“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Jo’s background is rooted in leading dynamic teams and high-profile organisations. After heading the legal and governance function of the Lawn Tennis Association, Jo became the Executive Director of its related charity, The Tennis Foundation.
Jo feels strongly about social justice, and has played an important role as a trustee for a number of charities including, at present, West London Welcome that supports refugees and asylum seekers.
Tennis Foundation; Lawn Tennis Association; Herbert Smith Freehills
MSc in Leadership and Strategy (London Business School); Solicitor’s Practising Certificate (1999 – 2018); MA in Medieval History (King’s College, London); BA in Ancient History and Latin (Manchester University)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
David is a recognised expert in helping SMEs and start-ups thrive. His experience enables him to provide reliable and sound advice across a variety of areas; corporate, commercial, data protection and privacy (including GDPR), employment and dispute resolution. His knowledge of digital and technology businesses also means that he is now retained by a number of university spin-outs and intrapreneur groups.
David is a regular guest speaker on entrepreneurship at the London Business School, as well as to postgraduate groups at other European universities.
David is an Advisor to Tofauti, a Foundation focusing on wildlife and community conservation in Africa.
Ignition Law; Swan Turton; Osborne Clarke; Herbert Smith Freehills
Solicitor’s Practising Certificate (1999 to date); BSc in Psychology (Nottingham University)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Tim has over 20 years advising start-ups, medium-sized companies, trusts and individuals on corporate and company commercial matters, as well as maintaining a dispute resolution practice.
Tim moved back to England after practising in New Zealand as a barrister and acting as an instructor for the College of Law in interviewing, negotiating and advocacy. In his role as a barrister, Tim was involved in commercial dispute resolution at all levels of the New Zealand system, including multiple appearances before its Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
A regular speaker on webinars on company commercial and dispute resolution issues, Tim is also a classically trained pianist and actor but his greatest passion is Watford Football Club.
Ignition Law; Jones Day Reavis & Pogue; Herbert Smith Freehills; Coudert Brothers
Brasenose College, Oxford, Law, M.A.(Oxon), 2:1; Oxford Institute of Legal Practice, Diploma in Legal Practice – Merit
Solicitor, admitted in England and Wales, September 1999; Solicitor and Barrister; admitted in New South Wales, Australia, November 2005; Barrister Sole since 2010, admitted as Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand in December 2005.
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Lizzie shares the Collective’s interest in supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs. With a background in corporate law at Slaughter & May, and following a career break to raise her young family, Lizzie now advises small businesses on a range of corporate and commercial legal issues.
Lizzie’s interests outside of work range from music to watersports, and generally spending time with friends and family. She is also a trustee of a community centre in Mid-Wales and has been involved in several pro bono projects during her career.
Slaughter and May; Ignition Law
Solicitor’s Practising Certificate (2013 to date); BA (Hons) in History (Durham University; 1st class).
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Mike has a fundamental belief that business can be a force for good. He trained at a major international law firm where he helped build the firm’s social enterprise training scheme.
He now advises start-ups on a range of matters from VC funding rounds, to data protection issues and commercial contracts. Mike also spent some time working for Save the Children and loves helping impact driven organisations succeed. He is an ‘expert in residence’ at Imperial Enterprise Lab and mentors on various other impact programs.
Ignition Law, Save the Children International, Hogan Lovells, Acritas Legal Research.
Solicitor’s Practising Certificate (2017 to date); MA (Cantab) English (Cambridge University).
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Sinead is a commercially-focussed employment lawyer with over five years’ experience within private practice. Sinead trained at Gowling WLG, an international law firm, and has most recently worked at Kemp Little, a specialist technology boutique.
She has a number of years’ experience in advising start-ups, growing, and established businesses on a range of employment law matters, including the engagement of contractors, employment contracts, handbooks and policies, due diligence ahead of a sale or funding round, senior exits, and general day-to-day employment advice.
Sinead is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association. She is passionate about pro-bono work and has previously acted as an advisor at the Islington Legal Advice Centre.
Kemp Little, Trowers and Hamlins, Gowling WLG
Solicitors Practicing Certificate (2017 to date); BSc Computer and Business Studies, (Warwick University)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
With over five years of experience, Jessica specialises in corporate and commercial law with a particular focus on M&A transactions. Currently she advises clients operating in LatAm and EMEA.
And because balance is important in every aspect of our lives, when she is not working you can find her with her family, somewhere quiet near the sea or in a fitness studio.
