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    Our people

    Meet the Settlement Agreement Solicitors team

    Professional, reassuring, caring – just some of the words used to describe our team at Settlement Agreement Solicitors. Find out more about them right here.

    Solicitors

    Our employment solicitors are all settlement agreement experts and are here to ensure you understand the terms and implications of your settlement agreement and feel confident when it comes to signing it.

    • Jarred Bold

      Solicitor and Legal Director

      Qualified 2005

      Jarred joined our business in 2021 and he is our Legal Director. An accomplished solicitor with over 20 years of practising experience, Jarred leads our team of senior employment solicitors to provide first-class legal advice to our clients, delivered with a warm and empathic approach. As well as being a highly experienced employment solicitor himself, Jarred also manages our regulatory compliance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

    • Sarah Jones

      Principal Solicitor

      Qualified 1992

      Sarah has been a specialist employment law solicitor since 1992. She has worked with both businesses and individuals on a wide range of employment and human resources issues. Sarah’s passion for employment law is driven by her ability to assist and support her clients through what can be a very challenging time. Clients value that Sarah is a calm and effective negotiator with an eye for detail. Sarah’s specialisms include settlement agreements where discrimination and whistleblowing are a factor.

    • Reena Sharma

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2007

      Reena qualified as a solicitor in 2007 and is an expert in employment law. She specialises in settlement agreements and negotiates the best possible outcome for clients, particularly where there are issues with performance, misconduct or discrimination. Reena is friendly and approachable and builds a positive, collaborative relationship with her clients. She is also an accredited executive coach and mentor, and has written for Personnel Today.

    • William Mackenzie

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2006

      William qualified as a solicitor in 2006 and is highly experienced in all aspects of employment law. William joined our firm because he enjoys helping employees with settlement agreements. He is skilled at resolving situations in a way that allows the employer and employee to move forward positively and amicably. William is able to advise employees on complex settlement agreements where restrictive covenants and share options are a factor.

    • Julie Stockton

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2007

      Julie is a senior employment solicitor with 15+ years’ experience advising on unfair dismissal, discrimination, TUPE, redundancy and settlement agreements. She previously led employment law for USDAW in the North East, supporting over 80,000 members, and represented claimants at judicial mediation and in the Employment Tribunal. Known for her calm, strategic advice, she has a strong track record representing individuals in complex workplace matters.

    • Nick Bailey

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 1993

      Nick qualified as a solicitor in 1993 and has specialised in employment law since 2000. For more than 20 years he advised businesses and senior managers on contracts, terminations and settlement agreements, so he understands how employers approach an exit and a settlement negotiation. He now uses that insight to advise employees on their settlement agreements. Nick holds an LLM in Employment Law and Industrial Relations.

    • Christopher Joseph

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2009

      Chris is an Employment Law specialist with 17 years’ experience in private practice. As a consultant solicitor, he advises employees on settlement agreements and offers robust representation to help maximise severance packages. Known for his approachable style, Chris delivers clear, plain-English advice on legal terms. He also acts as a litigator in Employment Tribunal cases, bringing broad expertise to settlement negotiations.

    • Tanya Devaney

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2022

      Tanya qualified as a solicitor in 2022 and joined Settlement Agreement Solicitors in 2023, having previously worked in public defence litigation. Tanya uses her experience dealing with difficult negotiations and sensitive relationships to ensure the best possible outcome for her clients. She joined the firm because she is passionate about helping people with settlement agreements, and treats her clients with an empathetic approach.

    • Emily Muncey

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2021

      Emily qualified as a solicitor in 2021 and joined Settlement Agreement Solicitors in 2024. Since qualifying she has specialised in employment law and has advised on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters for both employers and employees. Emily is particularly experienced when it comes to advising on and negotiating in relation to settlement agreements. She provides straight-forward and pragmatic advice, ensuring fair and favourable terms for her clients.

    • Samantha Jolliffe

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2009

      Samantha has over 16 years’ experience in employment law, advising both high-net-worth individuals and multinational companies. She specialises in contentious and non-contentious matters including tribunal claims, TUPE, documentation, and settlement agreements. She has held senior roles at Howard Kennedy, Charsley Harrison LLP, and Monaco Solicitors, and is also a skilled legal writer, producing employment law content for firms, HR clients, and legal tech companies.

