The RJS Team
Legal Team
Carla Dawn
Practice Area
Carla is a is a solicitor in RJS’ Property Team.
She advises on Landlord and tenant lease negotiations, commercial legal charges, acquisitions and disposals of commercial property. Also, acquisition of development sites and subsequent plot sales, pension funded acquisitions and disposals.
Experience
Carla has experience in assisting clients in a range of property matters and provides expert legal advice and guidance on a wide range of commercial transactions.
Personal
In her spare time, Carla enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Rima Gasperas
Practice Area
Rima is a solicitor in RJS’ Property Team
She is vastly experienced in dealing with all types of commercial and residential property transactions.
Experience
Born in Nottingham, Rima qualified in London 22 years ago and has worked as a solicitor and consultant at several well-established firms in and around Manchester.
Personal
Rima is married with a family. She enjoys playing the piano, singing in a choir, exercising and spending time outdoors.
Tom Newman
Practice area
Tom is a solicitor in the Corporate and Commercial Team.
Tom’s areas of corporate expertise include mergers and acquisitions, company reorganisations and business transfers. He also works on all types of commercial matters, including shareholders’ agreements, terms and conditions, franchising work and intellectual property.
Experience
Tom read history at Newcastle University, before later taking the GDL and LPC at the University of Law in Chester. Tom qualified at a boutique commercial firm in Chester in August 2015, where he remained as a part of a busy corporate and commercial department for five years. Tom joined RJS in September 2020.
Personal
Tom enjoys watching most sports, particularly cricket, football and Formula 1. He is an occasional gym user and enjoys playing tennis. Since the Covid-19 lockdown Tom has been attempting to develop his baking skills, with varying degrees of success.
Lauren Wild
Practice Area
Lauren is a is a solicitor in RJS’ Property Team.
She is responsible for dealing with leases and lease renewals, purchases and sales of residential and commercial property, simple transfers of property, mortgages and remortgages and general client enquiries.
Experience
Lauren moved to RJS Solicitors in February 2020. She has dealt with various aspects of a commercial transaction, be that in relation to a simple sale or purchase or a larger more complex refinance of properties. She ensures that we have a good rapport here with clients so that they will want to come back to us again and again.
Lauren has dealt with a large portfolio of properties in a large refinancing transaction which whilst taking some time was very rewarding and encouraged her continuing growth and knowledge of the commercial property transactions/process.
Personal
In her spare time, Lauren enjoys spending time with her family, especially her little boy, she likes to take him on day trips like the National Trust parks/sights or to local attractions such as wildlife parks and farms. Lauren also enjoys reading a good book.
Overview
Paul is an experienced lawyer leader and works within business, Sports and Dispute Resolution. He trained in Nottingham as a Dispute Resolution Lawyer.
Paul began working within the Sports and Entertainment field in 2012 and left partnership to pursue a role managing and advising Sports and business owners alike in relation to their commercial affairs and business. Paul did this whilst also being a legal consultant in a national law firm.
Paul is noted and endorsed as a trusted advisor looking after the affairs of his clients.
Paul concentrates on the management of businesses and ensuring clients receive the highest quality of Service, and has joined RJS as a consultant to Head our Operations team and ensure that our service, risk and compliance matters are as strong as our legal advice.
Highlights
Acted for former WBA & WBC world champion turned promoter on all commercial and sporting matters
Acted for one of the biggest selling boxers in the UK in relation to his comeback fight. Dealing with events management, media contracts, promotions contracts.
Acted in relation to the negotiation and promotion of a World heavyweight title fight, Bantamweight World title fight, British heavyweight title fight and various boxing matters.
Successfully acting for football agents in respect of breach of contract and breach of covenant claims.
Acted in various privacy claims, significantly for international sports star against a national newspaper and for a member of the public successfully against 4 national newspapers.
Acted in the resolution of a significant pre legal Trustee / Beneficiaries dispute.
Acted in relation to injunctive threat from a Union to a client, the provider of essential security services to Government services in 2020.
Acted as a key client contact in relation to a variety of both commercial and personal matters.
Successful 14 day trial in relation to multi million complex shareholder dispute with related solvency issues
Professional Connections
Paul maintains strong professional connections in order that his clients can feel at ease that whatever their query Paul can link them to the appropriate known and trusted professional support.
Outside of Work
Paul maintains his sporting links outside of work. His original passions of cricket and rugby remain, but boxing has become the sport he follows most closely. Paul is a local school governor and he and his family volunteer with Nottingham Night Stop, a charity providing short term overnight beds to young homeless people.
Selina Pavey
Practice Area
Selina is a solicitor in RJS’ Private Client Team
She specialises in wills, estates, lasting power of attorney, inheritance and other personal matters
Experience
Selina qualified as a solicitor in 2010 and joined us in January 2020 after spending the previous three years at a well-established firm in Cheshire. Selina spends much of her time with elderly clients and prides herself in providing a ‘good rapport’ service, explaining the facts of every case in plain language.
Personal
Selina is married with three daughters and loves to spend time with her family and close friends. Her main hobby is horse riding, which she has enjoyed from a young age.
David Carson
Practice Area
David is a solicitor and Head of Private Client
He specialises in all aspects of private client, and in particular advising Company Owners and Directors on how to structure their estate to protect their business and minimise tax.
