Laceys Solicitors Laceys is a leading, forward-thinking law firm with specialist experts serving both individual and business clients across a broad spectrum of practice areas.

Alana is an Associate in our Corporate and Commercial team and is an expert employment lawyer. She advises businesses and individuals on matters arising from recruitment to termination.

Alana provides pragmatic advice, ensuring problems are resolved as quickly as possible, and in turn minimising disruption and stress to both parties. When litigation is unavoidable, Alana excels in negotiations and will deliver robust representation.

Since qualification in 2011, Alana has developed a specialism in discrimination matters, and is passionate about equality in the workplace.

When Alana is not working, she enjoys flying with a hot air balloon team and is a keen cyclist. She also enjoys live music and plays the saxophone.

Edwina has returned to Laceys after working for Womble Bond Dickinson in Southampton and is a Senior Associate within our Corporate and Commercial team. Edwina specialises in commercial contracts, intellectual property and charity law and has experience in drafting, negotiating and advising on a variety of agreements. Since qualifying in 2011, she has advised a range of businesses in various sectors. This includes a secondment working in-house for a well-known multi-national retailer.

Edwina has been listed in the Legal 500 as having an “incredible knowledge and a drive to do things right’. She enjoys getting to know a client’s business in order that she can provide tailored, practical advice.

Outside of work Edwina enjoys practising yoga, walking her energetic Labrador in the beautiful Dorset countryside and generally keeping active as well as spending quality time with her family and friends.

Rob practices in two main, complimentary areas of work – contentious wills, probate and trust disputes, and property disputes.

Contentious wills, probate and trusts

More than half of Rob’s time is spent dealing with the contentious aspects of wills, probate and trusts, an area in which he has practiced continuously for over 20 years.  He advises and acts in disputes relating to wills and inheritance, trusts, the duties of trustees and personal representatives, and the administration of estate.

Rob’s practice embraces:

• Personal representative and trustee disputes (including personal representative and trustee disagreements, removals / substitutions and alleged misconduct)
• Disappointed beneficiary claims
• Will disputes (where the validity of a will is challenged on the grounds of undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity, lack of knowledge and approval of the contents of a will, and fraudulent calumny)
• Financial provision claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
• Proprietary estoppel claims
• Disputes about the proper construction, and rectification, of wills
• Caveats
• Professional liability claims arising from the preparation of wills and trusts and the administration of estates

He has mediated (either as appointed mediator or as a representative) dozens of disputes involving contentious wills and probate issues.

Property disputes

The other side of Rob’s practice is contentious property work.  This embraces:

• Residential and commercial landlord and tenant disputes
• Disrepairs
• Repairing covenants
• Possession claims
• Lease termination and lease forfeiture
• Dilapidations
• Service charge disputes
• Interpretation and enforcement of leasehold covenants

Rob’s style is a mix of listening, asking (tough) questions, diplomacy and reality testing. He’s interested, flexible, and pragmatic. He offers a common sense, realistic approach to assist his clients in searching for solutions to their disputes and brings straight talking and integrity to his work.

Rob is a Solicitor. He successfully completed training as a mediator under the ADR Chambers / Harvard Law Project Scheme in June 2006 and is a member of the Civil Mediation Council.

Sam Freeman heads up our Corporate and Commercial team. He is a vastly experienced corporate lawyer having advised a wide variety of businesses within a range of sectors, for a number of years, having qualified as a Solicitor in 2005. 

Sam’s particular specialisms include share and assets acquisitions and disposals, company restructures, shareholder agreements and partnerships. Sam enjoys helping people succeed in business regardless of whether the client is a small local set up or a large national organisation. Whatever the concern, Sam provides a calm personable approach to his work ensuring clients are guided in a practical straightforward manner.

Away from work Sam enjoys spending time with his family and this years new edition, Merlin the Great Dane, and anything sport related, especially playing golf.

Rob practices in two main, complimentary areas of work – contentious wills, probate and trust disputes, and property disputes.

Contentious wills, probate and trusts

More than half of Rob’s time is spent dealing with the contentious aspects of wills, probate and trusts, an area in which he has practiced continuously for over 20 years.  He advises and acts in disputes relating to wills and inheritance, trusts, the duties of trustees and personal representatives, and the administration of estate.

