with all forms of personal injury claims. Her specialist areas include Accidents in the Workplace, Public Liability and Road Traffic Accidents.

Paul graduated from Bristol University with an LLB (Hons) degree in 1982 before enrolling at Chester College of Law. He qualified as a solicitor in 1988 and joined Russell and Russell in 2013.

Working from our head office in Bolton, Paul deals with all aspects of domestic property work, including sales, purchase, transfers of equity and re-mortgages.

In his spare time Paul likes to socialise with friends and family. He keeps fit by walking and running.

Peter is an Equity Partner in our Criminal team and is the Head of the Magistrates Court Department.
  He joined the practice in 1984 and is a qualified solicitor with a LLB (Hons) Law degree. Peter is responsible for all aspects of Advocacy in the Magistrates Court including road traffic law, health and safety law and domestic violence.

 He is also a Duty Solicitor. Peters biggest achievement at Russell & Russell is the sustained delivery, over 25 years, of high quality Advocacy at local Magistrates Courts to ensure that every client gets the best possible outcome.

 Outside of work Peter enjoy

s regular high-level fell walking with his wife, flat-coated retriever and circle of friends. Squash during the winter months and golf if the sun is shining! He is also a supporter and sponsor the Old Boltonians Association.

Pippa obtained a law degree from the University of Liverpool in 2006 before completing her Legal Practice Course at Chester College of Law. She began her career working as a paralegal in the family department of a Liverpool based law firm before qualifying as a solicitor in 2011.

Pippa deals with all aspects of family law including private law children matters, care proceedings, protection from domestic violence and harassment and Schedule 1 applications. In particular, she specialises in divorce and financial disputes from both marital breakdown and cohabitee separation.

Outside of work, Pippa has a keen eye for interior design and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She's a fluent Welsh speaker and a committee member of domestic abuse charity, Chester Women's Aid.

Rachel graduated with a law degree from Chester University in 2010 and went on to do her LPC at Chester College of Law. She joined Russell and Russell in 2013 and qualified as a solicitor in 2016.

Working from our Chester office, Rachel deals with all aspects of wills and probate. She is a member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) and is currently working towards becoming an Accredited Legal Representative under the Law Society’s Mental Capacity (Welfare) accreditation scheme. She is also studying for her Advanced Certificate in Will Preparation from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

In her spare time she is an avid reader and enjoys going to the gym and walking her dog, Lady Belle.

Rebecca graduated with a law degree from Lancaster University in 2004. She studied for her LPC at Chester College of Law, before completing her training with the firm in 2010. Working from our Newport Street branch, she specialises in personal injury.

Outside work, as well as being a busy mum of two, Rebecca likes to socialise with friends. And, when she gets the chance, she’ll relax with a good book.

Richard joined the conveyancing department at our Chester office in 2015. He qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and is experienced in dealing with property sales and purchases. In particular, he specialises in high value and complex residential sales thoughout England and Wales.

Outside work, Richard likes to spend time with his family and enjoys keeping fit by running and cycling. He regularly races on the marathon biking circuit and relaxes by watching cricket and rugby.

Richard graduated from Bristol University with a Law degree in 1996. He qualified as a criminal solicitor in 1999 and went on to ascertain his Higher Rights in 2009.

He has a successful track record at the Court of Appeal and has conducted cases at Crown Court. Working in the criminal defence department of our Chester office, Richard acts for clients involved in all manner of offences.

Outside of work, he enjoys running, playing cricket and watching films.

Saira graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a degree in LLB Law, before qualifying as a solicitor in 2005. She joined Russell and Russell in 2011, working from our Larkhill office in Bolton. Saira speaks fluent Urdu and Punjabi and specialises in personal injury.

When not at work, Saira enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Salim is an equity partner in our family department and is based at our Bury office.

He studied law and marketing at De-Montfort University in Leicester, having also completed his Legal Practice Course, achieving a commendation.



Following his qualification in 2004, Salim joined Russell & Russell in 2005 and became a salaried partner in the family department in 2008. He is a member of Resolution (formerly known as the Solicitors Family Law Association) and the Associated Lawyers for Children. He is also a member of the Accredited Children's Panel.

Salim has extensive expertise and experience of dealing with all aspects of family and matrimonial work. He is particularly strong on child related matters and divorce together with social services involvement and care proceedings, often acting for parents and children via their respective guardians in proceedings covering many areas in the North West.



His passion for his chosen area of law, and for making a real difference to the people he represents, meant that Salim was made a full equity partner in 2010.

 Away from work, he has a busy family life with his wife and four children. He also enjoys playing football and snooker and is a keen follower of most sports.

Sam joined Russell and Russell as a chartered legal executive and police station representative in July 2018. Working from our offices in Bolton, he deals with many aspects of criminal law, in particular, providing advice and assistance at police stations.

