Solicitors in Altrincham

Stephen is the Managing Partner of mlplaw and has over 25 years’ experience advising on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious business law and business ownership. Recommended in both Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, Stephen is renowned for his ability to quickly identify a client’s successful outcome and to then relentlessly pursue that outcome.

Stephen has developed a particular specialism in digital, technology, healthcare and family owned businesses. He covers all areas of business law and ownership, including commercial litigation and private disputes, and together with his corporate and commercial team provides advice on all aspects of the law relating to mergers, acquisitions, financing, re-structuring, complex commercial contracts, standard trading terms, share options, shareholder and partnership agreements, commercial dispute resolution, joint venture and partnering arrangements, IT and Technology law, Intellectual Property, EU and competition law, Brexit, Data Protection and GDPR.

Stephen spent over 10 years at a leading city firm before moving to mlplaw which he acquired through a MBO in 2014. He continued to develop the firm as a boutique corporate and commercial firm with a specialist private client offering renowned for the quality of its people and its first class client service. During that time Stephen has published a book “Family Business Succession – the options and pitfalls” and raised significant amounts of money for charity.

Stephen works closely with mlplaw’s leadership team to implement improvements and innovations that enhance the service we provide to clients and that make mlplaw an even greater place to work.  This includes a collaborative and innovative approach to pricing including aligning our charges to the outcomes delivered for clients and monthly retainers that covers all our services and a full commitment to hybrid and flexible working and an impressive, flexible, benefits package.  He champions our “Do the Right Thing” initiatives especially our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion efforts and supporting our chosen social enterprises and charities with free advice.

Jane is a Private client lawyer who is CTAPS qualified, and a member of the Association of Lifetime Lawyers. Jane acts for a wide variety of clients including business owners, high net worth individuals and agricultural clients.

Jane is experienced in advising on Wills, Powers of Attorney, Tax Planning, Administration of Estates, Court of Protection matters, and Asset Protection within families and businesses and contested Probate estates.

Jane lives locally in Lymm with her 18-year-old son and in her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and renovating her house and garden.

Rachel is a highly experienced Corporate lawyer who joined mlplaw in 2019 from a national law firm and now leads the Corporate Team.

Rachel’s main area of work is mergers and acquisitions covering share and asset acquisitions and disposals, but includes management buy-outs, investments, group re-organisations, demergers, joint ventures, shareholders agreement, articles of association, cross options, share capital arrangements, corporate governance, employee ownership schemes and share incentive schemes.

She has a pragmatic approach and understands client’s priorities and objectives. She assists with the day to day needs of business clients.

Rachel has gained particular experience in the Insurance and Healthcare sectors, but acts for clients from across the spectrum.

Shaista is a highly experienced Solicitor, having qualified 23 years ago. Shaista specialises in commercial litigation matters, and before joining mlplaw, she worked in well-known large city centre firms before later establishing her own practice.

She has represented a large variety of clients across numbers of sectors on a broad spectrum of disputes to provide clients greater depth of knowledge and experience in contentious matters to individuals, owner managed businesses, SME’s, high net worth individuals, directors/shareholders, property developers and charities.

Shaista has extensive experience in litigation, including experience as an advocate in the County Courts, regularly advising on high value complex contractual disputes, property litigation (claims for possession, rent arrears, breaches, dilapidations, service charge disputes), company and partnership dispute, high value debt recovery, professional negligence claims, claims against lawyers, property and finance professionals.

Shaista offers a down to earth and proactive approach to provide solutions and resolve disputes, and possesses extensive knowledge of various Alternative Dispute Resolution methods.

Outside of work, Shaista enjoys spending time with her daughters and reading.

Sam is an experienced real estate solicitor with over 12 years post qualification experience in real estate law and over 15 years in the legal industry.  Sam acts for national developers, investors and corporate occupiers across England and Wales and industry sectors with a particular focus on commercial landlord and tenant transactions in the retail and leisure sector. Sam joined mlplaw as a Partner in December 2020, previously working at Top 50 law firms and a prominent City of London practice, becoming the Head of Real Estate in June 2025. Alongside his work with mlplaw, Sam owns and operates Swann Shore, a legal and office offshore recruitment and payroll services provider headquartered in South Africa.

The aspects of the job Sam most enjoys are the interaction with people and problem-solving, no two days ever being the same.

In his spare time Sam enjoys exercising, reading and watching classic films.

Sam divides his time between England (across all mlplaw offices) and South Africa.

Karen has broad and extensive experience in corporate and commercial law and particular expertise in equipment leasing and asset finance, both working in law firms and in- house positions.

Karen studied French and Russian at Oxford University before attending Chester law school and training in a London law firm. She relocated, shortly after qualifying, to Paris and spent several years working in the Paris branch of the London law firm, specialising in shipping and aviation finance where her clients included French banks ,a leading Irish aircraft lessor and a major French shipping company. She returned to the UK in 1998 and spent 12 years as senior counsel in GE Capital’s European equipment leasing business and (after its sale from GE ) 4 years for TIP Trailer Services working on major customer leasing transactions and disposals and acquisitions of related businesses . Prior to joining MLP Karen was a partner in a national law firm. In her spare time Karen enjoys golf, yoga, dancing and learning Spanish.

Deborah is an experienced Employment and Discrimination lawyer who has had a mixed practice representing both businesses and individuals. She believes this gives her the edge when negotiating with ‘the other side’. Areas of expertise include discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, restraints of trade, TUPE, collective redundancies, employment status and IR35 issues, managing employee conflict, grievance and disciplinary investigations, and negotiating severance packages (on both sides of the fence). With the explosion in remote working, Deborah has been advising businesses on the risks and opportunities of employing workers living in overseas jurisdictions.

Deborah was Called to the Bar in 2007 and cross-qualified as a solicitor in 2011. She has sat on advisory panels including the EHRC’s panel on Religion & Belief and the Federation of Small Businesses’ Employment Law Policy Committee. She is a member of Lincoln’s Inn Denning Society after being awarded a scholarship in 2005. She been interviewed about employment law issues by BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Nottingham, BBC Radio Derby, and appeared on BBC News.

Outside of work, she enjoys following her local pub bands and catching up with her three adult daughters – when they are all in the same country.