Avocats – England

Maria Hearne

Senior Solicitor

HCR Law

Maria Kitsiou

Partner & Head of Domestic Children

Osbornes

Maria Koukou

Trainee Solicitor

Olliers

Maria Krishnan

Partner Maria advises individuals and organisations on contentious and non-contentious employment matters across a wide range of sectors including financial services, IT, healthcare and the arts. She works alongside business owners and legal and HR teams providing pragmatic guidance on the full range of employment disputes, including complex grievance and disciplinary matters often involving allegations of discrimination and whistleblowing. Her practice also includes frequently advising clients on redundancy and TUPE matters.

Magrath Sheldrick LLP

Maria Meek

Maria is a partner who specialises in Court of Protection and Compensation Protection Trusts. She has extensive experience working with clients who have cerebral palsy, brain and spinal cord injuries as well as those with learning difficulties, mental health issues or dementia. Maria specialises in managing compensation awards for clients who have a Deputy appointed by the Court of Protection or whose funds are held within a Compensation Protection Trust. She understands the difficulties that can be faced by clients after they receive their awards in balancing their immediate needs with ensuring they have provided for their future needs. This is often a difficult time for clients as their families have fought long and hard for their compensation and are suddenly faced with the reality that money doesn’t change everything. However, if managed appropriately it can make a real difference to their quality of life. Often clients are faced with making decisions about investments and financial planning that can seem overwhelming and Maria works closely with clients to make these processes as easy and as understandable possible. Maria undertakes all aspects of managing Compensation settlements including: applications to the Court of Protection Compensation Protection Trusts purchasing and adapting properties liaising with families and professionals dealing with direct employment of carers investing Compensation Awards accounting and budgeting tax

RWK Goodman

Maria Mowberry

Partner

B P Collins LLP

Maria O\'Connell

Maria is a Partner in the Civil Liberties & Human Rights team at Hodge Jones & Allen. Maria has 18 years’ experience in the field. She was an Equity Partner at another London firm after which she practiced as a Consultant Lawyer whilst undertaking further academic research and studies. She joined the established Hodge Jones & Allen in October 2023. Maria specialises in private law civil liberties litigation primarily focussing on claims against the police and other detaining authorities, prisoner right litigation and associated public law challenges in a criminal justice context challenging the basis of police investigations, their outcomes and disciplinary decision-making in respect of officers facing misconduct proceedings. Maria is increasingly acting for families in inquest proceedings, predominantly those involving deaths from suicide following a history of domestic abuse and families of children who have died following identification through the National Referral Mechanism as victims of modern slavery and /or county lines trafficking. Maria is seeking to assist the families understand of the events leading to their deaths and examine the role statutory services played in their loved-ones lives before their death. She regularly receives referrals from solicitors, previous and existing clients to represent them. She prides herself on her excellent client care and approachable nature, bringing a human face to the law. Maria is a CILEX Practitioner with rights of audience and independent practice rights. Having qualified by alternative means, she is an advocate for wider diversity within the legal profession and seeks to encourage and train those entering the legal profession and nurture early career talent to ensure continued access to justice in years to come.

