Committee Members

This page shows the committee members for the Association of Women Solicitors in Manchester.

Beverley Phillpotts of Peel Holdings - Chairman

I am an In-house Solicitor with Peel Holdings, one of the leading property and transport companies in the UK with assets valued at £4bn, including the Trafford Centre, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the Manchester Ship Canal Company. I moved in-house from a private practice in Manchester City Centre some seventeen years ago and during that time the Peel group has diversified its traditional property development investment interests and now includes transport companies within the Peel Ports and Peel Airports divisions. I have an interesting, varied and wide commercial property remit. I have been an active member of the Association of Women Solicitors Manchester Branch for more years than I care to remember, holding the offices of Chairman and Secretary and now Membership Secretary. My husband has a very keen interest in travel photography which takes us all over the world. I am an indispensable photographic assistant. I love to cook and entertain. I have recently developed an interest (much encouraged by my husband) in ski-ing, and to my amazement I have achieved a respectable level of competence. I enjoy walking in the Lake District and am a very good "armchair gardener".

Anushka Stone of Pannone LLP - Membership Secretary

I am an associate solicitor in the commercial litigation team at Pannone LLP and I deal with a wide range of work including contractual disputes, professional negligence, partnership disputes and franchising matters. I also regularly deal with arbitration, mediation, bringing and defending injunctions (including search and seizure orders) and director's disqualification proceedings.

In my spare time I enjoy travelling whenever the opportunity arises and I have travelled extensively in South East Asia, Australasia, Africa, Canada and Europe. My interests closer to home include music, reading, running, swimming and hill walking.

Fiona Goode of John Birkby & Co - Treasurer

I qualified as a solicitor in 1986, having studied law at Leicester University, and subsequently at Chester College of Law.

Since qualification I have specialised in Family Law, including children's issues and financial matters. I also deal with matrimonial property transfers. I am an accredited specialist with Resolution (formerly Solicitors Family Law Association) in the areas of private children's work and financial provision.

Since 2002, I have worked for John Birkby & Co Solicitors in Oldham. I have been a member of the Association of Women's Solicitors since qualification.

Outside of work I enjoy walking and I am a member of my local church. I recently combined this in a charity fund raising walk of Mount Kenya (reaching 4,300 metres) to raise money for a Legal Aid project, and in particular prisons work in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Nicola Jane Mahon of Farrell & Hobbs Solicitors - Secretary

I joined Farrell & Hobbs in January 2003 and am their Private Client Specialist.

I am involved in drafting wills, advising clients about estate planning, probate, elderly client work including Enduring Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection, as well as conveyancing work to sell the estates and deal with transfers of equity and other property transactions.

I enjoy all things Italian and as part of my degree whilst at Manchester University spent a year at Bergamo University near Milan.

I also enjoy Latin and ballroom dancing, walking, swimming, and yoga. If I have any spare time I will read science fiction.

Melanie McGuirk of Pannone LLP - Member

I joined Pannone in July 2002, having trained at Cooper Sons Hartley & Williams, a general commercial practice in the city centre, and qualified as an assistant solicitor into the commercial litigation department at Pannone in August 2002. I am now a senior associate within the Intellectual Property & Media team, which areas of the law I really enjoy. My work includes assisting on defamation cases, trade mark infringement and passing off claims, domain name and copyright disputes. I was recently appointed as the named supervising solicitor in a search order, and really relished that experience, and hope to do more of that type of work. In my spare time I go to the gym, swim, socialise, read and travel.

Valerie Bown of Gorvins Solicitors - Member

Valerie has been a Committee member for ten years and was Treasurer from 2001 to 2003 and Chairman from 2003 to 2005. She qualified as a solicitor in 1997 and is Partner and Head of the Private Client Department at Gorvins in Stockport with a large team of specialist lawyers. She is also a member of STEP, Solicitors for the Elderly, and the Law Society Probate Section. Her other interests include photography, golf, cycling, swimming, gardening, and classical music.

Ruth Clark of Land Law LLP - Member

I am an assistant solicitor specialising in property litigation at Land Law LLP in Altrincham. I joined Land Law in December 2006 having undertaken my training and worked for one year post qualification at Ward Hadaway in Newcastle. I undertake a wide range of litigious based property work including landlord and tenant lease renewal work and issues arising from asset management.

Jenny Dingle of Land Law LLP - Member

On completing the LPC at Chester College of Law I worked as a paralegal at DLA Piper for a year, and then joined Land Law in 2005 to commence my training contract. I qualified in 2007 and now work as an assistant solicitor dealing with a range of commercial property transactions.

Sue Brookes of Mills & Reeve - Member

I am in the Family team at Mills & Reeve LLP, having trained at Addleshaw Goddard. I qualified as a solicitor in September 2005. I deal with all aspects of family breakdown, with particular emphasis on higher value financial settlements arising on divorce and arrangements for children. In my spare time I enjoy reading, travelling and generally spending time with my family and friends.