Wendy Smith
Support Staff
Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Power of Attorney, Wills, Trusts & Estate
Residential Conveyancing
020 8467 5544 Email WendyWendy is secretary to Susan Heads in our Chislehurst office.
Carol Edridge
Support Staff
Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Family
Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution
01372 750 100 Email CarolCarol is Secretary to Craig Batko in the litigation department at our main Surrey office.
Loraine Hayes
Support Staff
Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Power of Attorney, Wills, Trusts & Estate
Loraine is secretary to Philip Jackson and Sally Andrews at our Sevenoaks office.
Joseph Reeves
Partner
Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution
020 7481 6383 email JoeJoe is a civil and commercial litigator covering a wide range of practice areas including commercial and contract litigation, property disputes including landlord and tenant litigation, banking and corporate disputes, professional negligence and debt recovery.
Having qualified in 2010, Joe was previously a Partner in a West End Practice and most recently spent time working on a large scale regulatory matter in Dubai.
Joe’s experience includes:-
Property
- Advising clients facing a possession claim brought by an institutional landlord in respect of premises in Holland Park, including negotiating settlement of the claim
- Representing a landlord with an extensive London property portfolio in proceedings brought by a Local Authority under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
- Representing a landlord in a claim for interim rent under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
- Advising a commercial landlord in a £220,000 dilapidations claim against Kwikfit
- Advising a commercial landlord in a possession claim over premises let under an expired licence
- General advice and representation in relation to boundary and right of way disputes, forfeiture, rent recovery, dilapidations and service charge disputes
Contract and Commercial
- Advising borrowers and personal guarantors in a dispute involving the construction of a private loan agreement, including advising on the enforceability of a penalty clause under the agreement
- Advising a commercial landlord in a dispute with Npower, including advising on the construction and commencement of an energy supply agreement
- Successfully securing summary judgment in respect of a contractual claim for a deposit following a buyer’s failure to complete
- Advising on banking disputes including a set-aside application against HSBC in relation to non-enforceability of a personal guarantee
- Successfully securing compensation for a commercial entity in a claim against RBS resulting from the mis-sale of an Interest Rate Hedging Product (SWAP)
- General debt recovery on behalf of commercial clients including professional service providers and SMEs
Civil
- Successfully acting for an executor and beneficiary in relation to a probate dispute concerning disclosure of estate information, including substantial recovery of costs
- Advising a beneficiary in an inheritance dispute including successful mediation and settlement of the claim
- Advising intended beneficiaries in a professional negligence claim against solicitors following failure to finalise a testator’s will
- Advising a client in respect of a claim in professional negligence against solicitors, arising from complex trust litigation
- Advising a restaurateur in a professional negligence claim against solicitors following failure to advise on the presence of a planning restriction on commercial premises in Victoria
University
- Queen Mary University of London, LLB Law
- College of Law, London Moorgate
Craig Batko
Senior Solicitor
Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution
01372 750 102 Email CraigPlease be aware that Craig's name has recently been used on a fax phishing exercise, primarily targeting firms in the USA. If you have received a fax purporting to be from Craig, please ignore it. It is not from Wellers Law Group.
Craig qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and was a partner at his previous firm. He joined the litigation department at Wellers Hedleys at their Butler House offices in Great Bookham in September 2018.
Craig largely specialises in property related disputes and property litigation, particularly commercial and residential landlord and tenant disputes, business tenancy renewals and oppositions under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, dilapidation claims, possession claims, the acquisition and protection of rights over land such as prescriptive easements, other disputes relating to easements, the enforcement and discharge of freehold covenants, adverse possession, disputes over boundaries, trespass and nuisance. Craig appears in the County Court for possession claims and other chambers advocacy.
Craig’s other practice areas include trusts of land and co-ownership disputes under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, contractual disputes, consumer law, licensing, debt recovery, judgment enforcement proceedings and some insolvency work.
