UK eVisa Implementation And Application: 10 Most Discussed Questions Answered
As it is already widely known and spoken about, the UK’s immigration system is going digital by 2025. This essentially …
As it is already widely known and spoken about, the UK’s immigration system is going digital by 2025. This essentially …
The Home Office has confirmed that Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) cards will no longer be issued or replaced after 31 …
Carter Lemon Camerons LLP (CLC) prides itself on being able to offer a comprehensive range of services under one roof. …
In recognition of the desperate situation in Ukraine, the Home Office has introduced a temporary visa concession for non-British family …
On 17 February 2022, the Home Office closed the Tier 1 (Investor) visa route to new applicants, without any previous …
Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent who was born in the UK, may be able to live and work in the …
We are extremely pleased to see the new possibilities for overseas social workers, care assistants and home care workers. The …
Andrew Firman is a partner in our corporate & commercial team. His corporate practice concentrates on buying and selling mainly owner-managed SMEs and associated advice on contractual and banking documentation work. His employment practice covers all aspects of contentious and non-contentious work for both employers and employees. His charity practice majors on compliance and amalgamation matters.
In his work, Andrew looks for proactive and pragmatic solutions derived from a proper understanding of the client’s perspective and against the background of the commercial constraints.
Career highlights include
More recently, Andrew has advised upon
Andrew has over the years enjoyed advising many owner-managed SMEs on the range of their needs for commercial, employment and dispute related legal advice, something for which the firm has received increasing recognition through awards, repeat and new business which in turn goes to the depth of the relationships the firm has with its clients and its target market in terms of size of business clients.
Andrew was educated at Nailsea School and holds degrees in law from Manchester and Leicester Universities. He qualified as a solicitor in 1995. He is a co-author of a Practical Guide to Drone Law.
Away from the office Andrew, married to a local GP and of occasional use to his three children, enjoys running and cycling and being involved in various ways in his local church and the fantastic community that is SE24.
Becky joined CLC in December 2017 as a Team Assistant in the firm’s Property department, supporting the team with both residential and commercial property matters. In October 2018, Becky became a paralegal at the firm, specialising in residential property and secured lending transactions.
Becky has gained experience in varied areas of residential conveyancing and secured lending and is able to run residential sales, purchases, transfers of equity, financing, and refinancing. Becky has also worked on the property side of corporate transactions (acquisitions and disposals of SPV companies) as well as de-enveloping of properties on behalf of overseas corporate clients and assists in commercial property transactions. She has travelled to Asia a number of times to see clients and contacts face to face and is highly regarded by clients from SE Asia and the Arabian Gulf.
Having completed her Graduate Diploma in Law in 2016, she is currently studying towards her Solicitors Qualifying Examination, with the aim of becoming a qualified solicitor with a passion for property work and property related advice and projects.
In her free time, Becky enjoys going to the gym and reading.
Carmen is a paralegal with over 10 years experience in law. Her calm and efficient manner ensures matters are dealt with as quickly and cost effectively for clients as possible.
Carmen provides general support to fee earners and Partners within Company Commercial and Immigration teams. She assists in the day-to-day functions of the Immigration team including all aspects of casework and assisting in the preparation of applications. Under direct supervision, Carmen acts as a caseworker on straightforward cases, and supports solicitors in more complex matters. She reviews client queries and drafts responses for review by solicitors and prepares documentation for application under a wide range of visa routes with great skill. As part of the Company Commercial team, she has reviewed share purchase agreements, drafted escrow agreements, prepared bundles for mediation and recently attended a successful mediation meeting over a contract dispute.
She holds degrees in Airline and Airport Management (First-Class Honours), and International Politics and Economics (2:1).
Outside of work, Carmen plays the piano, enjoys trying new activities (the latest being paddle boarding) and is an active church member.
Cheryl joined Carter Lemon Camerons in November 2023 as a Senior Associate Solicitor.
She started her career as a Technical Adviser/Case Worker for HM Revenue & Customs Inheritance Tax. Following a career break she commenced a second career, which now spans over 20 years, working in Private Client departments in Regional law firms.
She specialises in the preparation of and advising on Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Non-Contentious Court of Protection Applications, Trusts, the Administration of Estates and associated taxation.
Cheryl has extensive estate administration experience including obtaining Grants of Probate/Representation in both non-complex and complex estates, not limited to but including, the estates of nondomiciled individuals and resealing foreign Grants of Probate in the English Probate Registry.