Having qualified as a police station representative in 2015, and a legal executive in 2017, Sam intends to obtain his rights of audience in the magistrates court and become a criminal litigator.

Outside work, Sam is a keen supporter of Bolton Wanderers and a football fan generally. He enjoys socialising with friends and family and is learning Italian as a second language.

Samantha attended Staffordshire University where she obtained an honours degree in Law and Business. Samantha then went on to Manchester University where she completed her Legal Practice Certificate, qualifying as a Solicitor in 2001. She Joined the Accident and Personal Injury Department of Russell & Russell in 2003.

Samantha works within the Bury branch and acts on behalf of clients in all types of personal injury claims including road traffic accidents, accident in the workplace, slip and trip claims, Criminal Injuries Compensation Claims and industrial disease cases.

In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her two young children, going to the gym and spending time with friends.

Samantha is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Simon obtained his law degree from the University of Sheffield before graduating with his Law Society Finals at the College of Law in Chester. He qualified as a solicitor in 2000.

He joined Russell & Russell in May 2014, dealing with residential conveyancing matters and works at the firm’s Middleton office.

When he’s not at work, he runs round after his two teenage children. On the occasion when time does permit, he enjoys a spot of DIY and follows the “world’s greatest team”; Warrington Rugby League Club.

Stephen is an Equity Partner in the firm and a property lawyer with over 30 years experience. He joined the practice in 1978 and is a qualified solicitor holding a degree in Law. He is a Managing Partner of the practice and deals with all types of property related transactions both commercial and residential. This includes development work for builders, self build transactions and also the more complex residential property matters. He also provides advice and assistance to lenders including services in respect of LPA Receiverships, Re-mortgages, SIPS and Separate Representation.
 His biggest achievement at Russell & Russell is playing an instrumental part in ensuring that the practice seeks to deliver quality legal services that meet the needs of our clients at a fair cost to them.

 Outside of work Stephens interests are his family - I have a wonderful wife and four fantastic children - followed by films, music, most sports and a chilled sauvignon blanc from NZ.

Now a salaried partner in the criminal department, Steve qualifed with a degree in law and politics from Staffordshire University in 1998. He went on to complete his Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, Chester.

He qualified as a solicitor in 2002 and has worked in the firm's Chester office, representing clients across North West and North Wales, ever since.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing football for his local side, Watergate FC. When work permits, he also tries his hand at golf.

Ursula originally joined the firm as a secretary in 1978 and, after a number of years working in the field, embarked upon on her legal training. She qualified as a Licensed Conveyancer in 2009.

Having left Russell and Russell in 1982, she rejoined the firm in 2014 and works from the head office in Bolton. She has dealt with all types of residential conveyancing, but now specialises in re-mortgages.

In her spare time she likes to go walking as well as socialising with family and friends. Most of all, however, she all enjoys looking after her two grandsons.

Victoria is qualified with a degree in Geography from the University of Manchester and a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDipL). She joined the practice in 2006.

Working as a solicitor from our head office in Bolton, her specialist areas are wills, probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney and court of protection.

Outside work, Victoria enjoys walking, yoga, food and shopping. She has also undertaken some "serious" charity work, namely the Tour du Mont Blanc in 2009 and a trek in Nepal in 2011. 

Vince started his legal career at De Montfort University in Leicester where he obtained an honours degree in law. Joining Russell & Russell in 1988 as an articled clerk, Vince was soon to be made an associate solicitor with the firm in 1990.

Vince’s talent as a litigator was soon to show. His high success and skills in acting on behalf of the injured and afflicted led him to become a partner of the firm in 1992. As well as heading the personal injury department at our Bury branch, Vince still runs a large number of cases. He acts for clients all over the country, helping people get them the compensation that they deserve. His vast experience and knowledge mean that Vince tends to deal with more serious injury claims, including accidents in the workplace and industrial disease.

Away from the office Vince enjoys spending time with his wife, Gill, and their two children. He has always been a keen musician and plays the trumpet and bass guitar in a soul band. In his spare time he enjoys attending concerts and the theatre, walking, socialising and, in his own words, is "a long-suffering Manchester City Supporter".

His professional memberships include Senior Litigator of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and membership of the Law Society personal injury panel (PIP).

Zoe is a Partner in our Conveyancing Department.

Zoe joined the firm in 2000 and now deals with all types of residential property transactions. Zoe is a qualified Solicitor with a degree in Rural Resource Management and a postgraduate degree in Law.



Zoe started as a trainee with the firm and liked it so much that she stayed. She was made a Partner in 2007 and is a big hit with both private clients and professional introducers alike, getting many repeat clients.



Outside work, Zoe enjoys walking and sailing and is a group scout leader of her local scout group. When asked what makes the job worthwhile, Zoe cites the feeling of satisfaction when a client moves into their dream home!



In three words, Zoe would describe herself as friendly, bubbly and petite and hated her job making sink plugs in a factory back in the day!