Our People
Sarah Walker-Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Sarah Walker-Smith is the CEO of Shakespeare Martineau. She is the first female, non-lawyer CEO in the legal top 50.
A trained accountant having worked for PWC and Deloitte, Sarah puts people at the core of everything she does as well as the marketing and branding experience gained at Boots plc
Alex Smith
Partner & Managing Director
Alex Smith
Partner & Managing Director
Shakespeare Martineau Nottingham
As Managing Director of Ampa Group Services. I’m responsible for the strategic growth of the business unit, working closely with colleagues in the development of our strategy, values and culture.
Andrew Foreman
Group Chief Information Officer
Andrew Foreman
Group Chief Information Officer
Shakespeare Martineau London
Andrew started his career in software development with IBM and developed through various roles into Group Director Projects at SITA, based in Geneva, responsible for delivery globally.
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My Recent Articles
- Shakespeare Martineau completes GL Law merger
Mark Beesley
Partner & Managing Director
Mark Beesley
Partner & Managing Director
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Mark is Managing Director of the litigation services and dispute resolution business unit, responsible for growing and developing the litigation and restructuring teams across Shakespeare Martineau.
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My Recent Articles
- Shakespeare Martineau completes GL Law merger
Paul Bird
Chief Financial Officer
Paul is our Chief Financial Officer and plays a significant role in Shakespeare Martineau’s strategic leadership through an extensive knowledge of growing and managing UK and international businesses.
Victoria Tester
Partner & Managing Director
Victoria Tester
Partner & Managing Director
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Victoria sits on our Main Board and is responsible for our Life & Business, business unit.
Andrew Taylor
Partner & Head of Restructuring
Andrew Taylor
Partner & Head of Restructuring
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Andrew is a highly regarded and experienced restructuring lawyer.
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Languages:
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English
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French
Andrew Whitehead
Senior Partner & Head of Energy
Andrew Whitehead
Senior Partner & Head of Energy
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Andrew is a specialist energy regulatory and contracts lawyer, who works with a range of utility and developer clients and funders to help them manage regulatory and legal risk in a fast moving and complex environment. Andrew is also currently our elected Senior Partner.
Andrew Wilkinson
Partner & Head of Inheritance Disputes
Andrew Wilkinson
Partner & Head of Inheritance Disputes
Shakespeare Martineau Leicester
Andrew specialises in contentious trusts and probate which includes disputes over wills, financial provision claims, disputes with executors, disputes regarding powers of attorney as well as related claims, including professional negligence claims relating to wills and estates.
Andrew also deals with contested Court of Protection applications.
He is experienced assisting private individuals, trusts and charities in resolving disputes both through the court process and through alternative dispute resolution, especially mediation.
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Languages:
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English
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French
Barry Jervis
Partner & Head of Litigation
Barry Jervis
Partner & Head of Litigation
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Barry brings a no-nonsense approach to resolving disputes for his clients whilst involving them at every stage of the process.
Carys Thompson
Partner & Head of Sheffield
Carys Thompson
Partner & Head of Sheffield
Shakespeare Martineau Sheffield
Carys undertakes a comprehensive range of commercial work providing high quality and commercially focussed advice to clients across a variety of sectors.
Catherine Rustomji
Partner & Head of Charities
Catherine Rustomji
Partner & Head of Charities
Shakespeare Martineau Sheffield
Catherine Rustomji is a partner and head of charities at Shakespeare Martineau. She has been advising charities, social enterprises and not for profit organisations exclusively for over 20 years.
Clive Read
Partner & Head of Birmingham
Clive Read
Partner & Head of Birmingham
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Clive has been advising universities and colleges on the management and development of their campuses for 30 years.
David Browne
Partner & Head of Employment Law
David Browne
Partner & Head of Employment Law
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
David is Head of Employment Law and the lead employment partner for the firm’s education clients and provides sector specialist advice to universities and colleges. His exceptional clarity in explaining complex solutions and strategic advice has earned recognition in the Legal 500.
Duncan James
Partner & Head of Finance & Advisory Services
Duncan James
Partner & Head of Finance & Advisory Services
Shakespeare Martineau Nottingham
Duncan works with fast growing family businesses and entrepreneurs to ensure they are successful and to help them achieve their goals through acquisitions, funding lines and exit and succession planning.
Emma Porter
Partner & Head of managed legal services
Emma Porter
Partner & Head of managed legal services
Shakespeare Martineau London
Emma is the Head of Operations for our Volume and Consumer group and has in excess of 18 years’ legal practice management experience.
Helen Bowns
Partner & Head of Family Law
Helen Bowns
Partner & Head of Family Law
Shakespeare Martineau Stratford
Helen works with clients to ensure that they are sensitively guided through the complex area of family and relationship breakdown.
Jayne Gardner
Partner & Head of Debt & Asset Recovery
Jayne Gardner
Partner & Head of Debt & Asset Recovery
Shakespeare Martineau Stratford
Jayne has over 25 years’ experience in both debt collection and credit management.
Joanna Lee-Mills
Partner & Head of Social Housing Development
Joanna Lee-Mills
Partner & Head of Social Housing Development
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Joanna heads up our social housing development team. Her expertise encompasses advising on social housing development transactions, from site assemblies to larger scale phased/portfolio sales and purchases.
Louise Drew
Partner & Head of Building Communities
Louise Drew
Partner & Head of Building Communities
Shakespeare Martineau Stratford
Louise is the Head of the Building Communities team, having a passion for delivering development that brings major benefit to residents in terms of health, wellbeing, education, employment and the environment.
Michael Stace
Partner & Head of Corporate
Michael Stace
Partner & Head of Corporate
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Michael specialises in corporate finance; advising public and private companies, individuals and institutions on domestic and international M&A, private equity investments, restructurings and joint ventures. He also advises on partnership matters.
Mohammed Saqub
Partner & Head of Islamic Finance
Mohammed Saqub
Partner & Head of Islamic Finance
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Mohammed is a real estate finance and islamic finance specialist with considerable experience in dealing with a range of high-value and complex property investment, finance and development transactions.
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Languages:
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English
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Urdu
Naomi Tudor
Partner & Head of Banking & Financial Services
Naomi Tudor
Partner & Head of Banking & Financial Services
Shakespeare Martineau Birmingham
Naomi and her team work together with funders and their customers to ensure a smooth path to completion of a transaction where all parties are satisfied with the terms.
Neil Gosling
Partner & Head of Residential Development
Neil Gosling
Partner & Head of Residential Development
Shakespeare Martineau Solihull
Neil builds long standing working relationships with our clients by becoming an extension of their business. He is forward thinking and progressive in his approach.
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Languages:
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English
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French