CILEX SRG Adviser

Stuart Hoysted FCILEX – Money Claims and Debt Recovery Portfolio

Stuart qualified as a Fellow of the Institute in 2004. He works for Clarke Willmott LLP and two years ago was promoted to the role of Technical Director. 

Stuart is the first point of contact in his firm for any technical matters in all aspects of County Court and Insolvency litigation, together with the effective use of enforcement action.

His in-depth knowledge and years of experience in dealing with complex instructions means that Stuart is expert on the recovery of Director’s Loans, Transactions at Undervalue, Preferences, Void Dispositions and Unlawful Dividends on behalf of Insolvency Practitioners. He also supports his Insurance team with complex issues of recovery involving subrogated motor insurance claims.

In his role as Technical Director he provides training and updates on current legal practice and forthcoming changes to the Civil Procedure Rules or other relevant legislation, which affects his firm’s debt recovery practice. He also reviews legislative developments which may impact clients’ specific areas of business.

Property SRG

Nicola Pugh FCILEX – Regulation Portfolio

Having previously worked in the private client and property departments of solicitor’s offices in Shropshire and Mid-Wales, and for the local authority since 1986, Nicola is now based in the Church Stretton office of PCB Solicitors LLP, specialising in Residential Conveyancing. Nicola is a partner at PCB Solicitors and also Joint Head of Property.

Nicola provides expert information regarding Conveyancing Regulation Portfolios, this includes, expert advice regarding best practices, procedures and protocols that impact on the work of conveyancers including proposed and on-going changes to stamp duty land tax in England and Wales, business and property taxes, and anti-money laundering regulation.

An avid supporter of small communities Nicola has played an active role as Chair of Governors at her local primary school and clerk to the parish council. Nicola was also the founding Chairman of the Shropshire and Mid Wales Branch of CILEX and is an active member of Solicitors for the Elderly.

Court Users SRG

Christine Howard FCILEX – Civil Court Users

Christine has over forty years of legal experience in all divisions of the UK Courts including the Supreme Court and in both domestic and international arbitrations.

While in private practice, Christine worked for major city firms dealing with large claims and multi-jurisdictional disputes in the commercial court, technology and construction court, and in arbitral proceedings.

Christine centres her attention and substantial expertise on document management, as well as in the substantive issues of trial matters. In addition, she has prepared and maintained document management systems in connection with internal arbitrations and has a wealth of experience in multi-party construction disputes.

In the course of her career she has gained substantial advocacy experience in all divisions of the High Court.

Christine is a Trustee on the Board of Governors of the RCJ Advice Bureau and chairs the service delivery sub-committee.She is the coordinator of the London office’s participation in the Citizen’s Advice Bureau’s rota of pro bono volunteers at the Royal Courts of Justice. Christine was the recipient of the Chartered institute of Legal Executives National Pro Bono Award in 2016.

Gary Claeys FCILEX – Civil Court Users

Gary is part of our Court User SRG Adviser groups and provides expert advice in the field of Civil Court Users. In Gary’s line of work as a Chartered Legal Executive Advocate he regularly appears at civil proceedings in the County Court as well as personal injury litigation for his companies’ clients, particularly RTA Protocol Stage 3 hearings. Gary is also a member of the Birkenhead County Court User’s Committee.

In addition to the above-mentioned work Gary is responsible for draft statements of case, applications, witness statements, skeleton arguments and advice on quantum as well.

Gary has previously commented on the excellent opportunities available to CILEX lawyers, with his quote below being featured throughout our site.

“Becoming a Fellow has transformed my life and career. I am now a qualified lawyer and gain far wider recognition within my company, the profession and the courts. The opportunities available to Chartered Legal Executive lawyers now – to become judges and partners – are tremendous.” -Gary Claeys Slater and Gordon Lawyers

Criminal Practitioners SRG

Simon Parsons FCILEX – Criminal Justice System

Simon Parsons is a Chartered Legal Executive and Solicitor (both non-practicing). Having practiced as a trainee legal executive for thirteen years, his experience saw him specialise in criminal law and practice.

Upon qualifying as a solicitor, Simon entered the legal education sector, teaching at Solent University in Southampton where he spent twenty-three years specialising in teaching and researching criminal law, criminal justice process and evidence. Simon states: “My research has given me the opportunity to examine the way in which the criminal law battles with the difficulties of defining criminal responsibility.”

As a result of his track record of research impact, Simon was delighted to be recognised by Solent University with the conferral of the title of Associate Professor in 2013.”