Hodge Jones & Allen

Maria Panteli

Partner

Leigh Day

Maria Patsalos

Maria is a Partner in Mishcon Private advising individual and corporate clients on all areas of Immigration law. Her clients benefit from her vast technical knowledge and experience in dealing with exceptional cases, as well as her ability to provide innovative and bespoke solutions. Maria has substantive expertise across all UK visa application types from Points Based System applications and settlement route applications, to highly complex and discretionary applications outside of the Immigration Rules. Under the Points Based System, Maria regularly advises on sponsor licences and sponsor compliance for companies wishing to employ workers under the Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility visa categories. She also has considerable experience in relation to Sole Representative visas which now also fall under the UK Expansion Worker visa category. Maria regularly advises on and assists with fiancée/spouse/civil partnership and unmarried partner applications and often assists such clients where complex circumstances arise. Maria's clients also include European nationals seeking advice in relation to their UK immigration status post-Brexit and clients who require assistance with appeals to the Immigration Tribunal and with Judicial Review applications. Many of her clients wish to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK and subsequent British citizenship. This often involves complex matters such as excess absences from the UK requiring the exercise of discretion by the Home Office. Maria assists with the provision of long term strategic advice, as well as establishing links and connections with the UK for such clients. Maria has recently been awarded Human Rights Solicitor of the Year by the Law Society for her extraordinary efforts to ensure that the protection of human rights law is available to all. In fact, she has many years of experience, especially with regard to political asylum claims mainly on the basis of clients' political affiliations or membership of certain social groups. Maria also regularly assists clients with obtaining second residencies or citizenships. Maria led the firm's involvement in a Judicial Review on behalf of the Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens ("PRCBC"), which went to the Supreme Court, in relation to the profit-making element of the citizenship application fee and it being unaffordable for some children. The finding from the Court of Appeal on the PRCBC case in relation to section 55 and the best interests of the child still stands and demonstrates Maria's conviction to advocate for a fair and accessible immigration system. The immigration element of Pink Law, a free legal advice service for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, was founded by Maria. As a result of the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement, Maria also co-founded the Black Justice Project in partnership with Queen Mary University, University of London Legal Advice Centre, to help tackle/combat the long-term discrimination against the Black community. Maria is the immigration representative in the firm's Sports Group. She regularly advises football clubs in the UK regarding obtaining visas for players and has also advised in relation to rugby, golf and darts. Maria has also advised various sports governing bodies in relation to their immigration sponsorship rules. Maria has delivered the Immigration & Sport training for MBL for a number of years. She is also part of Mishcon Purpose, which provides specialist and purpose-driven advice and she recently launched Climate Migration Project. Its aim is to recognise and raise awareness around the issue of climate-induced mobility and displacement of people, and legislate on the issue of recognising climate migration refugees in the UK by potentially creating a separate immigration category. Maria often appears in the press and has been quoted in the FT, The Times, The Guardian, The Evening Standard and City A.M., as well as featuring on Sky Sports News, Channel 4 online and BBC television and radio in relation to topical and high profile immigration matters.

Mishcon de Reya LLP

Maria Peyman

Partner, Head of Intellectual Property

Birketts LLP

Maria Pilavaki

Associate Solicitor

TV Edwards Solicitors LLP

Maria Repanos

Head of Clinical Negligence (Manchester)

Hudgell Solicitors

Maria Stalbow

Senior Solicitor

Bark&co

Maria Strauss

Maria advises clients including not-for-profit organisations, independent schools, sports clubs and faith-based organisations on employment and safeguarding matters. She also acts for senior executive clients, particularly in the context of investigations or inquiries that they may be involved in. On the employment side, Maria’s typical caseload involves advising employers on the handling of sensitive cases and investigations often into alleged misconduct, harassment, bullying or discrimination. Maria has guided employer clients through many complex matters ranging from one off cases to issues that may involve or impact many staff members. She also advises HR teams (from all sectors) on more routine areas of employment law, such as performance management and staff exits. Maria was one of the founding members of Farrer & Co’s Safeguarding Unit. She advises all types of organisations who work with children on their legal obligations and has helped clients embed safer cultures through audits and support with policies and procedures. As well as advisory work, Maria has advised on a significant number of safeguarding cases. This involves working with clients and statutory authorities, advising on (or carrying out) investigations into allegations and guiding clients through external processes such as independent reviews or regulatory proceedings (particularly the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)). The nature of Maria’s cases means that she often works closely with the firm’s media and reputation management lawyers and data protection lawyers. Maria is a versatile lawyer with excellent knowledge of related legal areas such as GDPR, charity law, disputes and insurance law. Maria co-leads the firm’s investigations practice, she is an ‘Achieving Best Evidence’ trained investigator and is closely involved with the firm’s Tomorrow Together sustainability campaign.

Farrer & Co

Maria Theodoulou

Maria Theodoulou has been a Partner at Stokoe Partnership since 2004 having joined the Practice as a trainee in 1997. She oversees all branches of Stokoe Partnership Solicitors, ensuring that the Firm’s high standards and ethos are carried through by each member of the Team. She has overseen the rapid expansion of the Practice. Maria has a solid and strong track record as a criminal defence lawyer with a passion for defending her client’s interests. Maria specialises in all types of criminal defence matters, often those attracting media attention. She has considerable expertise in defending serious cases involving allegations of murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to supply large scale Class A drugs. Maria is ranked as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2022 Guide where she is described as “an excellent tactician and adviser to clients, always knows the best strategy.’ She is recognised for “her work ethic and dedication. She is a fighter, the sort of person who inspires confidence by simply just being part of the team”, and is praised for her “ability to think around corners”.

