Keystone continues to attract lawyers from the top firms across the country with 9 new high-profile arrivals enhancing its offering to clients across multiple practice areas.
The new appointments are:
Alan Spiers – Commercial Property
Alan joins Keystone from Mishcon De Reya, primarily working on investment and development projects. These matters are often complex and at times also involve working collaboratively with litigators or corporates.
Alan is an experienced negotiator who acts for landlords (acquisition, preservation, enhancement and ultimate disposal of investments) and also enjoys working with corporate tenants, helping them to achieve the desired outcome when negotiating leases.
Alison Moore – Property Litigation
Joining from DAC Beachcroft, Alison is an expert in landlord and tenant law and a specialist in the retail sector. She is experienced in advising on high-value asset management issues relating to shopping centres, retail portfolios and office buildings across a range of sectors, acting for owners and occupiers.
In addition to landlord and tenant work, Alison also advises on development disputes, real property issues including restrictive covenants, adverse possession, rights of way and other easements including rights of light, property-related insolvency, breaches of covenant, removal of squatters and residential possession claims.
Sam Benfield – Commercial Property
Sam has also joined from DAC Beachcroft and is a commercial property solicitor specialising in transactional landlord and tenant law. She advises on a variety of transactional commercial landlord and tenant matters including the acquisition of new leases, lease renewals (including statutory lease renewals pursuant to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954) and disposals.
Her practice also covers general portfolio management matters such as lease regearing and variations, formal licences for matters requiring landlord consent, the grant of occupational licences and underleases, and practical operational requirements such as works agreements, rights of way and easements, and wayleave agreements.
Kamal Mukhi – Marine and Shipping
Former Hill Dickinson legal director Kamal is a litigation and arbitration lawyer focusing on shipping, energy and international trade. He also regularly advises on trade finance, sanctions, insurance issues, shareholders’ disputes and directors’ duties, commercial contracts, freezing injunctions and asset tracing, and committal applications.
Dual-qualified in England and India, Kamal is well placed to advise on disputes in either of these jurisdictions.
Stephen McGlennan – Corporate and Commercial
Steve joins from Hybrid Air Vehicles Limited where he was CEO and General Counsel. He is a highly experienced corporate and commercial lawyer with in-depth understanding of business issues, having been the chief executive officer of two businesses.
Steve also has significant non-contentious experience in the insurance and wider financial sector. Prior to moving in-house Steve was a senior partner at Dentons where he worked for ten years.
Susan Apthorp – Family
Tier 1 legal directory family lawyer Susan joins from Sears Tooth. She specialises in family law and is well known for her work representing clients in divorce proceedings where there are substantial assets. She has particular expertise in difficult cases involving children, such as the international relocation and provision for children with complex medical needs.
Susan also advises on complex financial remedy proceedings, Inheritance Act cases, prenuptial arrangements and jurisdictional disputes.
Sally Pilott – Commercial Property
Joining from DTM Legal, Sally is an experienced commercial property solicitor who is an expert in sales and acquisitions, development work, general property management, landlord and tenant matters, and portfolio management. In particular she has advised on large-scale restructuring projects and disposals.
Jordan Howells – Corporate Investigations, Dispute Resolution and Funding
Jordan is a barrister with more than ten years’ experience of conducting and advising on regulatory, white-collar and workplace investigations on the one hand, and representing individuals and multinational companies in respect of the laws of the international organisations on the other.
Previously at Bretton Woods Law, his global investigations practice includes all stages of the investigative process from initial receipt of allegations and red flag reviews, through to the management and conduct of investigations, the preparation of final investigative reports and acting as an interlocutor with regulatory and prosecutorial bodies.
Jordan is one of a handful of expert practitioners globally who specialise in the employment laws and jurisdictions of international organisations, such as the United Nations, which are the product of treaties and enjoy privileges and immunities from national laws.
Having also worked as an investment manager at a major litigation funder, Jordan assists both financiers and applicants in the analysis, assessment and preparation of applications for funding of commercial, insolvency and international arbitration cases, having regard not only to the legal merits but also to the commercial and financial facets of the proposition.
Gabi Olson-Welsh – Corporate
Former Oury Clark Solicitors partner Gabi advises private companies and entrepreneurs on a broad range of corporate law issues, as well as on some general commercial matters. She has vast experience advising on, often very large-scale, multi-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions. Gabi’s expertise also covers international joint ventures, shareholder agreements, company restructurings, and compliance audits.
Her commercial work includes assisting with the majority of commercial contracts and working with businesses that wish to start a franchise.
James Knight, Founder and CEO of Keystone Law, said:
“We are committed to ensuring our clients have access to the very best legal advisers across every area of law. The arrival of these 9 highly experienced lawyers further strengthens our teams and services offered. I’m delighted to welcome them to the firm.”