MARTIN TOLHURST PARTNERSHIP - Key Persons

Abdul Mutallib

Job Titles:

Partner
Partner / Ashford

Abdul is a Partner at the firm based in our Ashford office, who for the past 7 years has worked in Residential Conveyancing. Abdul deals with sale and purchase transactions including Leaseholds, Freeholds and New Builds. Over the last 5 years he has specialised in transactions involving Lifetime Mortgages, Modern Method of Auction (I am Sold purchase), Help to Buy Mortgages, Help to Buy ISA's, Freehold Estate Rent Charges and Deeds of Variation. Recent case study - "Our client was purchasing a large plot of land and property that had been constructed in the middle of two title numbers. At the time the sellers purchased the land in 2006, neither their solicitors nor the sellers solicitors has identified the additional piece of land. On receiving instructions, I reviewed the title deeds of the property and noticed the obvious error in that the plan to the property did not correspond with the land being purchased. Having enquired further with the sellers solicitors it appears that when the sellers purchased the property in 2006 the second piece of land was not transferred to them by the previous owners. As the issue was raised by me on behalf of my client, we were able to arrange for the sellers to locate the previous owners and have the second title number transferred into the current sellers name, which then in turn meant that the sale to my client included both the land/title and that my client was able to purchase this without any issue. The need to locate the previous owners and having to correct the title deeds to the property, it resulted in the purchase process taking longer than usual but had this not been discovered it would have meant that my client would have owned half the land to their property with a third party owning the other half. Despite being initially concerned about the issue, he was pleased that I had identified the concerns that were resolved so that any potential issues that could have arisen when he came to sell were no longer a factor."

Adam Waters

Job Titles:

Litigation Executive
Litigation Executive / Gillingham

Adam is a Litigation Executive and is based at our Gillingham office. He specialises in property related disputes, including Residential Landlord and Tenant, Commercial Landlord and Tenant and Neighbour Disputes.

Alan Stevens

Job Titles:

Conveyancer
Conveyancer / Ashford

Alan is a conveyancer who is based in our Ashford office. He has 21 years of experience. During that time he has built up a wealth of knowledge dealing with an array of residential transactions for individuals including Freehold and Leasehold purchases, sales, re-mortgages, new build property transactions and transfers of equity. Recently Alan has been involved with a diverse case where a client acquired a property with the aim of building an additional dwelling in the large garden, this involved negotiating a diversion of an existing right of way.

Amanda Hopper

Job Titles:

Conveyancer
Conveyancer / Sittingbourne

Amanda is a Conveyancer based in our Sittingbourne office. She joined the firm in January 2022, and she deals with residential freehold sale and purchase, leasehold sale and purchase, transfer of equity and re-mortgages.

Andrew Ashley-Edwards

Job Titles:

Partner
Partner / Gillingham

Andrew is a partner and head of the commercial department at the firm. Specialising since 2008 in Commercial Property, Business and Corporate matters, Andrew has broad experience looking after small and medium enterprises with particular emphasis on family businesses. With a loyal following of businesses of all sizes from a variety of sectors, Andrew advises the business community in Kent and beyond. In addition to his commercial work, since 2008 Andrew has specialised in Landlord and Tenant matters in relation to leasehold flats and houses. He advises both Landlords and Tenants in connection with lease extensions, collectively purchasing freeholds and right to manage claims. Andrew has dealt with an extremely broad range of transactions during his career, focusing initially on buying and selling commercial properties for owner occupiers and investors and negotiating leases of business premises on behalf of landlords and tenants. This quickly diversified to a full range of business services, buying and selling going concerns and companies Whilst always undertaking a degree of corporate work, since joining Martin Tolhurst, Andrew has increased the amount of this type of work and is now largely occupied with buying and selling companies. In recent times Andrew was involved in a high value transaction selling a national engineering company. The transaction included a diverse range of issues and challenges which were met by Andrew and his team to the satisfaction of the client.

Anna Przytula-Pieniazek

Job Titles:

Solicitor
Solicitor / Ashford

Anna joined the firm in February 2022 and is based at our Ashford office. She qualified as a solicitor in 2014 and she's currently specialising in freehold and leasehold sales and purchases.