Rob’s practice embraces:

• Personal representative and trustee disputes (including personal representative and trustee disagreements, removals / substitutions and alleged misconduct)
• Disappointed beneficiary claims
• Will disputes (where the validity of a will is challenged on the grounds of undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity, lack of knowledge and approval of the contents of a will, and fraudulent calumny)
• Financial provision claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
• Proprietary estoppel claims
• Disputes about the proper construction, and rectification, of wills
• Caveats
• Professional liability claims arising from the preparation of wills and trusts and the administration of estates

He has mediated (either as appointed mediator or as a representative) dozens of disputes involving contentious wills and probate issues.

Property disputes

The other side of Rob’s practice is contentious property work.  This embraces:

• Residential and commercial landlord and tenant disputes
• Disrepairs
• Repairing covenants
• Possession claims
• Lease termination and lease forfeiture
• Dilapidations
• Service charge disputes
• Interpretation and enforcement of leasehold covenants

Rob’s style is a mix of listening, asking (tough) questions, diplomacy and reality testing. He’s interested, flexible, and pragmatic. He offers a common sense, realistic approach to assist his clients in searching for solutions to their disputes and brings straight talking and integrity to his work.

Rob is a Solicitor. He successfully completed training as a mediator under the ADR Chambers / Harvard Law Project Scheme in June 2006 and is a member of the Civil Mediation Council.

Sam Freeman heads up our Corporate and Commercial team. He is a vastly experienced corporate lawyer having advised a wide variety of businesses within a range of sectors, for a number of years, having qualified as a Solicitor in 2005. 

Sam’s particular specialisms include share and assets acquisitions and disposals, company restructures, shareholder agreements and partnerships. Sam enjoys helping people succeed in business regardless of whether the client is a small local set up or a large national organisation. Whatever the concern, Sam provides a calm personable approach to his work ensuring clients are guided in a practical straightforward manner.

Away from work Sam enjoys spending time with his family and this years new edition, Merlin the Great Dane, and anything sport related, especially playing golf.

Jeremy qualified as a Solicitor in 2002 and is now a Partner within our Corporate and Commercial team advising businesses, shareholders and directors on all legal matters relevant to their businesses, ranging from sales and acquisitions, shareholder agreements, restructures and corporate governance.

Jeremy adopts a responsive and expert approach to matters which is always well received by his clients.

Jeremy’s career path to Laceys was somewhat unconventional having spent 4 years out from the legal profession working as a professional mariner, 2 of which were on a superyacht and 2 on a commercial fishing boat!

Outside of work he is an active sportsman and plays squash, real tennis and touch rugby.

Rob practices in two main, complimentary areas of work – contentious wills, probate and trust disputes, and property disputes.

Contentious wills, probate and trusts

More than half of Rob’s time is spent dealing with the contentious aspects of wills, probate and trusts, an area in which he has practiced continuously for over 20 years.  He advises and acts in disputes relating to wills and inheritance, trusts, the duties of trustees and personal representatives, and the administration of estate.

Rob’s practice embraces:

• Personal representative and trustee disputes (including personal representative and trustee disagreements, removals / substitutions and alleged misconduct)
• Disappointed beneficiary claims
• Will disputes (where the validity of a will is challenged on the grounds of undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity, lack of knowledge and approval of the contents of a will, and fraudulent calumny)
• Financial provision claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
• Proprietary estoppel claims
• Disputes about the proper construction, and rectification, of wills
• Caveats
• Professional liability claims arising from the preparation of wills and trusts and the administration of estates

He has mediated (either as appointed mediator or as a representative) dozens of disputes involving contentious wills and probate issues.

Property disputes

The other side of Rob’s practice is contentious property work.  This embraces:

• Residential and commercial landlord and tenant disputes
• Disrepairs
• Repairing covenants
• Possession claims
• Lease termination and lease forfeiture
• Dilapidations
• Service charge disputes
• Interpretation and enforcement of leasehold covenants

Rob’s style is a mix of listening, asking (tough) questions, diplomacy and reality testing. He’s interested, flexible, and pragmatic. He offers a common sense, realistic approach to assist his clients in searching for solutions to their disputes and brings straight talking and integrity to his work.

Rob is a Solicitor. He successfully completed training as a mediator under the ADR Chambers / Harvard Law Project Scheme in June 2006 and is a member of the Civil Mediation Council.