    • Irina Polyakova

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2009

      Irina is an experienced employment solicitor with 15 years’ post-qualification experience. She was most recently Head of Employment at Eaton Smith LLP, leading the department’s growth and supervising junior lawyers. Her work spans corporate M&A support, TUPE advice, and due diligence. Irina has also practised in Bahrain, advising senior executives and businesses including Four Seasons and IKEA, and is known for her strategic, solutions-focused approach.

    • Harvinder Dhaliwal

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2012

      Harvinder is an experienced Employment Solicitor with 16 years in practice and additional litigation experience in clinical negligence. She most recently worked at Markel Law, having joined in 2013, and previously held roles at Simpson Millar and Irwin Mitchell. Harvinder advises across industries on employment matters including contracts, disciplinaries, redundancy, TUPE, and settlement agreements, delivering tailored support to HR teams, SMEs, and executives.

    • Alex Faulkner

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2025

      Alex is an employment solicitor with over 7 years’ experience in employment law, covering both contentious and non-contentious matters. He has advised on disciplinary processes, restructures, TUPE and settlement agreements, chaired hearings and trained new consultants. Before joining Settlement Agreement Solicitors, Alex held senior roles at Citation and Kingfisher. He became a Chartered Legal Executive in 2021 and was admitted as a solicitor in 2025.

    • Cressida Leaman

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2007

      Cressida qualified as a solicitor in 2007 and has worked as a successful employment lawyer in private practice in London, Dubai and New Zealand. She has particular expertise in advising employees on complex employment disputes including unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing and high-value contractual disputes. Cressida is also a qualified Health & Wellness Coach and is known for her warm, empathetic approach and ability to grasp complex issues with ease. She is exceptionally organised and brings calm, strategic advice to clients during what can be a very stressful time.

    • Ritu Patel

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2001

      Ritu is an experienced Employment Solicitor with over 20 years’ post-qualification experience. She joined Settlement Agreement Solicitors in 2025, having previously held a long career at Markel International Law where she advised both employers and employees across the health-care, education, hospitality, retail and manufacturing sectors. Ritu specialises in settlement agreements, complex grievances, discrimination and TUPE, and is known for her commercially-minded, detail-oriented approach. She is committed to building strong, trusting client relationships and delivering tailored solutions that achieve commercially viable outcomes.

    • Leyla Yildiz

      Employment Solicitor

      Qualified 2024

      Leyla joined our business in 2026 as an Employment Solicitor. She qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2024, having practised as a lawyer in Türkiye for more than ten years, including as a name partner of Demoglu Law Firm. Most recently an Employment Solicitor at OH Parsons LLP, Leyla advised employees on discrimination, unfair dismissal and redundancy, conducted Employment Tribunal litigation, and drafted and negotiated settlement agreements. She holds dual Master’s degrees in law from Germany and Türkiye. Leyla is a native Turkish speaker.

    • Toni Ireland

      Apprentice Solicitor

      Training to qualify as a solicitor

      Toni joined the business in 2024 and is now an Apprentice Solicitor, training to qualify as a solicitor. She brings with her a unique blend of high level client service and professionalism. With over a decade of experience in sales, customer service and account management across multiple countries, she is known for her ability to communicate and adapt in any circumstance. Toni is passionate in ensuring that all clients are reassured and supported during what can be an extremely confusing and difficult time.

    Client care

    Our client care team are all settlement agreement specialists and are here to ensure your case runs smoothly from initial enquiry through to signing.

    • Tony Hobson

      Client Care Manager

      Tony joined us in 2021 and leads our client care team. Before that he spent more than 15 years in banking, mostly at Barclays, where he rose to Quality Assurance Team Leader, reviewing how customer complaints were handled from start to finish and training teams across several sites. He began his career in customer service at NatWest. Tony makes sure clients’ cases run smoothly and that every client feels supported throughout.

    • Paul Crane

      Client Care Manager

      Paul joined us in 2021 and manages our client care team alongside Tony. He spent nearly seven years at Nationwide Building Society’s head office, first helping mortgage customers through financial difficulty as a Senior Collections Agent, then working with the litigation team and solicitors as a Collections Processor. He also trained new starters and checked call quality. Paul makes sure each client’s settlement agreement runs as smoothly as possible.

    • Taf Haque

      Client Care Specialist

      Taf joined us in 2023. He has many years’ experience in customer service, including at Odondo and on the government’s Green Homes Grant scheme, and before that as a customer liaison officer in Birmingham City Council’s housing department. Taf explains how the settlement agreement process works, answers clients’ questions and makes sure each of his cases runs smoothly from start to finish.