Away from the office Cheryl enjoys family life and is a yoga enthusiast, a passionate follower and player of tennis, an ardent Arsenal supporter, and a keen miniature dachshund walker.
Chris Picardo is a partner in the Commercial Property team specialising in transactional property work and property management advice. Chris advises investors, developers, business occupiers and individuals on a variety of commercial property transactions including acquisitions, disposals, property finance, the negotiation of business leases and portfolio management. Chris is regarded by a number of clients as a member of their team. He adds value for those clients by retaining a knowledge of and an interest in their portfolio of investments, and their business needs, so that he can efficiently see ways to get results for them.
Chris graduated in Law from the University of Reading and studied the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in Guildford.
Chris was admitted as a solicitor in 1999 and joined Carter Lemon working in the Commercial Property team.
In his free time Chris enjoys travel abroad (more recent destinations including Peru, Chile, Argentina, San Francisco and the South of France), reading, running and spending time with his family.
Christina joined Carter Lemon Camerons LLP after receiving a BA from the University of York, and distinctions in both the GDL (University of Law) and LPC (BPP University).
Christina has completed a seat in the Dispute Resolution department, and now joins the Corporate/Commercial, and Private Client teams. She brings with her the experience that she developed litigating family and commercial matters.
Outside of work Christina loves exploring London’s newest restaurants and seeing shows at the theatre.
Claire is a Team Assistant in our Property department. With almost 30 years’ experience as a Legal Secretary and business administration, Claire is an invaluable member of our team, supporting clients and fee earners with residential sales, equity transfers, share ownership, new-build schemes and remortgaging.
She holds a City & Guilds Business Administration qualification and is a member of City & Guilds Pitman.
Away from the office, Claire enjoys travelling and visiting museums. She’s also a fan of nightlife, particularly going to concerts and dining out with friends and family.
Eleri Jones is a partner in the Commercial Property department at Carter Lemon Camerons, having joined in December 2019 from another City-based law firm.
She specialises in commercial property matters relating to the charity sector in addition to acting for a full range of commercial clients.
Eleri is experienced in acting in the sale and purchase of commercial and residential property, Development Agreements, Commercial Lease renewals and Licences, as well as advising on compliance with the Charities Act, charity governance documentation, the transfer of properties to CIO and the development and disposal of school land.
Amongst her notable cases, she negotiated and drafted a development agreement for a large residential development with leaseback to the freeholder, including provision of development by the purchaser and provision for overage. Eleri also acted on a large-scale financial restructuring of a care home business.
Eleri qualified as a solicitor in 1993.
Emily is a dedicated paralegal and team assistant specialising in litigation.
With a first-class LLB in Law and plans to begin the SQE LLM soon, Emily has quickly made her mark since joining CLC in October 2022.
Originally from Llanelli, Wales, where she worked as a legal secretary, she relocated to London to further her career in civil litigation.
Emily now supports a wide range of litigation matters, from commercial and property disputes to international arbitration and family law, working closely with seasoned litigators and assisting with complex cases for our South African clients.
Emily is skilled in handling various aspects of litigation and has gained valuable experience in:
When not working, Emily enjoys going for walks, cooking, reading, and spending time with friends and family. She’s a fluent Welsh speaker and aims to master baking as her next skill.
Fotini joined Carter Lemon Camerons in July 2023 and is a Partner in our Commercial Property team. She acts on behalf of landlords and tenants, and also looks after all aspects of commercial property; from sales and purchases to negotiating Leases and accompanied deeds and discussing strategies with clients to assist them achieve their objective.
Fotini also acts for lenders and bridging companies as their advising solicitor on various lending deals ranging from small loans to multi-million-pound deals and refinancing portfolios.
Using critical thinking as well as a common sense is what distinguishes Fotini’s approach when solving, or avoiding problems for her clients.
Career highlights include
Fotini, who is a member of the SRA, has LLB Hons Degree and an LLM in International Commercial Law and began her career in 2011 as a Paralegal before becoming a Trainee Solicitor in 2015. She started as a Conveyancing Solicitor in 2017 at her previous firm where she was promoted to Partner in 2018.
Born in Cyprus, Fotini moved to the UK to study before settling here, Fotini is fluent in Greek and can also have a basic conversation in Albanian but is getting better at it with the help of her husband and children.