Stocche Forbes Advogados; Cescon Barrieu Advogados; Demarest Advogados (Brazilian top-tier law firms)
Brazilian qualified lawyer (2014 – to date); LL.M. degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science (2019-2020) (distinction); a fully certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPPE/E) and an Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) with IAAP – International Association of Privacy Professionals.
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Nicholas is a solicitor with a decade of experience who now specialises in commercial and corporate law with a particular interest in supporting start-ups, growth businesses and innovative entrepreneurs.
Nicholas trained with Darbys Solicitors where he supported a range of companies and private clients with offshore and English litigation matters. Subsequently, he further diversified his skills with Knights Plc.
Nicholas is a keen lover of music and the countryside, and spends his time following the latest current affairs, football and modern history.
Knights Plc, Darbys Solicitors LLP, Chaucer Group
Solicitor’s Practising Certificate (2013 to date); LLB Hons (University of Kent, Canterbury)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Oliver likes nothing more than working for companies and organisations that are committed to their social values and purpose. Trained in London, Oliver has developed a range of specialisms over the years, and the skills and knowledge he has developed allows him to work across a variety of briefs, from corporate law, IP and employment issues.
Committed to supporting efforts to address climate change, Oliver also works as in-house Counsel for a Bio/Agri-Tech business that has designed technology to help address some of the world’s most serious environmental challenges.
Ignition Law; Russells; Briffa; Live Nation Entertainment
Solicitor’s Practising Certificate (2014 to date); MBA (LSE); Law LLB (King’s College London)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
A media, technology and data protection lawyer, Julia is also a business owner (Creative Counsel Law), and an entrepreneur. Passionate about the creative industries, Julia provides strategic advice to SMEs and copyright counsel/ virtual GC services to media and technology companies.
Outside the office, Julia is a Non-Executive Director and active Board member of the Ivor’s Academy where she also chairs the Finance & HR Committee. She is also a member of BLACA, and is an Editorial Board Member for the Oxford University Press published Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice.
Ignition Law, Warner Music International, Vodafone Group PLC, EMI, Michael Simkins LLP
Solicitor’s Practising Certificate (2007 to date); LL.M University of London (IP); Law LL.B ( Hons)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Sarah qualified as a solicitor in 1994. Following many years in private practice as a specialist charity lawyer (most latterly with Farrer & Co and Charles Russell Speechlys), Sarah advises charities and not for profit organisations of various types and sizes. Sarah provides a wide range of services including establishing new charities and not for profit organisations; governance and regulatory; trustee training; constitutional reviews and amendments; tax, trading and fundraising issues; restructures and reorganisations; grant-making procedures; and commercial legal issues.
Sarah has participated in two Charity Law Association Working Parties. She writes regularly on charity law and related matters and speaks at charity law seminars and workshops. Sarah is also a member of the Charity Law Association.
Berwin Leighton Paisner; Farrer & Co; Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
College of Law (Lancaster Gate); LLB Law (Queen Mary University of London)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Francesca has a background in supporting a range of companies with funding. Throughout her 18 years of experience from her early days at Linklaters to R&R Ice Cream and Hambro Perks, she has advised Boards of companies on buyouts, fundraising, portfolio management and exit strategies. She now focuses on advising start-up and scale-ups on matters including employee incentive schemes (including EMI option and growth share schemes), general employment law and corporate matters.
Outside of the office, Francesca is an accredited mediator and brings those skills to her role as a magistrate in Guildford’s Family Court and is also an avid ice-skater.
FAY Consulting Limited; Hambro Perks Limited; R&R Ice Cream plc; Linklaters LLP
The Lawyer Awards – Hot 100 (2015); Accredited Mediator – Civil and Commercial (2022); Justice of the Peace – Family (2021); Solicitor of Supreme Court of England and Wales – (2007); Legal Practice, BPP Law School, London, 2003-04 (Distinction); BSc Biomedical Science, Kings College London
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
After completing a one-year internship in Istanbul, Fehime qualified as a lawyer in Turkey. Prior to this she completed an MA in international commercial law in Manchester. Alongside her degree, Fehime has done a variety of voluntary legal work in different fields of law such as immigration law, litigation and commercial law.
Aside from her career, Fehime is passionate about the environment and has volunteered for various environmental projects such as planting trees, distributing educational books to kids and selling products for cancer charities.
Immigration Advice Service; The Growth Company; Oncel, Aydin & Uygun Attorney Partnership; Ersan & Co Solicitors
Turkish Qualified Lawyer; L.L.M degree (University of Salford)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Kim has been a practicing lawyer for over 14 years specialising in dispute resolution representing clients before the Magistrates’ Court, High Court and Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago. Kim readily applies anti-money laundering, compliance, regulatory, business commercial acumen and civil procedure rules expertise in providing legal advice for private clients and corporate entities, and has served as the Head of Legal Departments in government Ministries in Trinidad.
