Commercial Law

Our Commercial Team Includes Tony Fisher, Mike Theeman, Chris Yemm, Matthew Welch, James Burkett, Yvonne Spencer, Ellen Petersen and Katy Fordham.

The commercial team at Fisher Jones Greenwood pride themselves on offering simple straightforward and commercially relevant advice to business people locally and regionally. Although located in Colchester the firm serves clients of a national stature as well as local and regional clients. Four partners in the firm are engaged in commercial work and their profiles and experience are set out below.

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	Tony Fisher , Senior Partnership Member Senior Partner Tony Fisher is the head of our commercial department. He undertakes Company/Commercial and partnership work. He also advises charities, and is engaged in the firm’s international practice. He has wide experience in mergers and acquisitions and drafting and negotiating commercial contracts. The firm has been recommended by the Legal 500 Guide to the top UK law firms for its work in Corporate and Commercial Law with the comment that clients of Tony Fisher say he is ‘an excellent person to work with’. Tony has a particular interest in ICT and has been a member of the editorial panel for the Software Solutions Guide (published annually by the Law Society of England and Wales) to the best legal software for a number of years. He is a member of a number of trade and business organisations including the Institute of Directors and the International Bar Association. Aside from his commercial work, Tony also undertakes international and domestic human rights work and has appeared as an advocate at the European Court of Human Rights on many occasions. He is a Fellow of the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex, and Chair of the International Human Rights Committee of the Law Society of England and Wales. He is also a member of the Law Society International Division. Locally, he is a trustee and company secretary of firstsite which will, during 2007, occupy a new £18.5m visual art centre in Colchester, and a Board member of the Colchester Institute.

	Mike Theeman , Partnership Member Mike is the firm's Commercial property partner and specialises in development sites and the acquisition and disposal of commercial property both leasehold and freehold. He has also trained and has substantial experience as a mediator. Educated locally at the Colchester Royal Grammar School and Essex University, before studying Law at Guildford, Mike has many connections and interests in and around Colchester. His experience in advising established and newly formed businesses is regularly called upon to guide potential Tenants and Buyers through the property maze.

	Chris Yemm , Managing Partnership Member Chris is head of our civil litigation department. He is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and is on the Law Society's Personal Injury Panel. He has nearly 30 years experience in all forms of High Court and County Court litigation. Between 1992 and 1997 he sat regularly as a Deputy District Judge in Courts all over East Anglia. Chris has a Masters Degree in Advanced Litigation from Nottingham Trent University and is a CEDR accredited Mediator. He has been involved in a number of high value mediations including the recent settlement of 200 Kenyan tribesmen's £4.5m compensation claim against the Ministry of Defence. He also acted for the successful Claimants in the landmark legal cases of Stubbings v Webb [1992] and A&B v Essex County Council [2002].

	James Burkett , Partnership Member After many years working in the City as a consultant James joined the firm in 2001 and is now a Partnership Member. He has a first class law degree and has successfully completed the Civil Academic Training and Assessment in procedure evidence and ethics, and Civil Academic Training for the purpose of applying for Higher Rights of Audience as a Solicitor Advocate. He currently undertakes commercial litigation work and advises on other matters which include administrative law, private international law, off-shore trusts and option agreement disputes, employment issues, professional negligence claims, banking and construction disputes, as well as advising clients on complex legal issues. James also has considerable experience in Chancery work and Court of Appeal work and is a member of The Professional Negligence Lawyers’ Association and the Civil Litigation Section of the Law Society. James is recommended in the Legal 500 for Commercial Litigation.

	Matthew Welch , Partnership Member Matthew is an Employment law specialist but also undertakes licensing work. He trained as a mediator with the ADR Group, one of the most successful alternative dispute resolution training providers in the country. Matthew has extensive experience in drafting all types of employment related documentation including employment contracts, compromise agreements and ancillary policies and procedures. He also has long standing experience advising businesses with regard to employment problems and represents both employers and employees at employment tribunals. Matthew's department holds one of the few legal franchises in employment law in Essex and Suffolk and was recently assessed in a Legal Services Commission Peer Group Analysis as providing work of a consistently high standard.