Away from the office, Fotini enjoys spending time with her family and Taco, her chihuahua. She also loves travelling and going swimming.
Graham is a consultant solicitor in the litigation team and has specialised in professional negligence claims for over 20 years. He trained at Trowers & Hamlins, qualifying in 1992.
His recent successful cases include over 30 professional negligence claims arising out of an elaborate mortgage fraud, recovering over £5million on behalf of borrower/purchaser clients who have been defrauded into buying substantially overvalued “buy to let” properties.
He has also acted for a group of investors who had purchased properties ‘off plan’ in the Philippines that were either not built or were sold twice. In this case the investors brought successful claims against the negligent solicitors who failed to ensure that the purchase contracts were backed with the promised performance bonds that should have protected the buyers from default by the developer.
He has also acted in various other professional negligence matters, relating to solicitors, barristers, valuers/surveyors, accountants, financial advisors, banks and insurance brokers.
Graham takes pride in providing clear, concise and practical advice and is regularly contacted to offer expert comment on media reports relating to professional negligence and property.
He is on the register maintained by the London Solicitors Litigation Association of solicitors with experience of supervising and executing civil search orders.
Reported cases and cases of interest include:
Professional Negligence Lawyers Association
Shooting, badminton, skiing and motorcycling.
A Paralegal in our Property department, Gurisha is highly experienced in all areas of legal administration, supporting our fee earners with client transactions.
With over five years’ experience in property, Gurisha handles a wide range of clients and tasks, including leasehold and freehold transactions, client onboarding, post-completion work and related administrative work.
Outside of the office, Gurisha loves to bake, making hampers and gift boxes for weddings, anniversaries, baby showers and other celebrations! She is also a regular gymgoer with a love of Parkrun.
Harley joined Carter Lemon Camerons as a solicitor in May 2024 after completing her LPC and Master’s degree in Law. She began her legal career in industry, working in-house as a paralegal before taking up a training position at a regional law firm.
Working across our Family and Litigation departments, Harley possesses expertise across a range of family matters, including divorce, matrimonial finances, children matters, child arrangements, and injunctions, such as occupation and non-molestation orders.
She is also experienced in civil litigation work, handling issues such as money claims and property disputes, including landlord and tenant matters, housing disputes, Section 21 and Section 8 notices.
Beyond the office, Harley enjoys spending time with her family and finding the best holiday destinations around the world!
Ian West is a partner in the Private Client team. He deals with a wide range of matters including commercial and residential conveyancing, will drafting, trusts and probate and powers of attorney.
As well as obtaining grants of probate for UK estates, Ian has assisted personal representatives of foreign estates in resealing foreign grants to administer UK assets held by a deceased domiciled outside the UK. He has dealt with resealing foreign grants in jurisdictions as diverse as Holland and Iran. He has also advised on domicile in respect of deceased’s estates and regularly deals with the UK estates of persons who have died domiciled outside the United Kingdom.
Recent property transactions include:-
Ian was educated at Brentwood School Essex, Manchester University and the College of Law London. He qualified as a solicitor in 1981 and joined Metson Cross in 1982 becoming a partner in 1990.
Ian is married with two children.
As former Honorary Secretary of the Society of Old Brentwoods, Ian takes a keen interest in the affairs of the School and in various events and functions organised by the Society. He is also a keen follower of football and has an interest in classic cars. Ian is a member of the Mini Cooper Register. Ian has also been learning to play the guitar (for over 45 years!).
Janet joined the firm in 1983 (then known as George Carter & Co, the firm which after many mergers and an LLP conversion is now Carter Lemon Camerons LLP).
Working her way up through the firm and learning on the job, Janet has gained a strong background in administration and practice management.
Janet manages the day to day running of the office and provides management support to the partners in areas such as risk management, compliance, accreditations, IT and recruitment.
Outside of work, Janet enjoys decorating and gardening.
As a Receptionist and Administrator, Jessica is responsible for greeting our clients with a welcoming smile and making sure they have a pleasant experience before and after meeting our solicitors.
She also helps our Team Assistants in keeping our office running smoothly and efficiently.
Jessica is well informed and answers our visitors’ questions quickly and accurately, always referring them to the right department where necessary.
In her spare time, Jessica is heavily involved in her local church. She also balances her love of books with a passion for creating fashion content.
