Contract Lawyers

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.

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.

Max is a Solicitor in the Corporate team and works with a variety of clients such as owner-run businesses, national corporations and private individuals.

Having joined mlplaw as a Corporate Paralegal in November 2021, Max has built up experience in this area and hopes to continue developing his Business Services skillset.

Max graduated from the University of Oxford in 2014 and has since been a manager at a national education charity and started his own business as a Personal Trainer and Yoga Teacher. He completed his LPC and LLM at BPP University Manchester, having gained legal work experience at both a mid-sized Liverpool practice and a large London firm.

Having stepped away from the fitness industry to return to the law, Max’s love of exercise continues outside of work; he is a regular gym-goer and a fan of physical challenges. He also enjoys live music and comedy, and a good pub quiz.

Amelia is a Solicitor in the Commercial and Intellectual Property team at mlplaw, having joined the firm in 2021 as a paralegal. During her training, she gained a broad range of legal experience, completing seats in Commercial and Intellectual Property, Corporate, Employment, and Litigation. This diverse background allows her to provide both contentious and non-contentious advice with a strong commercial focus.

Prior to joining mlplaw, Amelia worked in-house at a construction company and a tech start-up, developing a deep understanding of legal issues from a business perspective. In addition, she gained legal work experience in private practice at a national law firm and small to mid-sized regional firms, offering insight into various legal environments and client needs.

Amelia is committed to delivering pragmatic, commercially focused legal solutions that align with clients’ strategic business objectives.

Outside of work Amelia enjoys trying different restaurants, live music and comedy, country walks and spending time with family and friends.

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.

Mika studied Law and International Business before completing a master’s in law and legal Practice. He has experience in both residential and commercial property matters, working with clients, lenders, and solicitors to progress transactions from initial instruction through to completion. His background in sales and marketing has also helped him develop a practical understanding of client service and communication. Mika began his legal career at a busy regional firm, where he developed an interest in commercial and transactional work. He is now looking forward to building his skills further within the Corporate team at mlplaw.

Outside of work, Mika enjoys boxing, rugby, and keeping active. He also likes travelling, exploring new cultures, and reading about business and current affairs.

After graduating college with a distinction star in applied law, Casey-Joyce knew she wanted to pursue it as a career. Although new to the field, she is a highly motivated worker, enthusiastic, with a strong ambition to develop her skills and become a crucial asset in providing excellent support to the team. In her free time, Casey-Joyce enjoys going to concerts, listening to music, watching Manchester City, rock climbing and playing the guitar.