	Yvonne Spencer , Partnership Member Solicitor Advocate Yvonne Spencer specialises in all aspects of public law, judicial review, human rights and education law. Yvonne advises and represents commercial clients including schools, colleges, universities, local authorities, associations and charities, care home providers, and nursery and early years providers. Yvonne also provides public law services for professionals who wish to challenge decisions made by The Secretary of State or bodies such as Ofsted, or CSCI e.g. failed inspections, listings on List 99, POVA and POCA. As a solicitor advocate she appears on behalf of clients in The Care Standards Tribunal, The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal, and all the higher courts including the High Court and Court of Appeal, thus providing a seamless service for the firm’s clients. In June 2004 Yvonne was named as the Law Society Gazette’s ‘Lawyer in the News’, when she appeared in the High Court for the Muslim schoolgirl Shabina Begum. Yvonne has a Masters degree in Human Rights, and is Hon. Secretary of the Solicitors’ Association of Higher Court Advocates (SAHCA); a Director of the Education Law Association (ELAS); and a Governor at the Royal Hospital School, Suffolk. Her recent publications include ‘The Education Law Handbook’, Butterworth’s ‘Education Law Manual’, and ‘Education Law Update – law made simple’. Before joining the firm, Yvonne was Deputy Director of the Children’s Legal Centre at the University of Essex.

	Ellen Petersen , Solicitor Ellen Petersen, specialises in the in the acquisition of land for business development and investment purposes, planning and infrastructure agreements, business sales and purchases and commercial leases. She also has an interest in commercial development and planning. Ellen is based at our Charter Court office on Severalls Business Park.

	Katy Fordham , Paralegal Katy is a paralegal in our Commercial Law team and is studying for her LPC at the London College of Law having completed her law degree at the University of Surrey. Katy assists Tony Fisher in commercial matters and in particular acquisitions, partnership work and drafting and negotiating commercial contracts. Intellectual property is a particular interest to Katy who works on matters including the registration and enforcement of intellectual property rights together with drafting and negotiating licensing and confidentiality agreements. Aside from her commercial work Katy also undertakes Commercial Litigation work including general commercial disputes such as contractual claims and the recovery of debts.Katy is based at our Charter Court office on Severalls Business Park.

	Nikki Allen Nikki has worked in the Commercial Department of FJG since joining the firm 2 years ago. Nikki is currently studying her second year of the ILEX course having previously gained a Distinction in the Legal Secretary’s Diploma. Nikki assists Tony Fisher in commercial matters, in particular the due diligence process and drafting documentation for acquisitions and partnership agreements. Nikki hopes to specialise in the Commercial area and is currently based at our Charter Court office on the Severalls Business Park.

	Glenn Carter , Paralegal Glenn is a paralegal in our Commercial Law team based at our out of town offices on the Severalls Business Park. His role is varied in that he provides general support to the Commercial team. Glenn possesses a wealth of commercial knowledge as prior to joining the firm he has had 20 years experience of running his own successful business.

	Emma Nunn Emma Nunn is currently studying a Professional Diploma in Law through the Institute of Legal Executives. Emma works with Yvonne Spencer in the Education Law department. Her experience includes assisting parents prepare their cases for schools admissions appeals, appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal and statutory complaints to the Local Authority and Local Government Ombudsman. Emma has also assisted in the preparation of cases to the Care Standards Tribunal and is developing expertise in Tribunal procedure. The Education Law department remains committed to proving less well off parents with free legal advice and assistance under the Legal Help Scheme. Emma is always pleased to discuss with parents their eligibility under the Scheme.

	Beth Baird , Trainee Solicitor After many years working in the City as an equity analyst, Beth joined the firm in 2007 to pursue a second career in law. Beth completed the CPE and LPC in 2005 and 2006 respectively, studying at Anglia Ruskin University, and holds a BA(Hons) and MA in English Literature (both First class) from Warwick University. Beth intends to specialise in Company, Commercial and Financial Services law on completion of her training contract.