Julian joined Carter Lemon Camerons LLP after studying at the University of Cape Town and completing Law School in London. He has completed a seat in the Property department and now joins the Litigation team, supporting colleagues in commercial dispute matters
While in the Property department Julian has been involved in commercial and residential conveyances and complex property finances, where he has enjoyed working to find commercial solutions for borrower and lender clients.
Before joining the firm, Julian volunteered at a legal advice centre in West London, where he assisted clients with issues concerning debt, housing, and employment.
He also has a keen interest in International Trade Law, having tutored at undergraduate level on the rules surrounding dispute resolution, investment, technical barriers to trade, and intellectual property. During his Legal Practice Course, he took electives in Commercial and Intellectual Property, Private Acquisitions, and Advanced Commercial Litigation.
Outside of work Julian balances his hobbies by competing in powerlifting, coaching the men’s squad of a London rowing club and relaxing by painting and exploring London’s museums and galleries.
Katarzyna (Kate) Boguslawska qualified as a solicitor in 2006 and is a Partner in our corporate and commercial department.
Kate’s clients range from start-up owners through to SMEs and some global main-players who need advice on business-related matters. These range from advice on employment and company matters to contract drafting and disputes. Kate understands her clients, their needs and goals. Her clients often praise her pragmatic approach and tailored practical advice.
In her employment practice Kate:
Notable employment work included:
In her commercial and company practice Kate:
Notable commercial work included:
Kate has strong links in the Polish community and is recommended by the Polish Embassy in London, having co-written a Guide for Polish Investors in the UK that was published by the Embassy. She has a broad network of international connections and has been instructed by law firms in Poland to assist their clients in matters involving English jurisdiction.
Kiran has been working in litigation and dispute resolution since 2009. She is a dedicated and skilled litigation solicitor. Kiran studied the LLB at University of Hertfordshire and completed the Bar Vocational Course (as it was known then) in 2008. She cross-qualified as a Solicitor in 2012 whilst working at a firm in Central London.
Kiran moved away from London and worked in regional firms in the Midlands and Berkshire from 2015 before moving to Carter Lemon Camerons in 2023. She understands the importance of building strong relationships with individual and commercial clients to provide an excellent service and offers comprehensive legal representation tailored to meet the unique needs of each of her clients.
Kiran possesses a thorough understanding of the complexities of litigation and is known for her strategic approach to resolving disputes. She is committed to providing personalised attention to each client, guiding them through every step of the legal process with empathy and professionalism.
Kiran is a skilled negotiator, dedicated to finding amicable solutions to conflicts whenever possible. She approaches each dispute with a focus on achieving efficient and cost-effective resolutions for clients while always preparing for the possibility of litigation if necessary.
Kiran understands that navigating the legal system can be daunting, especially for individuals facing challenging circumstances. That’s why she is committed to providing compassionate and attentive representation to every client. She takes the time to listen to their concerns, explain their legal options in clear and accessible language, and empower them to make informed decisions about their cases.
Leesa joined our Property Department as an Associate in March 2019. Her interest in the Law and in particular conveyancing began over 20 years ago while working at a southeast London firm. She then moved onto a firm in Lincoln’s Inn where she qualified as a Licensed Conveyancer in 2009 before joining a firm in Westminster acting for UK and overseas high net worth individuals and developers.
Leesa has gained a wealth of experience in all areas of residential conveyancing and secured lending with a particular emphasis on UK and non-UK based individuals and new build/redevelopment sites both within central London and across the Country.
Leesa has worked with large and small scale developers both from the UK and overseas providing a top and tail service from the acquisition of sites through to the plot sales on sites from 1-120 units.
Outside of work Leesa enjoys spending time with her family, gardening and cooking.
Lisa Ginesi is a partner in our commercial litigation and dispute resolution team. Her practice covers a wide range of commercial disputes and predominantly relates to all forms of property disputes. The clients Lisa acts for range from large corporate property developers and investors to private property owning individuals.
Lisa regularly advises on a wide variety of issues affecting both residential and commercial properties and an extensive range of contractual disputes. Lisa has particular expertise in landlord and tenant disputes, the 1954 Act, dilapidation issues, nuisance claims; boundary disputes, possession claims, construction and development contracts, party wall disputes, trespasser proceedings and all aspects of enfranchisement.
In every case, Lisa actively looks for ways to reach practical and cost-effective solutions, whether that is through negotiation, court proceedings, self-help remedies or alternative dispute resolution. She works with her clients as part of a team, often alongside surveyors, engineers and a variety of other experts.
