Tees Valley Law Society

Who's Who

The Tees Valley Law Society covers an area from the southerly outskirts of Durham City down to Northallerton, from Peterlee down to Whitby on the coast, and inland up the dales as far as Hawes.

Council comprises one represntative from each of the 6 Consituencies, 6 general membes, the President, Senior Vice President and Junior Vice President. The Chair of the Education and Training Committee and the Press/PRO officers are co-opted each year, along with a trainee representative.

**Council Members**
The President of the Society Joanne Lavery	Joanne qualified as a solicitor in 1997, and is currently an associate in the corporate team of Dickinson Dees LLP. After completing her training contract with a firm in Belfast, she subsequently practised in the company/commercial departments of law firms in Jersey (Channel Islands) and Perth (Western Australia), before joining Dickinson Dees LLP in its Tees Valley office in 2001. Joanne also sits as a Magistrate and is involved in a number of local community projects (including acting as an independent visitor with Barnardos to form lasting relationships with young people in long term care, and helping out at the John Paul Centre in Middlesbrough at the weekends to serve the homeless a hearty meal). Joanne has two dogs (Fergus, a border terrier and Meg, a cocker spaniel) , two budgies and three ferrets and enjoys keeping fit by running, going to her local gym and practising karate. Joanne's claim to fame is that her grandmother's cousin (Peter Doherty) took Northern Ireland (as their football manager) to the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden....no mean feat for such underdogs!
Senior Vice President & Member for Middlesbrough, Gt Ayton & Stokesley Jonathan Woodhouse
Junior Vice President & member for Hartlepool and Peterlee Phillip Mitchell
Immediate Past President Nicola Neilson	Originally from Lancashire, Nicola moved to the North East in 1996 to study for both her Bachelors and Masters degrees. She subsequently qualified as a solicitor in 2003 and has been a partner at Latimer Hinks in Darlington since 2007. Nicola specialises primarily in commercial property but also deals with more complex residential property matters and agricultural law. She has been involved with the Tees Valley Law Society in various roles since 2001 and is currently a member of the Education & Training Committee. Nicola lives with her husband and young daughter in Stockton-on-Tees. As a qualified Guider she has been running a local Rainbow unit for over 10 years. Nicola loves watching football and is a longstanding season ticket holder at Burnley FC. When she finds the time, she also likes going to the theatre. As President of the Society in 2010-11, Nicola says, “I had a wonderful year as President and I would encourage others to consider taking a more active role in the Society.”
Member for Middlesbrough, Gt Ayton & Stokesley Jonathan Woodhouse	Elected to Council 5 July 2011.
Member for the Borough of Stockton on Tees Elizabeth Casey	Liz is a Member of Archers Law LLP, specialising in employment law, and has been a member of the Tees Valley Law Society since 1999. She joined the TVLS Education & Training Committee in 2002 and became President of the Society in July 2009. Outside of work you will find her relaxing, socialising, horse riding (and occasionally teaching), dancing (ballroom and latin), hiking and rambling and occasionally running. She says she finds it difficult to say no to events, especially charity events, and as a result has ended up doing the following: - abseiling off the Humber Bridge - parachute jump - 10k run (has avoided the Great North Run to date) - a bungee jump - and being a member of a triathlon team! Says Liz "I would certainly recommend being actively involved with the Society and its Committees, you get to meet some great people and it opens the door to new opportunities I had a wonderful year as President, starting with the Legal Service at Durham Cathedral, a most moving experience, and finishing with a Garden Party at the Palace."
Member for Hartlepool and Peterlee Phillip Mitchell	Phil was elected at the AGM 29.6.10 to serve the balance of the term, following Tony Winfield's decision to stand down. His details will up added shortly
Member for the Borough of Redcar & Cleveland and the town of Whitby Anna Porter	Elected at the AGM 5 July 2011. Contact details awaited
Member for County Durham, excluding Darlington	VACANT
Member for the Borough of Darlington and the area bounded by and including the towns of Northallerton, Richmond, Leyburn & Hawes	VACANT
General Members
Alison Barker	Alison qualified as a solicitor in 1993 and spent a number of years in private practice in Darlington, doing a mixture of commercial and residential property. She joined the Durham Office of the Land Registry as an Assistant Land Registrar in 1997 and deals with some of the most complex and contentious work, including disputes, indeminity claims and complaints. Since joining the Land Registry Alison has also been involved in a wide variety of Land Registry projects, including being part of the team organising the provision of training for all Land Registry lawyers. Alison has participated in the preparation and delivery of Land Registry presentations for practitioners for a number of years, and is one of the joint editors of Wontner's Guide to Land Registry Practice (20th and 21st editions)