    • Donna Thompson

      Client Care Specialist

      Donna joined us in 2023. She spent eleven years as a Claims Manager at Health-on-line (now AXA Health), where she led four teams, oversaw the payment of claims under FCA rules and sat on the senior management team. She holds a Chartered Insurance Institute qualification. Donna puts herself in each client’s shoes and makes sure they feel supported while their settlement agreement is dealt with.

    • Jona Ebube

      Client Care Specialist

      Jona has worked in sales and customer service since 2015. At BT/EE he rose from sales consultant to senior manager, running projects across 17 sites, and he later led call centre teams at YouFibre. He has a law degree from the University of Westminster. At Settlement Agreement Solicitors he is often the first person clients speak to: he explains how the process works, guides them through their consultation and introduces them to their solicitor.

    • Chloe Ferguson

      Paralegal

      Before joining us, Chloe was a paralegal at gunnercooke llp in London, carrying out legal research and preparing court documents and client letters for partners. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Law with Commendation from the University of Law and an English Literature degree from Queen Mary University of London, and has studied for the SQE. Chloe keeps clients informed, clearly and personally, throughout their case.

    • Mandi Chizambire

      Paralegal

      Mandi joined the business in 2024, bringing over five years of experience as a paralegal to the team. Mandi is dedicated to supporting clients through stressful times, ensuring the legal process is as smooth and straightforward as possible. Committed to alleviating client stress, Mandi approaches each case with empathy and professionalism, guiding clients through every step with clarity and reassurance. Mandi values the importance of teamwork, attention to detail and a proactive attitude to achieve the best outcomes for clients.

    • Angus Craig

      Paralegal

      Angus joined Settlement Agreement Solicitors in 2025, bringing three years’ legal experience from New Zealand where he was a Legal Administrator at Baycorp, one of the country’s largest debt recovery agencies. Admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 2023, Angus brings strong skills in case management, negotiation and client communication. He is dedicated to supporting clients through what can be a stressful process, ensuring the legal process feels clear and manageable from start to finish.

    • Rosalyn Cole

      Paralegal

      Rosalyn joined Settlement Agreement Solicitors in 2025, bringing four years of customer service and complex case management experience from her time at Capita supporting Samsung and IQVIA customers. With a strong track record in complaint resolution, Rosalyn combines empathetic listening with meticulous attention to detail. She is dedicated to ensuring every client feels supported and well-informed throughout their settlement agreement journey.

    • Caitlin Colley

      Paralegal

      Caitlin joined Settlement Agreement Solicitors in 2025, having previously worked as a Paralegal at Addleshaw Goddard’s data protection team and as a Legal Assistant at Edward & Amaury Solicitors. A First-Class Bachelor of Laws graduate from the University of Cumbria, Caitlin brings a strong foundation in legal research, document drafting and client liaison. She is committed to delivering clear, supportive advice and ensuring every client feels valued throughout the settlement agreement process.

    Accounts

    Our accounts team work behind the scenes, keeping the firm running smoothly so our solicitors and client care team can focus on you.

    • Stephanie Knox

      Accounts Executive

      Stephanie joined our business in September 2023 as a Paralegal and has since moved into the role of Accounts Executive. She is currently studying for the ACCA qualification. Before joining us, Stephanie worked as a Customer Support Adviser at Private Doc and as a Clinical Administrator supporting occupational health managers, giving her a strong background in handling sensitive information with care and keeping accurate records. She brings the same keen eye for detail to her accounts work.

    Leadership

    Our leadership team set the standards we work to and make sure every client gets the care, expertise and support they deserve.

    • Patrick Knight

      Founder

      Patrick founded the business in 2020 and is the creator of our unique Exceptional Customer Experience approach to delivering settlement agreement advice. Under Patrick’s leadership, our caring team is tasked with treating every client with the highest levels of professionalism, empathy, support and understanding. Patrick is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years experience in launching and scaling-up businesses that do things differently and disrupt the industry incumbents.

    • James Fairclough

      Chairman

      James is an accomplished board level executive with 25+ years of experience at some of the world’s most respected consumer focused and innovative companies (including the AA, P&G, Sky, IWG and Simply Business). James is a successful Angel Investor in digital start-ups and e-commerce businesses that leverage technology and a deep understanding of consumer needs to disrupt the status-quo. Formerly a Non-Executive Director at SuperAwesome – the world’s leading Digital Marketing Platform for Safe Kids Advertising, he is also the Non Executive Chair of Kindred for Business.

    Not sure who you’ll speak to? Our client care team will match you with a solicitor.