We are a team of five consultants with complementing skills who work closely together to provide a seamless, cost effective service. Each member of the team has either worked for or provided services to some of the U.K.’s leading companies in the managerial, legal, retail and design sectors. This blend of expertise distinguishes us from our competitors and our size enables us to move more quickly than larger consultancies.
After
graduating from Cardiff Business School, David first started his career
as a Trainee Branch Manager for Abbey National. After being a Branch Manager,
he left to become a Retail Financial Manager for Marks and Spencer and
later joined the Legal Aid Board (now the Legal Services Commission).
At the Legal Services Commission, David’s managerial roles
included Operations Manager and Franchise Contracts Manager. David left
the Commission in 2000 to establish DG Legal.
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Previously, Bhavni worked at the Legal Services Commission for 3 years developing their Quality Standard and Scheme for Legal Aid suppliers (the Specialist Quality Mark).
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After
reading law at the University of London, Rina started her career at Lovells
and then Allen & Overy before joining the world of legal aid. While
working as a solicitor at AB Law, she also provided advice and assistance
on the Joint Council of Welfare for Immigrants (JCWI) immigration and
asylum helpline.
Rina is a non-practising solicitor who writes an accreditation assessment
for Central Law Training and the Law Society in addition to providing
a range of advice and services to legal organisations.
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After
reading law at King’s College London, Melanie was recruited by Herbert
Smith as a trainee solicitor. After being admitted by the Law Society,
she was retained by Herbert Smith as a solicitor in their litigation
department and reached the level of senior solicitor. She remained at
their London office for seven years before joining DG Legal.
Melanie also provided pro-bono services to Tower Hamlets Business Education
Partnership where she taught mathematics skills to schoolchildren.
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Dale qualified as an aerospace engineer after leaving school. In 1996 he gained an upper second class degree and later was awarded a diploma in business management. He held the post of director of an I.T. company but at the same time Dale chose to return to the Open University as a lecturer to teach I.T. studies to undergraduates.
Dale provides
friendly but expert cost effective computer consultancy, training, servicing
and maintenance to small and medium sized organisations which do not have
their own in-house I.T. department.
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We have a team based in Leicestershire which handles post and telephone calls. E-mails are usually replied to by our Consultants.
To complement our team of consultants, we also work closely with a team of other professionals such as other consultants, specialist solicitors and barristers which enables us to provide a seamless service. These include:
Richard trained at Law Systems & Designs, a company providing specialist services to solicitors, under one of the co-founders of the Institute of Legal Cashiers, before starting his own practice in 1981. Since then he has assisted a large number of firms of solicitors with day to day accounting using his own specialist staff.
Richard also assists many firms nationally with accounts problems caused by poor or inadequate booking keeping, lack of knowledge of the Solicitors Accounts Rules, computer breakdown and employee fraud. He has unrivalled experience in dealing with the application of the Solicitors Accounts Rules and in dealing with investigations from the Law Society/Solicitors Regulation Authority and HMRC.
He also has extensive experience of solicitors accounts software and has trained for two of the major suppliers and has been recommended by other software providers to their clients needing long and short term support.
Richard is a member of the ILCA and a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Account Managers.
Vicky Ling
Vicky has worked in the voluntary sector, for local government and the Legal Aid Board. she was one of the first Liaison Managers appointed by the LAB to implement its Quality Assurance Standard, Franchising and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Quality Assurance.
Vicky has been involved with Citizens Advice for over 20 years as a specialist caseworker, manager and currently as a Trustee Board Member.
Vicky has advised over 150 firms of solicitors in England and Wales and many not-for-profit agencies providing legal advice.
Vicky worked with DG Legal, CLT and the Legal Services Commission to develop the supervision element of the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme, including the examination model.
Vicky worked with Andrew Otterburn on his report concerning the possible impact on firms of implementing Lord Carter's report on Legal Aid.
She edited "The Carter Survival Handbook" published in the autumn of 2007. She is a founder member of the Civil Justice Council and is currently serving a second term. Vicky is also an active member of its Access to Justice Committee.
Nick
Armstrong
Nick was admitted as a solicitor in 1998, whereupon he joined Irwin
Mitchell’s Public Law Unit. In 2001 he transferred to the Bar and
joined Tooks Chambers specialising in public law with a particular emphasis
on immigration and asylum. He regularly appears before the Asylum and
Immigration Tribunal and the higher courts as well as acting in damages
actions arising in the immigration context. He is the editor or co-editor
of a number of publications, including the UK Human Rights Reports.
Nick
is a member of Matrix Chambers.
Greg
Powell of Powell Spencer & Partners
Greg Powell is a highly regarded Crime Solicitor in the London Region.
He is Managing Partner of Powell Spencer & Partners. This highly regarded
firm of solicitors is active in advising clients from the local Kilburn
community, as well as increasingly representing clients from across the
whole of the UK. Murder cases and youth work are strong areas of focus.
The firm also acted for a Guantanamo Bay detainee in 2004.
Greg was President of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors' Association
in 2007 and is a past winner of the LAPG Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (Crime Category).
Avtar Bhatoa is a highly experienced Solicitor Advocate. He is Managing Partner of Bullivant & Partners, a specialist Crime Practice in the City of London. Bullivant & Partners provide advice and services from Police Station Advice and Assistance to Crown Court Advocacy.
Avtar is Vice Chairman of the Solicitors' Association of Higher Court Advocates and a founding member of Independent Defence Lawyers.
Samantha
Little of Russell Cooke
Samanatha Little is a Partner at Russell Cooke. She specialises in
cases concerning children including public law care cases; private law
cases (eg contact and residence); adoption. Samantha is experienced in
representing children of all ages (either on the instruction of the Children's
Guardian or separately when competent), Children's Guardians, parents
and other family members.
Samantha is a member of the Law Society Children Panel (since 1998); the
Solicitors' Family Law Association (currently Member of the Children Committee);
the Association of Lawyers for Children;and the National Association of
Guardians ad litem and Reporting Officers.
Alison Leivesley of TV Edwards
Alison is an associate solicitor at TV Edwards specialising in domestic
violence and private law children cases. She has eight years experience
of Family law and is a member of the Law Society's Advanced Family Law
Panel; Resolution and the Association of Lawyers for children.
Alison is Vice Chairwoman of Tower Hamlets Women's Aid and is a Steering
Group member of NCH Children's Fund Project.