Experience
David read history at the University of Liverpool before undertaking the CPE and LPC. He qualified as a solicitor in 2003, having previously worked as a Trust and Estates Manager. David became a full member of STEP in 2011 and has worked for several Legal firms in London and Manchester. David began working for RJS in 2019.
Personal
In his spare time, David enjoys playing sports and spending time with his friends and family.
Emma Faunch
Practice Area
Emma is a solicitor in RJS’ Property Team.
Her specialisms include sales and acquisitions of commercial property, including providing property support on the sale and acquisition of businesses; commercial legal charges; transfers in and out of pension trusts; and advising Landlords and Tenants on lease negotiations.
Emma’s clients include residential and commercial developers; hospitality groups; and Professional Trustees / Pension Trusts.
Experience
With over 7 years of experience in assisting clients in a range of commercial matters, Emma provides expert legal advice and guidance to all types of business from sole traders to partnerships and limited companies on a wide range of commercial arrangements.
Personal
Emma enjoys spending time with her young family and either walking the local canal or exploring historic National Trust places. Before taking a break to spend time with her little boy, Emma was an active Girl Guide Leader and enjoyed many adventures with her Rainbows and Guides!
Laura Lambert
Practice Area
Laura is a solicitor and Head of Family
Laura’s key specialisms include Divorce, Separation from an unmarried partner, Civil partnership dissolution, Financial settlements, Cohabitation agreements, Nuptial agreements, Arrangements for children and Children Act court proceedings, Property law issues including Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act, and second opinion.
Experience
Laura has 12 years’ experience in advising clients on all aspects of marriage and relationship breakdown. Laura takes a strategic approach and is proactive when it comes to pursing a settlement on behalf of a client, identifying the issues early on and communicating with the clients at all stages. Laura will focus on practical family law advice for the client. Laura stands out amongst her peers in terms of conducting her own advocacy from start to finish for several cases to provide consistency and cost efficiency.
Personal
Away from work Laura enjoys walking with her young family and baking. Laura also had a flock of 40 native sheep.
Support team
Jennifer Averill
Practice Area
Jen is a legal secretary
She assists the Family and Private Client departments.
Experience
Jen has worked in the legal sector for 2 years and joined RJS in September. Prior to this she spent 5 years working in large property firms in Birmingham and London.
Personal
In her spare time, Jen enjoys spending quality time with her son and going out with friends. She also enjoys watching football and is an avid Aston Villa fan.
Georgia Mitchell
Practice Area
Georgia is a Business Development Executive.
Georgia’s provides support to the marketing department and executes marketing strategies and campaigns, such as the social media channels; Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, email campaigns, managing and updating the Website, blogs and news feed, and updating the databases as required.
Georgia also assists with the day-to-day planning, organization, and smooth running of the office to ensure the business objectives are met.
Personal
In her spare time, Georgia enjoys going to the gym and spending time with friends and family.
Georgia Mitchell
Practice Area:
Georgia is a Business Development Executive.
Georgia’s provides support to the marketing department and execute marketing strategies and campaigns, such as the social media channels; Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, email campaigns, managing and updating Website content, blogs and news feed, and updating the databases as required.
Georgia also assists with the day-to-day planning, organization, and smooth running of the office to ensure the business objectives are met.
Personal:
In her spare time, Georgia enjoys going to the gym and spending time with friends and family.
Joanne Davies
Practice Area
Joanne is a Legal Secretary in the Corporate and Litigation Department and joined the firm in March 2018.
Her main duties are dealing with the opening of new matters to speaking and dealing with client’s enquiries. In person and on the phone.
Experience
Joanne has worked in the legal profession since 1988 doing various roles from Receptionist, Legal Secretary, PA and Accounts Clerk. She has also been to court sitting behind counsel in criminal and family matters taking notes. She feels that she has gained a wealth of knowledge throughout working years.
During her time working in legal profession she has achieved various achievements such as doing various courses for legal cashier from the Law Society.
Personal
Joanne is married with one daughter who is turning 18 years this year. She enjoys going for walks with her dog. She also enjoys watching Football mainly Manchester United who she has supported since she was 15 years of age.
Joanne’s personal accomplishments are that she has performed for many years within the Operatic Society performing on stage, but her biggest pleasure is working backstage as a chaperone looking after the children which are performing on stage.
Stephanie Woodhouse
Practice Area
Stephanie is a legal secretary
She assists all fee earners within the property department and is responsible for all aspects of residential and commercial conveyancing.
Experience
Stephanie has over 26 years’ experience working within solicitor’s office with a BTEC certificate in business and finance, NVQ level 3 in management and taken refresher courses taken in money laundering regulations, modern day slavery and general data protection regulations.
Personal
In her spare time, Stephanie likes to visit nature reserves, walking her dog and socialising with family and friends.
Lee-Sara Davis
Practice Area
Lee-Sara is head of HR & Training
Experience
Lee-Sara has over 15 years’ experience in HR strategy and operational management, to ensure short and long term development enhances the performance of individuals alongside the provision of excellent service from the firm.
From a multiple project management background, Lee-Sara’s background has been gained in heavily regulated environments, both legal and financial. So she is able to adhere to all compliance guidelines whilst still ensuring successful delivery of executive-level projects.
Personal
Alongside her role at RJS, Lee-Sara is an advocate of health and wellness and also studying a diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition.
