New hires bring wealth of experience to Attwaters Jameson Hill

We are delighted to have welcomed four expert solicitors to our team over the past few months. Following our merger late last year with London firm Stafford Young Jones, which boosted our staff numbers to 93 and increased our turnover to £7.5m, we began hunting for top legal talent to cater to our many new clients. Within a matter of months, we had welcomed Penny Fitzpatrick, Belinda Strange, Steve Meredith and Victoria Mundy to the team.

The four lawyers bring with them huge expertise in their various specialisms, bolstering the depth of knowledge and guidance available to our clients and greatly increasing the caseload capacity of the teams of which they are now part.

Penny Fitzpatrick came to us from Top 100 law firm Slater & Gordon and is now an Associate Solicitor in the firm’s Medical Negligence team. She has almost 20 years’ experience in dealing with complex negligence claims against hospital trusts, general practitioners and private consultants. Specialising particularly in spinal, brain and birth injuries, much of her caseload involves complex, maximum severity and fatal claims, and she has secured millions of pounds in compensation for clients over the course of her career. She comes highly recommended by the Legal 500 directory and The Good Lawyer Guide, and is passionately committed to achieving results for her clients.

She says: “Many of the people I work with have been through terrible ordeals through no fault of their own. I take huge satisfaction from securing life-changing compensation awards which can then be used to access aids, equipment or more suitable accommodation that ultimately allows many of my clients to regain their independence and lead fuller, happier lives. That’s why I’m delighted to have joined Attwaters Jameson Hill, which has an excellent reputation for its Medical Negligence expertise and commitment to clients.”

Belinda Strange, who also has considerable London experience, joined us as an Associate Solicitor in our Family Law department. She has worked in this area of the law for over two decades and is a fierce advocate of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) options. “An overburdened Family Courts system and long delays are prolonging the suffering and heartbreak of many separating couples and their families,” she says. “While AJH’s family lawyers are experts guiding couples through the court process, it’s my belief that trying alternative options such as mediation, collaborative law or arbitration can save both parties a great deal of pain and stress.”

Where ADR isn’t suitable, Belinda also has a wealth of experience in financial claims in court, and has a range of expert accountants, actuaries and surveyors on hand to assist and advise on all aspects of financial matters arising from relationship breakdown.

Our new Head of Trusts & Tax, Steve Meredith, is a leading tax lawyer with a national reputation who mostly works with high-net-worth clients within the £1m – £20m wealth bracket, making him a perfect fit for his new role at Attwaters Jameson Hill, due to our specialism in private wealth matters. His long experience and in-depth technical knowledge give him an advantage over most other private wealth lawyers and he specialises in resolving complex tax situations, tailoring the solution to each individual’s particular and family circumstances.

“There’s no point working hard all your life only to give most of your hard-earned money to the taxman when you die. You’d be surprised at how much tax you can save if you take specialist legal advice early enough. Careful planning makes the absolute world of difference.”

Last but not least, Victoria Mundy is the most recent of the four solicitors to join us following many years spent in Canadian and American law firms and, most lately, a large firm in London’s West End. She is a Commercial Property Solicitor with a broad depth of knowledge and years of experience in advising on a variety of property types, including student accommodation, warehouses and offices premises. She works with a wide range of clients, including landlords, tenants, domestic and overseas investors and developers, offering expert guidance on property financings, developments, landlord and tenant work, lease extensions and general commercial property law.

“Following my decision to step away from City life, I am thrilled to be joining Attwaters Jameson Hill, whose ambition and commitment to growth, as well as a dynamic Commercial Property team dedicated to delivering positive outcomes for clients, were a real draw for me. I’m truly excited to be here.”

Our Managing Partner, Andrew Flannagan, is thrilled to be welcoming so many new faces on board. He says, “The fact that we are now attracting lawyers of such calibre to our team is a testament to the success of our recent merger, a product of our relentless pursuit of growth, and our excellent reputation as specialist private wealth lawyers. Penny, Belinda, Steve and Victoria all have huge experience in their fields and so much to contribute to this firm. I am very excited to see what they will achieve.”

Victoria Mundy,  Belinda Strange,  Penny Fitzpatrick and Steve Meredith