Who we are
Rajan Berry
Managing Partnerrb@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0207 7319105
Rajan joined Woodfords in 1997 and has been the Managing Partner since 2003. He is responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of the firm.
Richard Hemingway
Partner, Property, Landlord and Tenant, Leasehold Enfranchisement and Licensingrh@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0207 7319104
Richard is the head of the Woodfords property department. His expertise in this area is extensive, encompassing residential and commercial transactions of all types, including: property sales and purchases and assignments; grant of new leases; lease extensions; licences for alterations or other consents required under freehold or leasehold property; development-site acquisition and finance; and Help to Buy sales and purchases.
Claire Larnder
Partner, Litigation and Dispute Resolutioncl@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419087
Claire is the head of the dispute resolution department of the firm and is experienced in handling a range of disputes for both companies and private individuals in the Court of Appeal, High Court, County Court. Claire assists clients on a broad range of contentious matters, including commercial contract disputes, partnership and company disputes and financial services disputes. Claire also acts for property management companies and claims involving property and building contracts.
Tharwat Alsanawi
Partner, Head of Immigrationta@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419088
An immigration solicitor with nearly 15 years’ experience, Tharwat joined Woodfords in 2013 and became a partner in 2018. She established our immigration department, covering both corporate and private immigration. Tharwat also undertakes family work and advises her clients on property matters.
Marina Boggi
Partner, Head of French Property, Residential Propertymb@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419075
Marina is a dual qualified solicitor who practised as an avocat au Barreau de Paris before moving to London in 2011. She joined the Woodfords property team in 2015 and has extensive experience in dealing with all aspects of residential property, including freehold and leasehold transactions, mortgages, equity transfers, lease extensions and the collective purchase of a freehold (enfranchisement).
Roger Wilkinson
Partner, Commercial and Mixed Use Propertyrw@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0207 7310750
Roger is the Senior Partner at Woodfords and has been in property and commercial practice for over 35 years. He is no longer practising and works in a support role advising our solicitors on complex transactions for residential, commercial and mixed use properties and development sites, and provides support to colleagues on strategic and professional conduct issues.
Madeleine Bailey
Solicitor, Commercial Propertymrb@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0207 7319100
Madeleine’s main focus is on commercial property and landlord and tenant work, acting for either landlord or tenant and specialising in all aspects of portfolio management, lease renewals, acquisitions, financing and disposals of leasehold and freehold property and changes of use.
Alasdair MacDonald
Solicitor, Company and Commercialam@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419081
Alasdair was admitted as a solicitor in Scotland and spent his first 11 years as a litigator there before moving to England where he dual qualified. Alasdair went on to become partner in the Company/Commercial Department of a Central London firm, and then moved in-house in pharmaceutical services and became Head of Legal, Europe, at Quintiles Transnational Corp, now part of Iqvia Inc. He provides expert advice on a wide range of company and commercial matters.
Jane Ootam
Solicitor, Head of Probatejo@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0207 7319102
Jane is head of our probate department and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Jane trained with a leading Chancery Lane Practice and worked for Ashurst in the City as a private practice solicitor before joining Woodfords in 2014.
Sheila Rowland
Solicitorsr@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419072
Sheila qualified as a solicitor in 1976 before setting up her own practice (Mackworth Rowland) based in Kensington & Chelsea and Fulham. She is an experienced private client solicitor specialising in estate administration, wills and inheritance tax planning, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Deputyships with the Court of Protection and also has considerable expertise in residential property matters.
Robin Lawrence
Solicitor, Dispute Resolution, Commercial Law, Employment Lawrl@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419072
Robin works as a solicitor in the dispute resolution department of Woodfords, handling disputes for both companies and private individuals in the County Court, Employment Tribunal and First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
James O’Connor
Solicitor, Propertyjoc@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0207 7319107
As a solicitor in our property department, James acts for both individuals and corporate clients on a broad range of non-contentious property matters, both residential and commercial. These include property acquisitions and disposals, financing, and landlord and tenant matters.
Jaysal Patel
Solicitor, Propertyjp@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0207 7319109
Jaysal is a solicitor in the Woodfords property department, advising on a wide range of matters relating to both commercial and residential property, as well as the securitisation of property.
Jeremy Liu
Legal Executive, Immigrationjl@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419074
Jeremy is a Graduate Trainee Legal Executive with extensive experience acting on personal and business immigration applications on behalf of individual and commercial clients. He has been working in the immigration field since 2014, and joined Woodfords in 2015.
Divna Gakovic
Solicitor, Head of Familydg@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419077
Divna joined Woodfords in September 2020 having worked in-house for a FTSE 250 company. She is now the Head of the Family Department advising on all key stages of relationships including matters relating to living together, arranging pre and post nuptial agreements, divorce and child custody. Divna also advises on private client matters such as wills and lasting powers of attorney. Divna is a proud member of Resolution, the organisation of family justice professionals who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way.
Annabelle Haiati
Solicitorah@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419082
Annabelle joined Woodfords in January 2023 after having worked on various projects at International City firms across their Banking, Competition and Litigation departments. She also gained experience in-house at a European hospitality and catering company working on their commercial contracts. Currently, she is assisting with French/Residential Property.
Cameron McCoig
Dispute Resolutioncm@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419078
Cameron joined Woodfords in 2021, having previously worked in-house as part of a busy litigation team for a local authority, where he gained considerable experience in both civil and criminal proceedings. He now works as part of Woodfords’ Dispute Resolution team and assists on a wide range of cases for both commercial and private clients.
Louis Sarginson-Bloom
Trainee Solicitorlsb@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419709
Louis joined Woodfords in 2021, having completed his Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course at BPP University. He is a graduate from Exeter University, where he achieved a BA in History & Politics and an MA in History, and has experience working in Housing Law. He currently provides assistance in both the residential and commercial property departments.
Harry Apostoli
Trainee Solicitorha@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419083
Harry joined Woodfords in 2022, having achieved a First-Class in his Law degree and graduating with a Masters in Law. Harry currently provides assistance in both the residential and commercial property departments.
Mary Berry
Mary Berrymary@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419070
Mary qualified as a chartered accountant in 2000. Once qualified she worked at several large corporations including Lend Lease, Macquarie Global Property Advisors and Deloitte Corporate Finance in the Middle East. She joined Woodfords solicitors in September 2022 and works part time overseeing the finance function.
Lanah Kahn
Office Administratorlk@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0203 1419071
Lanah joined Woodfords in 2023, having previously been a scholar of a ‘Magic Circle’ law firm and a prominent global investment bank. Lanah’s commercial outlook and desire for positive change informs the work she does at Woodfords, where she works closely with the Accounts department and provides administrative support.
Margaret Ambrose
ma@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct:
Mags joined Woodfords in early 2023. Before commencing her legal training she specialised in public affairs and public relations, working on financial services policy at the Financial Conduct Authority, HM Treasury and an international investment bank. For several years she was based in Brussels as a civil servant at the European Parliament and at a global lobbying consultancy. Before joining Woodfords she was Head of Public Affairs and Public Relations for a national education charity. Mags assists on private client matters at Woodfords, including probate, wills and lasting powers of attorney.
Peter Hodgson
Graduate Trainee - Paralegalph@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0207 7319101
Peter graduated from the University of Nottingham with a Law LLB Degree and completed the Legal Practise Course at the University of Law. Peter is currently assisting the commercial property department.
Antonia Abela
Graduate Trainee - Paralegalaa@woodfords.co.uk
Tel: 0207 7310750
Direct: 0207 7319103
Antonia completed her Law LLB degree and the Legal Practise Couse at the University of London. Antonia is currently assisting the residential property department.