Barbara Stewart

Job Titles:

Partner
Partner / Longfield

Barbara is one of our Partners at Martin Tolhurst Solicitors and is based in our Longfield office. Barbara has 34 years experience and expertise doing probate, wills, powers of attorney and residential conveyancing. During her long career Barbara has acquired vast experience in all aspects of residential conveyancing enabling her to identify potential problems and resolve them quickly for the benefit of her clients . Her knowledge of property law assists greatly when dealing with wills, powers of attorney and probate matters. Her clients appreciate her knowledge of more than one area of law. Recently Barbara has dealt with a specifically diverse case of preparing legal documentation re appropriation of property in connection with a probate matter including dealing with restrictions on the register of title.

Cally Davies

Job Titles:

Conveyancer
Conveyancer / Sittingbourne

Cally is a Conveyancer based within our Sittingbourne conveyancing team and started with the firm in 2017.

Charlotte Farrant

Job Titles:

Chartered Legal Executive
Chartered Legal Executive / Sittingbourne

Charlotte joined the Firm in November 2020 and she is based at our Sittingbourne Office. She specialises in shared ownership transactions, Discounted Market Schemes, Help to Buy transactions and standard Freehold and Leasehold transactions. Charlotte qualified in March 2019 having worked in conveyancing since graduating from the University of Surrey in 2014. She has worked in various locations, in differing roles over the years from Kent to Central London before making her way back to leafy county 3 years ago. She undertook the CILEx Fast Track course and exams whilst working full-time and completed these with a distinction. Recent case study - "Client was buying a leasehold flat in a block with two other flats. Upon review of the lease it was noted that the property demise was referred to in 3 plans namely; A, B and C. Plan A showing the freehold was included within the lease, as was Plan B showing the boundaries of the flat however Plan C had been omitted. The flat was marketed as being first floor and the lease indicated that plan C showed part of the ground floor as included within the property. I assumed that this was the staircase to allow access to the property. The landlord was approached to enquire whether the original lease was held including Plan C however unfortunately it wasn't. The vendors solicitors proposed an indemnity however I was not confident this would adequately protect our client and therefore insisted on a Deed of Variation to include the missing lease plan. This was agreed by the vendors solicitors who also agreed to bear the cost for the same and allow us an amount off the purchase price to register the Deed at the Land Registry with our transfer application. Our client had stated that the vendor was surprised this had not been picked up when he purchased or by the previous vendors and was happy that she would now not have any issues on a subsequent sale."

Charlotte Hatcher

Job Titles:

Wills and Probate Executive
Wills and Probate Executive / Longfield

Charlotte is currently based in our Longfield branch working within in our Wills and Probate team. She joined the firm in 2018 and deals with Wills, LPA's and administration of estates.

Chloe Baumhauer

Job Titles:

Paralegal
Paralegal / Longfield

Chloe currently works as a Paralegal within the Private Client department at our Longfield office, after starting with Martin Tolhurst in March 2022 in their New Enquiries department.

Clio Browne

Job Titles:

Marketing Manager
Marketing Manager / Ashford

Clio undertakes all marketing activities for the firms five branches to help connect Kent businesses and individuals with our expert legal guidance through strategic marketing planning. Covering online, SEO, Paid search, website, email, Digital PR, social media, and events marketing both internally and externally Clio enables all marketing activities to be carried out in a professional and systematic way. With over 9 years marketing experience covering direct B2C marketing and B2B Clio has diverse skill set to ensure all key marketing objectives are achieved.

Connor Martin

Job Titles:

Solicitor
Solicitor / Gillingham

Connor joined the firm in February 2021. He is currently working in the Commercial Property department within our Gillingham office having completed his training contract and recently qualifying as a solicitor.

Danny Ball

Job Titles:

Partner
Partner / Sittingbourne

Danny specialises in all areas of Residential Conveyancing and has been working in Residential Conveyancing for 28 years, since 1996. In that time he has dealt with all types of residential transactions, including the usual Freehold and Leasehold matters, as well as New Builds, shared ownerships, Remortgages, Transfers of Equity, and Help to Buy matters. Danny has recently dealt with an unusual Sale case where my Client did not own the driveway and garage. This involved trying to register a form of ownership for the Client to be able to sell. He had to arrange a Statutory Declaration to be drawn up and sworn confirming the use of the land as their own, and this had to be registered with the Land Registry to provide a Possessory title. The Land Registry send out notices to seek any objections, or claims of ownership of the land from any third party, and they did receive a claim in this case. However, this was thrown out and the Clients' obtained ownership allowing them to sell the Property. Danny has been promoted to Partner, effective April 1st 2023 - this achievement recognises his hard work, dedication, and expertise.