Early in her career, Lisa had the privilege of being part of the team which took a highly technical lease renewal case to the House to Lords (P&O v Graysim).
Judicial Appointment: Lisa was appointed a Deputy District Judge to the South Eastern Circuit in 2020.
Lisa was educated at Haydon Bridge High School in Northumberland and then studied law at the University of West London. She was admitted as a solicitor in 1992, having trained and qualified at Carter Lemon Camerons. Lisa is a member of the Property Litigation Association, Women in Business, Women in Property, the Association of Women Solicitors and the Law Society.
Lucie did her LLB Law undergraduate degree at the University of Reading and is currently doing the LPC part time at the University of Law.
She is a Team Assistant in the Property department where she assists solicitors and partners with commercial property transactions as well as drafting.
Before joining CLC Lucie gained experience in a client facing role which dealt with investment banking and private equity roles.
She previously acquired work experience at a law firm specialising in criminal law which she found interesting, but found herself drawn more towards family and employment.
She joined CLC in October 2023
Outside of work Lucie really enjoy running and has taken part in a number of races including the London Marathon in support of charity. She also loves singing and discovering new cafes and restaurants.
Lyndsey joined the firm in 1984 (then known as George Carter & Co).
Lyndsey brings her years’ of experience as a legal secretary so as to be able to give support wherever it is needed. Her knowledge of the firms’ document management system and other software is second to none and means she is the go to person for formatting and presentation of documents, electronic filing and efile management.
Outside of work, Lyndsey has on occasion starred as an extra in some well-known films. She also enjoys holidays, reading and spending time with her family.
Michael qualified as a solicitor in 1982 and is a consultant based in the private client department. Michael advises on a wide range of UK and international tax issues. He is a member of the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners and is an expert on wealth structuring, having been responsible for this area at Barclays Wealth for 13 years. He has also been authorised under the financial services legislation since it was introduced in the 1980s and advises on investment and financial services matters.
Mike joined our team as a Senior Associate Solicitor in our Family and Dispute Resolution Departments in 2023.
He is well-versed in all the key areas of family law, including divorce, matrimonial finance, child arrangement, and Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act (TOLATA) issues.
He is also a member of Resolution, which means he is dedicated to resolving disputes in a non-confrontational manner with other Family Lawyers.
Mike handles a variety of private family matters, such as:
We are glad to have Mike on our team, and we know his friendly, professional approach will be a big help for clients navigating their legal issues.
Mohammed Imran has a wealth of experience dealing with freehold and leasehold sales and purchases. As such, he supports our residential property team and conveyancing clients to ensure a hassle-free house move.
His qualifications include a master’s degree in law and he is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). As an advanced paralegal, he is currently working towards qualifying as a chartered legal executive.
In his spare time, Mohammed enjoys staying active and going to the gym.
Nikki joined Carter Lemon Camerons in April 2023 as a solicitor in the Property Department. She specialises in bridging finance and secured lending, residential sales and purchases, refinancing, transfers of equity and drafting and negotiating leases.
She graduated with LLB honours from London Metropolitan University, she then went on to complete the LPC at The College of Law.
Having worked for many years as a freelance property consultant, and a sales and letting agent, Nikki gained a strong commercial insight into the estate agency sector before pursuing her legal career as a conveyancer in 2018. Nikki is fluent in Farsi.
In her spare time, Nikki enjoys yoga, swimming, skiing and spending time with her family.
Oxforinha is a Team Assistant in our Private Client team. After achieving a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, she began her career as a paralegal before specialising in private client matters, handling probate, tax, Wills, trusts and LPAs.
She is experienced in managing a wide range of matters relating to probate and estate administration, including gifting to charities, complex estates and foreign affairs.
Oxforinha has a keen interest in performing arts, as well as a passion for travelling and exploring new cities with her family and friends.
Pami specialises in Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Probate and Estate Planning.
Pami assists clients in preparing Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and on applications for Grants of Probate/Grants of Letters of Administration including estates of non-domiciled individuals and resealing foreign Grants of Probate in the English Probate Registry. Pami has dealt with the resealing of South African, Canadian and Australian Grants and has dealt with estates where the individual has assets in the UK but are domiciled in Italy, South Africa, Brazil, Bulgaria, Singapore, Barbados, Poland and Malaysia.
Pami also has knowledge of residential property which assists her to liaise with residential property colleagues when estates include properties to be transferred/sold.