Family Practitioner SRG 

Andrew Lee FCILEX – Children Portfolio

Andrew Lee is the Strategic Lawyer – People at Wigan Council. Within this role, he has overall professional responsibility for multiple areas of law including: Children’s social care, Education, Adult socia care, Health and Contentious Housing. His past experience in legal practice, both prior to and post qualifying as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, has predominantly been in Children’s Social Care.

In defining himself and his role within legal practice, Andrew states “I’m a vociferate advocate of the positive difference Local Government makes to the communities we serve. I have a passion for developing staff, to inspire and engage them to pursue and succeed in a career in law.”

Kimberley Pender FCILEX – Divorce and Separation Portfolio

Kimberley has been a qualified Family lawyer for over 20 years and following completion of her Law degree, Kimberley became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.

Kimberley has extensive experience in dealing with farming matrimonial financial disputes and has worked throughout East Anglia in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Suffolk before joining Greene & Greene in July 2021.

Kimberley provides specialist advice and support on all areas of Family law. These areas of law include divorce, matrimonial finances, cohabitation contracts, property disputes for cohabitees, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, civil partnerships, same-sex marriages and all disputes about children. Kimberley advises on a wide range of financial matters arising from divorce from straight forward divorces to high value matters for agricultural and business clients.

Kimberley prioritises client care to ensure all clients are kept well informed and sympathetically supported at critical and often difficult times in their lives whilst robustly fighting her client’s corner.

Linsey McDonald FCLIX – Family Court Users

Linsey is a highly-experienced Family Law specialist focused on helping clients achieve favourable outcomes, even in complex divorces and disputes. In 2019, Linsey was named ‘Chartered Legal Executive of the Year’ at the Family Law Awards.

Linsey joined Switalskis in 2007, following the acquisition of her previous employers’ Legal Aid Family Law practice. She then became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives in 2008. In 2018, Linsey became an Associate of Switalskis, following her successful completion of their in-house Associate Development Programme. Linsey recently joined King Street Solicitors at the end of 2021, which specialise in family, child care and education law.

Linsey has specialised in family law for a number of years and has a wide range of experience in dealing with divorce, children matters and of obtaining emergency injunctions in domestic violence cases.

Linsey brings expert knowledge to her SRG Adviser role, focusing on all aspects associated with family courts and tribunals in England and Wales.

Personal Injury SRG

Laurence Shaw FCILEX – Claimant Portfolio

Laurence Shaw qualified as a Fellow in 1987 and has over 40 years’ worth of experience in the Personal Injury industry as a Claimant Lawyer. Laurence currently works as a freelance lega consultant with his most recent assignment having been a 7 month stint with Temple Legal Protect (ATE insurers) in Guildford assisting in a file audit and also underwriting cases.

Prior to this, he worked in private practice acting mainly for Trade Unions in a variety of cases ranging from road traffic accidents to employer liability and public liability accident cases, as well as some clinical negligence work. For the last 3 years he has specialized in Foreign Jurisdiction work partly managing a team of 12 dealing with accidents abroad.

Will Balfry FCILEX – Defendant Portfolio

Will Balfry qualified as a Fellow in 2008 and is a Senior Associate at DWF Law LLP based at their Liverpool office. After initially commencing Personal Injury work on behalf of Claimants in Motor and EL/PL, Will has worked for DWF for over 11 years representing Defendants and their insurers.

He now works in their Complex Motor team handing a variety of Fast and Multi Track actions whilst also representing DWF at FOIL (Forum of Insurance Lawyers) in their Motor Sector Group and having a keen interest in the upcoming low value claims reforms scheduled to come into effect next year.

He also handles advice work for several major insurers. He has written several articles for the CILEX Journal and writes internally at DWF on civil procedure and industry reform. 

Private Client SRG

David Isbister FCILEX – Wills and Probate

David Isbister is a Private Client lawyer working in a small Solicitors practice in Chancery Lane, London, and is head of Wills and Inheritance under the Law Society’s WIQS accreditation.

David qualified as a Fellow of CILEX in 2001, and is a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) and has obtained STEP Diplomas in Trusts and Estates and also in Will Preparation. 

In 2012 David qualified as a civil and commercial Mediator. As a Mediator David has build a busy practice specialising in contentious trusts and probate and TOLATA disputes. To date he has been appointed to Mediated over 120 disputes.

David has been appointed as CILEX Adviser on Wills and has attended and represented CILEX at the Ministry of Justice in relation to the Law Commissions review on the Law of Wills.

David has also been appointed to attend and represent CILEX in a Judicial Liaison Committee created by the Civil Justice Council to review and put forward recommendations in respect of ADR.