Denise Serifoglu

Job Titles:

Solicitor
Solicitor / Gillingham

Denise is a Solicitor based within our Gillingham office. She joined the firm in July 2021, and she specialises in Commercial Property.

Ellie Shepherd

Job Titles:

Conveyancer
Conveyancer / Gillingham

Ellie joined the firm in September 2023 as a Conveyancer within the Conveyancing Department dealing with residential conveyancing matters.

Georgina Vanden Berghe

Job Titles:

Associate
Associate / Longfield

Georgina joined the firm in September 2020 and is based at our Gillingham office. She qualified as a solicitor in 2004 specialising in private client, wills and probate and is now a great asset to our team. Georgina has been promoted to Associate within the firm, effective April 1st 2023, in recognition of her outstanding work and contributions to our Wills and Probate team.

Giles Dobson

Job Titles:

Partner
Partner / Gillingham

Giles deals with a broad spectrum of matters from divorce and cohabitation to personal injury, contractual disputes and debt recovery for individuals and businesses. He is experienced across a number of areas of law and has built a wide ranging caseload of matters dealt with in the County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. A case in the last few months that Giles has found specifically diverse was a particularly long running and complex children dispute with intractable hostility between parents, social services involvement, psychological reports and allegations of parental alienation which eventually resolved itself by agreement between the parties.

Hannah Sharp

Job Titles:

Solicitor
Solicitor / Ashford

Hannah is currently a Solicitor working in our Ashford office specialising in Residential Conveyancing.

Hannah Stanford

Job Titles:

Associate
Associate / Gillingham

Hannah deals with financial settlements following divorce or separation, as well as complex disputes concerning children and matters under The Family Law Act 1996 (with regard non-molestation injunctions and occupation orders). 2021 has seen a rise in cohabitation and property disputes, resulting in an increased number of potential claims under The Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA). Not including live and ongoing cases, Hannah has successfully settled all TOLATA cases which she has been instructed upon in the last year without need for court proceedings, saving time and expense. Hannah has been promoted to Associate, effective April 1st 2023, in recognition of her dedication, skills, and expertise. She is currently based in our Gillingham office. Recently Hannah received this feedback: "When I receive a brief from Hannah, I know that it will be thoroughly prepared and she will provide me with all of the information that I require to obtain the best result for our client. Hannah goes over and beyond for all of her clients; she supports and guides them through the court process and provides excellent advice so they attend hearings fully informed of what to expect. Most importantly, Hannah will explore and consider all possible legal avenues so that her clients get the outcomes they desire." - N. Williams, 5 Pump Court Chambers Hannah joined the firm in August 2013 and qualified as a Solicitor with the firm at the end of 2018. She joined the Dispute Resolution team in January 2018 and is currently based at our Medway Office. Recent case study - "Retaliatory action is not uncommon following separation, and the risk of child abduction is of grave concern to most clients where there has been an acrimonious split. I was urgently instructed on a case where the client's worst fears had been realised. The child (4) had been in the client's care owing to there being concerns as to the other party's ability to care for the child, owing to suspected drug use and inadequate living arrangements. On impulse, the other party had knocked at the front door, taken the child and absconded. Despite this being reported, the police, unaware of the concerns surrounding the other party and absent of there being any court order in place, allowed the child to remain in the other party's care given that the other party had parental responsibility. The client had an appointment with me on the Tuesday afternoon and, following my making an urgent ex-parte application to the court, the matter was before the court on the Friday morning. After my putting the client's case forward, the court made an Order for the child to return immediately to my client's care and a residency Order was made in my client's favour. Conditions were attached to the Order, by way of a penal notice, in order that criminal action could be taken if the other party were to breach the Order."

Ilaria Giurini

Job Titles:

Marketing Manager
Marketing Manager / Ashford

Ilaria is responsible for managing the Firm's marketing, public and community relations, establishing the long-term strategic direction for the company's efforts to reach new audiences and identify new business opportunities. In her over 6 years of marketing experience, she has covered Direct Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and Events Management with a strategic flair and focus on results.