Chris Harper

Joint Managing Partner and Head of Department

Chris is Joint Managing Partner with Jane Laidler. He has wide experience of the handling of civil disputes (private and commercial) arising in a variety of fields including contract, intellectual property, professional negligence, insolvency, estates and tax, and of administrative law claims (having been involved in Judicial Review proceedings both for and against regulators) and human rights issues.

His current practice is in both litigation and advisory work, including data protection and freedom of information. He is a specialist in gambling law.

Chris gained his degree at University College London and was articled at Gregory, Rowcliffe & Co. He became a partner in 1978 and has led the litigation team since 1984.

e: c.harper@grm.co.uk

Timothy Moloney

Partner

Tim, a Litigation partner, is head of our personal injury section and member or our Specialist Employment Law team.

He conducts a wide variety of litigation specialising in employment work and personal injury. He has extensive access to specialist witnesses and contacts to advise and give expert evidence at an early stage. He also regularly gives seminars on employment law.

He gained his degree from the University of Manchester in 1976. He was a partner at Simmonds Church Smiles and became a partner with Gregory Rowcliffe Milners on the subsequent merger of the two firms in 1999.

e: t.moloney@grm.co.uk

Jacqueline Fitzgerald

Partner

Jacqueline is a Partner and head of our specialist Family Law Team. She deals with all aspects of family law including divorce, the rights of unmarried cohabiters, including same-sex couples as well Residence, Contact, Prohibited Steps and Specific Issue Orders in relation to children – including children of unmarried parents. Her primary area of expertise relates to complex financial disputes including cases involving company and business matters and Trusts. She advises clients on protection of wealth issues in the form of pre-nuptial agreements.

She has been involved in many cases with an international aspect including those where the issue of habitual residence, domicile and the appropriate international forum arises. Jacqueline has also participated in a local multi-agency group and EC funded project working to improve the provision of services to sufferers of domestic abuse.

Prior to joining GRM Jacqueline was a Partner at Lee & Pembertons. She is a Member of Resolution (formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association) and is a trained Mediator. She has been quoted in both the English and Scottish Press on Family Law issues.  She is a School Governor having sat as Vice Chair of a Governing Body in the past.

e: j.fitzgerald@grm.co.uk

Lesley Pendlebury Cox

Consultant

Lesley is a Litigation Consultant and was, until November 2008, head of our specialist Family Law team. She is a member of the Law Society's Specialist Family Panel and a Family Specialist accredited by Resolution. She acts in many cross border disputes particularly those with a German connection, whilst retaining a substantial domestic client base.

Her litigation experience has taken her before the highest appellate courts including the House of Lords. Her international expertise includes jurisdiction disputes, intellectual property litigation and work for German shipping companies, banks and insurance companies and she is a member of the British German Jurists Association.

Before qualifying as a solicitor Lesley engaged in social research, notably at the London School of Economics and the Tavistock Institute. Before becoming a partner at GRM in 1992 she spent several years as a commercial litigator before accepting a partnership with Mawby Barrie & Scott, a niche Anglo-German practice.

e: l.pendleburycox@grm.co.uk

Elizabeth Philpott

Legal Executive

Elizabeth is a Legal Executive within the Litigation team specialising in personal injury claims. She  also deals with contract disputes as well as landlord and tenant claims and has extensive experience of various court procedures including House of Lords Appeals, Judicial Reviews, High Court and County Court proceedings and is a member of -the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. She joined Simmonds Church Smiles in 1988 and qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives  the following year.

Liz teaches skiing to able bodied as well as disabled skiers. She has also cycled from Lands End to John O'Groats and from London to Paris, as well as walked from coast to coast in England (the narrow bit) and run several marathons and half marathons. Her ambition at present is to windsurf from Southampton to the Isle of Wight.

e: e.philpott@grm.co.uk

Thomas Moore

Assistant Solicitor

Thomas joined GRM in January 2009 and is an Assistant Solicitor in the Litigation Team.  Working closely with Chris Harper, his work incorporates a number of practice areas notably gambling, charities and administrative law.

Having gained BA (Hons) in Geography at Newcastle University, Thomas undertook his law conversion exams and then completed the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law.  He qualified as a Solicitor in October 2008.

Away from the office he enjoys skiing and rugby in the winter and tennis and cricket in the summer.

e: t.moore@grm.co.uk