She first obtained an undergraduate LLB degree at Queen Mary University of London, before taking a Legal Practice Course and a Master’s Degree in law at the University of Law. She qualified as a solicitor in 2022.
Away from the office Pami enjoys travelling and reading.
Phoebe joined Carter Lemon Cameron in 2024 after achieving her undergraduate degree and master’s degree in law, specialising in commercial law, and undertaking her LPC.
With substantial experience as a paralegal in industry, Phoebe is a keen problem-solver, dedicated to developing her practice and supporting clients on a range of commercial matters.
In addition to her work within the firm, she volunteers at the Islington Legal Advice Clinic.
Phoebe enjoys an impressive range of activities beyond the office, including choral singing, skiing and pilates, as well as spending time with her dog, Charlie!
Prod is a partner in the Property Department specialising in commercial and residential property transactions.
Prod qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 1999 and joined the firm in 2008, bringing with him a substantial client base from the North London area, where he had previously worked for over 15 years.
Property Work:
Prod has considerable experience in residential and commercial conveyancing and landlord & tenant matters. His property work includes:
Secured Lending:
Prod has extensive experience dealing with regular mortgages and re-mortgages for homeowners as well as secured lending against high-value Central London and West End residential properties for private banks. He also acts for UK based private lenders providing short-term loans and development finance on properties and development sites across the country.
Church Work:
Prod is retained as legal counsel by several Christian charity organisations, advising them and their member churches on charity law and the duties and responsibilities of charitable trustees. His church work includes handling all types of property transactions on behalf of churches in and around the Greater London area, including the purchase and sale of chapels and manses, granting and taking leases and licenses setting up trusts, representing churches on third party and joint venture development projects involving church land and properties.
Prod’s Clients:
Prod represents a wide spectrum of clients including domestic and overseas investors, developers, landlords, managing & lettings agents, surveyors, charity associations and church trustees, domestic and overseas lenders, management companies and residents’ associations. He also has a loyal following of individuals and families going back many years.
Prod is known and trusted by clients for his warm, friendly and approachable manner, the speed and efficiency with which he handles their instructions and his exceptional understanding of property related matters. He believes in a no-nonsense approach to his work and the importance of using plain English when dealing with clients, professionals and others.
Notable Recent Work:
More:
Outside the office, Prod is a devoted husband and father of two, with particular expertise in home learning, chauffeuring, toy repair, football cheerleading and sibling dispute resolution.
Prod enjoys close ties with local and overseas Greek and Greek Cypriot community and speaks the Greek language reasonably well. He is a member of the governing committee of his local Greek language school with responsibility for over 200 pupils aged between 4 and 17 years. He is also active in his local Orthodox Christian Church.
Prod enjoys DIY and believes he is quite skilled at it, having helped renovate six properties over the years. He is also a keen gardener and boasts to have a garden he believes is worthy of entry in a well-known flower show.
In contrast to his exceptionally smart appearance (usually dressed in a three-piece suit) Prod is an avid sports-bike enthusiast and enjoys a daily commute to and from work on his cherished Suzuki motorbike, dressed in full leathers. His other sporting activities include snooker, table football and crazy golf.
Rebecca has a wealth of experience in all aspects of Post Completion formalities in Conveyancing transactions and can provide a high level of support. Rebecca has completed the CILEX Level 3 Diploma for Legal Secretaries and has also achieved the CILEX Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice as she was keen to develop her legal knowledge. This has enabled Rebecca to provide a higher level of support within the legal environment and carry out paralegal tasks.
In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys travelling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family.
Robert studied Business Management before converting to Law and attending the College of Law in London. Robert qualified as a Solicitor in 1983.
Before qualifying as a Solicitor in March 1983, Robert worked as a property agent and played football at a semi-professional level.
Robert has earned himself the reputation of being both commercial and caring in his approach to clients.
He is a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association and The Lawyers Christian Fellowship.
Robert speaks Armenian and Farsi.
Rufus Ballaster is Senior Partner and specialises in secured lending for both lenders and borrowers, within Carter Lemon Camerons LLP’s commercial property team.
Rufus’ team is able to assist lenders with putting in place effective protection for their loans, including advising on the form of security that is needed, arranging reporting systems between lawyer and lender, preparing documents, raising enquiries, examining title and making the appropriate searches.