Helen Thomas	Helen grew up in the Tees Valley area before moving to Nottingham to study Law at Nottingham Trent University. She joined Latimer Hinks Solicitors in Darlington as a Trainee Solicitor in September 2005 and completed her Legal Practice Course during weekends at College of Law, York, qualifying as a Solicitor in March 2008. She remained at Latimer Hinks where she is an Assistant Solicitor in their Private Client department. Helen was formerly a Trainee Representative on the Tees Valley Law Society Education and Training Committee and she continues to sit on the Education and Training Committee. Helen’s interests include Skiing, running and hiking in the Lake District
Simon Catterall	Simon was born in Darlington and educated at St Francis in Acklam and Mount St Mary’s College in Sheffield until he left school at 18 to join in the legal department of Stockton Borough Council. He subsequently moved to London where he worked in marketing and as a full time musician in Covent Garden before attending Chester College of Law and qualifying as a solicitor in 1985. A former police prosecutor Simon has been a partner and Head of Crime at Jacksons solicitors for 20 years. Simon is married and lives with his family, dog, cat and poultry in Yarm. His interests include sports betting, horse racing and cricket, playing gigs with his band, English and military history. Simon is a former President of the Society
Leanne Nash	Leanne studied law at Teesside University and then the College of Law in York. She has worked in the Commercial Department of Archers Law since 2005, specialising mainly in employment law. She also a varied case load and has extensive experience in commercial litigation. Leanne also lectures degree and ILEX students as a visiting lecturer at Sunderland University and the law department at Hartlepool Sixth Form College, the first sixth form college in the country to offer the LLB course. Leanne lives in Stockton on Tees with her two children. Her interests include relaxing and socialising with friends and spending time with her children.
Emma Kilburn	Elected at the AGM on 5 July 2011. Contacts details awaited
Ben Houchen	Ben attended Northumbria University, and as well as studying, he practiced in the Student Law Office, (a pro bono clinic to help those in the local community), in his final year. While studying Ben helped to run the Mock Trial Society and won the Northumbria Employment Advocacy Competition before graduating in 2009. Having completed his training contract, at Archers Law in 2011, Ben now works for Punch Robson specialising in employment law. Ben lives in Stockton on Tees, with his long term partner, and he divides his free time between playing rugby and being actively involved in local politics. Having formerly been the Student Representative on Council, he was co-opted as a General Member following his qualifying in September 2011
Chair of Training & Education Committee Geoff Cruickshank	Geoff is a Teesside lad born and bred. He qualified in 1979 and is the Managing Partner in Punch Robson in Middlesbrough. His main area of practice until recently was claimant personal injury, but he now spends all his time on management, finance, credit control, administration, in house education & training, professional indemnity and all the other irritations of modern professional practice His interests outside work include angling ( Director of Stockton Angling Ltd, Vice Chairman Assoc Teesside & District Angling Clubs ), motorcycling ( Triumph Daytona for anyone interested), golf, gardening and walking. Geoff can be contacted on 01642 233921
Press/Public Relations Officer Rachel Donald	Rachel was appointed Press Office in January 2009. Her main aim is to raise the profile of the Society and ensure that regional legal issues are presented to the local and national press. The role also requires her to communicate relevant legal issues from the national committee to members. Rachel specialists in family law at Silk Family Law based at Aske Hall, North Yorks and Newcastle Quayside. Originally from Yarm, Rachel trained as a solicitor in Stockton-On-Tees and qualified in August 2008. Outside of work Rachel plays in a band at local pubs and clubs and enjoys playing netball in a local league. She is also Chair of Young Resolution North East, which promotes young family lawyers across the region. You can contact Rachel on 0191 4065003 or 07702381783
Trainee Representative	Tom Haigh (Endeavour Partnership) and Adam Roberts (Punch Robson)
In addition to the elected and co-opted members, the Law Society Regional Manager and the Council representatives of the Northumbria Region attend TVLS Meetings
Nigel Dodds The Law Society of England and Wales Council Member	Nigel has been Law Society Council Member for Northumbria since 1994. He read law at Nottingham University, was trained in local government and admitted in 1973. He practised in Blyth, Northumberland with Alderson Dodds spending over twenty years as senior partner. Nigel now practises as a solicitor advocate with higher rights in all courts, as a regulator and a consultant. He has been Chair of the Law Society Charity since 2000.
Louise Brough THe Law Society of England and Wales Council Memeber
Judith Mason Regional Manager North East, The Law Society of England & Wales

As well as the Council, the day-to-day administration of the Society is undertaken on a part-time basis by Helen Crute. Helen is an experienced Administrator, and although not a lawyer, has been married to one for over 40 years. She has worked in the voluntary sector for many years, and prior to that ran her own business. Her interests include photography, collecting all sorts of things (including thimbles and stamps), needlework and she is an avid reader. Her recent "day jobs" have been Regional Administration Co-ordinator for Age UK, and a Clinical Administrator at the Butterwick Hospice in Stockton