Craig Batko

Senior Solicitor

Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution

01372 750 102 Email Craig

Please 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.

 

 


Tony Summers

Senior Partner

Company & Commercial Law

Company Secretarial

020 8290 7951 Email

Tony was the Senior Partner of Wellers Solicitors prior to the firm becoming an LLP in October 2010. He graduated from Oxford University in 1977 and specialises in Company and Commercial work in which field he acts for public companies and national institutions.

More recently his responsibilities centre primarily around managing the firm and leading its strategic direction.

He was for many years a Deacon and Chairman of Finance of a Baptist Church and thereafter was on the PCC of his local Anglican Church.

Outside the office apart from having two young and very active children Tony lists golf and sailing among his pursuits. He has competed in both transatlantic and cross channel races.


Testimonial

Very many thanks not only for the money but for the way you and your team have always given me sound advice and progressed this matter with vigor.

–– Roger Sparkes, D & M Sparkes

Jonathan Tyler

Solicitor

Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution

01732 457575 Email Jonathan

Jonathan 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.


Roger Taylor

Consultant

Company & Commercial Law

Parish Council services

Residential Conveyancing

01483 284567 Email Roger

Roger is a Consultant with a great deal of knowledge and experience in advising Town, Parish and Community Councils.


Tegen Whitford

Trainee Solicitor

Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution

01732 457575 Email Tegen

Tegen 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.


Kim Whitaker

Solicitor

Company & Commercial Law

020 7481 6395 Email

As a lawyer with over 30 years’ experience gained in-house and in private practice, Kim has worked with a variety of clients on corporate and commercial matters including business sales and acquisitions, shareholders agreements, joint ventures, partnership agreements, employee share schemes, IT and other commercial contracts.

She has worked both as an “in-house” lawyer in a multinational corporate and as a lawyer in a private law firm. Kim is committed to giving practical, easy to understand, commercial advice to help her clients across a wide scope of company and commercial legal matters.


Priyanka Kumar

Solicitor

Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Personal Litigation & Dispute Resolution

01732 457575 mailto:priyanka.kumar@wellerslawgroup.com

Priyanka Kumar is a skilled Litigation Solicitor at Wellers, specialising in the practice area of Litigation & Dispute Resolution. She holds an LLB (Hons) in Law and an LPC with a Masters in Legal Practice, showcasing her commitment to excellence in the legal field. With a background of being newly qualified, Priyanka brings fresh insights to her role and is supervised by Jonathan Tyler in the Sevenoaks office.

Prior to joining Wellers, Priyanka gained invaluable experience at a leading city firm where she represented social and private tenants, as well as leaseholders in disrepair actions against Local Authorities and Housing Associations. Her specific areas of expertise lie in Landlord and Tenant Litigation and Property Disputes.


Karolina Batistova

Paralegal

Charity

Commercial Property

Company & Commercial Law

Corporate Litigation & Dispute Resolution

020 3909 8575 Email

Karolina 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.


Paul Martin

Partner

Business

Charity

Chinese Investment

International

Legal services for Chinese clients

020 7481 6381 Email Paul

Partner - Commercial & Charity Law

Paul is Head of the firm’s Charity Department. He joined the firm in 1978 and has specialised in Charity Law for over 30 years.

Paul travels widely and has a client base of both national and international not-for-profit organisations. He has had considerable experience in representing various overseas foundations in their activities in the UK, as well as UK charities in their work in Africa, Central Asia, South East Asia, Australia, USA and the Middle East.

Paul’s specialisation is designing and implementing innovative enabling structures for not-for-profits and charities.

Paul is the Author of Faith, Hope & Charity, the A to Z of governing a charitable organisation (see link to video below). He is a director of two international charities.

Paul’s favourite client is a rather well-known purple dinosaur who, Paul says, tended to sing his instructions rather than send e-mails!

In his free time he has renovated a French farmhouse and enjoys gardening – but only if he can eat the resulting produce!

Faith, Hope & Charity, the A to Z of governing a charitable organisation


Testimonial

"Paul Martin has been the external legal advisor to The Langley Park School for Boys Academy Trust during the school's £35 million redevelopment project. During this period his advice has been on diverse issues including property law, development contracts, negotiations for easements and rights-of-way, Charity formation and administration in joint venture and management agreements. In addition, Paul's colleagues at Wellers have advised on litigation and employment issues.

We have been impressed with the excellent and personal service that has come from the firm, and have been pleased to have their complete service at our disposal during this exciting yet demanding time of change for the school."

- The Langley Park School fopr Boys Academy Trust

Howard Ricklow

Director of Commercial Services

Business

Company & Commercial Law

Data Protection

020 7481 6396 Email

Howard Ricklow is a highly established Company and Commercial solicitor who has been working for 36 years in this sector. He handles a wide scope of matters in the Company and Commercial field, including:

  • Data protection
  • Intellectual property
  • IT
  • Media / entertainment
  • Luxury assets (yachts, private jets / corporate jets, art and antiques)

Howard is additionally a member of many legal societies, including the International Bar Association, Society for Computers and Law, International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, European Air Law Association and Professional Advisers to the International Art Market.