Rufus is also experienced in assisting borrowers, advising on the risks involved in the transaction and negotiating the best possible terms.
Where appropriate, having carefully looked at professional rules governing conflict of interest, Rufus can act for both the lender and the borrower in a single transaction.
His detailed technical legal knowledge and ability to crunch numbers are great assets both transactionally and as Carter Lemon Camerons LLP’s spreadsheet obsessive.
Recent transactions include:
Career highlights include:
Rufus combines client focused views of legal issues with more holistic ones. This is clearly visible from his writing (having contributed to many journals and been a co-author of the Landlord and Tenant Factbook and more recently of a Practical Guide to Drone Law) and from his lectures and seminars on banking, commercial property, artificial intelligence and other topics.
Asked what he likes most in his work, Rufus will talk of his role as a “trouble-shooter”. He enjoys being asked by clients and colleagues what he thinks about something and trying, with them, to work up structures or strategies achieving a desired result at the lowest sensible cost/ tax-hit/ risk. He travels within Europe and beyond (Arabian Gulf, South East Asia, Southern Africa) to see clients and contacts face to face and says working with people he has met is always preferable to hiding behind email and telephone for client contact!
Rufus was educated at Reading School, Wadham College Oxford and Chester College of Law, qualifying as a solicitor in 1988.
Outside the office Rufus has a full and active life with commitments to two Christian Churches, family (wife and three now adult children), RBS Rugby Football Club (for whom he plays as a second row forward) and RBS Lawn Bowls Club which is more suited to his age.
Sara is a solicitor in our Commercial Property team specialising in non – contentious matters.
Sara acts predominantly for property owners (both commercial and private clients) and assists them with their following affairs:
She also has expertise in acting for domestic and overseas based companies who have commercial properties in London.
Sara also acts for a number of tenants in taking leases of buildings, commercial units and is well versed in key aspects of landlord and tenant law.
Away from the office, Sara enjoys running regularly and playing the guitar.
Seamus Smyth is head of litigation and arbitration. His practice is primarily commercial with an emphasis on arbitration, financial services and work for South African and Italian clients.
His reported cases include RH Green & Silley Weir v BR (limitation period against 3rd party), de Bry v Fitzgerald (security for costs), Hartt v Newspaper Publishing (libel concerning a work by Michelangelo), Pearson v Sanders Witherspoon (valuation of loss of chance), Siebe Gorman v Pneupac (status of consent orders), Senate Electrical v NTL (liability of an employee for acquisition warranties) and Bendell v Smith & Others (a successful recovery action by a lender on a shared appreciation mortgage equity release – the only such case to go to trial).
Recently involved in enforcement of foreign arbitration awards, claims arising from the banking upheavals since 2007, a successful claim against a high street bank resulting from a banking error and a successful claim against estate administrators and their solicitors for wasting the estate funds on irresponsible litigation.
Educated (BA, LLB, Wits) and first qualified as an attorney in South Africa, he requalified in England in 1977, took an LLM at UCL and a Diploma in International Arbitration at QM, and became an FCIArb. He is chairman of the British South African Law Association (for the second time), chairman of Michaelhouse UK Trust, chairman of Global Leadership Foundation (UK), a former President of the London Solicitors Litigation Association and Trustee and President of Town Malling Cricket Club (established in 1827!). He was until 2012 a Visiting Senior Lecturer in International Commercial Arbitration at London Metropolitan University. When work and domesticity permit he plays some cricket and more golf (but – which is immediately obvious – not nearly enough).
Vladyslav is an experienced Associate specialising in corporate and private immigration, assisting businesses with sponsor licences and skilled worker visas, as well as handling family, naturalisation, and EU Settlement Scheme applications. Vladyslav is a qualified solicitor in England, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland and brings a wealth of experience from gained in various previous roles. He holds a GDL, LPC, Master of Laws, and is a Fellow of CILEX. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, travelling, and playing as a goalkeeper for a local football club.
In addition to his extensive immigration expertise, Vladyslav’s legal journey includes nearly a decade of experience as an OISC Level 2 immigration adviser, where he honed his skills in complex visa cases and administrative processes.
He has also gained valuable experience in high-stakes corporate environments, having worked as a paralegal within a CIS department.
His previous roles enriched his understanding of corporate law and the cross-border legal considerations crucial for advising multinational clients. His background enables him to provide clients with precise, effective legal guidance that supports both business and individual immigration needs.