Kim has undertaken pro-bono work for charities in the UK and Trinidad and volunteers with a soup kitchen in Trinidad. She is formerly a trained actress appearing in productions in the UK and Trinidad and spends her spare time attending art exhibitions, the theatre, salsa dancing and is an avid runner.
Trinity Chambers (Chambers of Desmond Allum S.C.); Lex Caribbean a regional commercial law firm; Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago
B.A. 2.1 Hons (University of the West Indies); GDL Law (Commendation) BPP Law School; Called to the Bar 2005 (The Honourable Society of Inner Temple); Admitted as an Attorney-at-law (Roll of Attorneys, Trinidad and Tobago) in 2006; Professional Member of the ICA (UK) holding a Diploma in AML (Merit).
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
After working as a Specialist Operations Co-ordinator with International SOS, aiding with medical repatriation, cross-border evacuations and organising medical assistance globally, Sioned completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Law at BPP University.
Prior to that Sioned completed an MA in European History, focusing her thesis on the experiences of West African soldiers who fought for France during the Great War and studied French as an undergraduate at Bristol University.
Outside of work Sioned enjoys running, going to music events, and travelling.
International SOS, Erasmus Student Network UK, British Council
PGDL (BPP University), MA in European History (UCL)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
A qualified Chartered Accountant, Liz brings a unique blend of small and global organisational experience to her role as Chief Financial Officer. Throughout her career working for the financial services firm Arthur Andersen and the renowned Lawn Tennis Association amongst others, Liz’s strategic analytical skills have meant that she provides expert financial advice and reporting which aids better business decision-making.
Liz’s interests outside of work include practicing Pilates, long walks with her dog and travelling.
Lawn Tennis Association; Arthur Andersen; Willis Group plc; Associated British Foods plc
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (1997); Association of Accounting Technicians (1994)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Lisa is our expert on compliance, risk and regulation. A highly-valued member of our team, Lisa helps us ensure that our policies and procedures are up to date. Her knowledge of SRA compliance, Anti-Money laundering and Professional Conduct requirements is vital to the London Law Collective.
Lisa enjoys spending time outdoors and is a keen runner and with a young family, much of her spare time is spent in the park. She is a supporter of social enterprise and works closely with third sector businesses and promotes the ethos of ‘business for good’. Lisa is a people person and likes nothing more than sitting around a fire pit on a warm evening with a glass or two of wine!
Jonathon Bray Ltd; NewLaw Solicitors; Capital Law; Harrisons Solicitors
Law Society accredited Lexcel Consultant; Solicitor’s Practising Certificate (2005 to 2015); LLB in Law (Aberystwyth University)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
Miki has over twenty years’ experience working in communications across the public and private sectors. In that time, he has been Head of Corporate Affairs at the British Library and has led consumer PR campaigns for major global brands. He now runs his own consultancy offering support to cultural, creative and other organisations.
Miki is also a writer, recently released a collection of short stories and is working on his next book. He volunteers with refugees in Greece with the charity FoodKIND, works with the refugee charity Breaking Barriers and is a Governor of Highgate Wood Secondary School.
British Library; Burson-Marsteller; Ketchum PR
MA Creative Writing (Birkbeck, University of London); MA History Hons (University of Edinburgh)
“Jane Smith is exceptional, having a great blend of legal skills and commercial acumen as well as injecting a sense of fun into the business.”
I have the tough ask of keeping the whole team stress free with a sense of perspective.
It’s my ideal role – that much sought after mix of something that I’m good at that also makes me happy – selflessly ensuring that the team get their five a day: taking me for walks; throwing squeezy tennis balls; feeding me my (and their) food; keeping cats out of my way; and generally ensuring that I’m well occupied so I don’t start chewing things that are off limits (electric cables; wooden chair legs etc).
It has to be said that law is not my strong point – it amazes me how everyone sticks to all those rules. I find them baffling and often transgress without realising or just because I find it too tempting. However, the CEO tells me that people are often the same and that’s why law firms are in demand. It’s nice to know we’re not so very different after all.
I did have a previous brief stint at a firm in the midlands where a rabbit used to chase me around the room when I was only six weeks old. As you can imagine, I was pretty relieved when I was told that London Law Collective wanted to hire me.
An innate sense of wisdom and a real dislike for cats – I saw this as a plus but the CEO has told me I need to work hard to overcome this one. We should have goodwill for all people and things (apparently…..).