Jonathan Tyler
Solicitor
Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution
01732 457575 Email JonathanJonathan is Head of Litigation for our Sevenoaks office and has a vast amount of experience of commercial litigation, particularly involving property. He acts for commercial landlords and tenants, businesses and individuals. He also has considerable expertise and experience in professional negligence work with focus again on the property industry.
He has been involved in group action litigation and large property damage cases with particular expertise in flooding claims.
He marries a client-focused and pragmatic approach with a real understanding of when to litigate. He is always ready take a robust approach at the right time but also recognises that sometimes alternative dispute resolution can be more appropriate.
Having been a partner for nearly 20 years at a London West End Legal 500 firm, he brings a wealth of litigation experience to Wellers Reece-Jones. He values his clients and their loyalty, takes time to understand their needs and makes no assumptions about their objectives. He recognises the importance of practical and commercial advice and providing cost-effective solutions to dispute resolution.
Tegen Whitford
Trainee Solicitor
Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution
01732 457575 Email TegenTegen is a Trainee Solicitor currently undertaking her first seat within the Private Client department under the supervision of Ingrid McCleave. Tegen started at Wellers Law Group in October 2021 as a Paralegal within the Litigation department but has since progressed to a Trainee Solicitor in November 2022 and will qualify in May 2023.
Tegen assists Ingrid with the day-to-day running of files, drafting Inheritance Tax Forms, Wills, Lasting Power of Attorney’s, Deeds of Variation and regularly attends Ingrid at client meetings. She is continuously learning in this seat and enjoys complex matters. She is focused on understanding the client’s wants and needs to be able to progress matters in a timely manner.
Tegen studied at The University of Brighton and graduated in 2017 achieving a 2:1 in Law with Criminology, she then started studying her LPC and Masters at the University of Law Guildford whilst working full time as a Paralegal. She graduated in 2020 with a High Commendation.
Andreas Chorakis
Legal Consultant
Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution
International
020 7481 6390 EmailAndreas is a highly competent Legal Consultant and Qualified Foreign Lawyer. He is qualified to handle matters across commercial litigation, international law and international arbitration. As Andreas is multilingual, speaking English, Greek, French and German, he can help a wide scope of clients with their litigation needs.
In terms of commercial litigation, Andreas has extensive experience dealing with matters such as directors’ liabilities, commercial contract disputes, insolvency proceedings and commercial debt.
Karolina Batistova
Paralegal
Charity
Commercial Property
Company & Commercial Law
Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution
020 3909 8575 EmailKarolina is a paralegal in the London office; working with fee earners from Litigation, Commercial Property, Company Commercial and Charity departments.
She has graduated with LLB and LLM degrees from City, University of London and is currently undertaking her LPC course, hoping to qualify by 2025.
Karolina speaks Czech, Slovak and intermediate/conversational German.
Fariha Shams
Solicitor
Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution
020 8290 3988 EmailFariha is a litigation Solicitor based in our Bromley office. Fariha graduated with First-Class Honours in Bachelor of Laws in 2015 and completed the Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School in London. She then trained with a leading law firm in Kent.
Following her qualification as a solicitor, Fariha has represented clients in all areas of civil and commercial disputes. In particular, she is know for her expertise in the following areas:
- Contentious Probate
- Commercial contract disputes
- Commercial disputes following company/business acquisitions
- Commercial landlord and tenant disputes
- Residential landlord and tenant disputes
- Neighbour disputes, including easements, adverse possession claims, nuisance claims, Party Wall and Boundary disputes
- Property disputes
Fariha is often complemented by her clients for her down-to-earth manner and thoroughness. Fariha understands litigation is an expensive and stressful process. She works with her clients to ensure the best experience possible and focuses on achieving pragmatic solutions for her clients.
What Fariha’s clients say about her:
“Excellent service from Fariha, always there for us with information and help, explaining every step of the way in a difficult family case. Thank you”
“Fariha was quite attentive to the facts, the storyline and my intentions. Expectations were dutifully expressed and reasonably adhered to…”
“We found Fariha very professional and helpful”
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