Stokoe Partnership Solicitors

Maria Watmough

Maria is a partner in the finance team and has many years' experience of advising clients across a variety of sectors. She has a broad range of expertise in negotiating and structuring all aspects of facilities for clients, and working for both lenders and borrowers has enabled Maria to develop a keen understanding of the commercial reasons behind structures and the drafting of finance documentation. Collaborating with other members of the firm from the corporate, commercial, real estate and construction teams, Maria provides advice on all aspects of secured lending, including acquisition finance, real estate finance and development finance. Maria has specialist expertise in the education and healthcare sectors, in particular, loans to fund working capital, acquisitions and developments and several student accommodation projects. She has been instructed on many loans in further and higher education in particular, including to Oxford and Cambridge Colleges. Maria has also advised on loans for numerous care home providers, dental practitioners and pharmacy owners growing their businesses. With an efficient and constructive approach to transactions, Maria advises her clients as to risks on matters as they arise and works together with her clients and other parties to find practical and commercial solutions to those issues.

Weightmans LLP

Marian Bloodworth

Partner

Fox Williams LLP

Marian Derham

Marian is a partner and founder of the firm’s employment group. Marian advises employer and employee clients on a full range of contentious and non-contentious employment issues. She has an long-standing reputation in acting for C-level executives (CEOs, CFOs, COOs and CTOs) and other senior executives particularly in the creative, media and entertainment industries, as well as TV, theatre, fashion, retail, advertising, financial services and publishing. She also advises HNW individuals and family offices in relation to their household staff. Marian specialises in providing pragmatic and strategic advice to senior executives on exit negotiations on termination of employment (with potential claims such as unfair dismissal, discrimination, harassment and whistleblowing) settlement agreements, appointments, and restrictive covenants and workplace issues. She also advises employer clients on complex employee relations issues (including disciplinaries and grievances and sexual harassment), restructures (including individual and collective redundancies) and on the full range of employment documentation including settlement agreements, employment contracts and policies. Some of Marian’s employer clients include Marv Studios (film), Cast & Crew LLC (film), Seven.One Studios (TV and film), Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, Nimax Theatres, Society of London Theatre/Theatre UK, International Car Wash Group (retail), Wolford and various internationally acclaimed musicians and producers. Marian has celebrated a career of 40 years at Harbottle & Lewis having joined the firm in October 1984, becoming a corporate partner in 1989 and founding the employment group in 2000.

Harbottle & Lewis LLP

Marian Joseph

Partner in the personal injury team in London office, dealing with both claimant and defendant work. Almost all her cases have an international aspect. Her main specialist area is European PI claims, in particular road traffic accidents, although she also deals with employers’ liability, public liability and some product liability (in conjunction with Antony Colman, a product liability expert). She speaks and writes German. She deals with substantial claims including catastrophic injury claims of over £2m. She specialises in cross-border claims involving jurisdiction and foreign law issues. Current claims (examples without names for confidentiality reasons). Dealing with claim for Belgian client injured in road traffic accident in England – serious injuries and issues of Belgian benefits and tax. Dealing with claim brought against our client by a claimant from another EU state, suffered amputation as a result of accident in England. Dealing with claim brought against our client arising out of accident at factory premises in Belgium.

Irwin Mitchell

Marianna Foerg

Marianna is a Senior Associate in our Commercial and Tech practice. She advises a broad range of individual and corporate clients of various sizes across multiple sectors, including technology, gaming, fashion, entertainment, publishing, retail, and manufacturing. Marianna is an expert in commercial and intellectual property law, with a strong track record of advising on commercial agreements, such as licensing, assignment, and collaboration. Marianna’s previous experience has enabled her to develop a clear understanding of the commercial needs and unique requirements of each client. In addition to her practice, Marianna has a strong academic foundation that helps her advise on complex subject matter in accessible terms. She is currently pursuing a PhD in intellectual property law at King’s College London. In addition, Marianna frequently writes articles and is a recognised contributor to the Kluwer Copyright Blog. Marianna is also qualified to practise Russian law and is a fluent Russian speaker.

Hamlins LLP

Marianna Michaelides

Freemans Solicitors

Marianne Frall

Partner - Regulatory Healthcare Advisory

Weightmans LLP

Marianne Ironside

Marianne is an Senior Associate in the Planning and Environment Team. She has significant experience advising on a range of planning matters with a particular focus on the residential development sector. Her expertise includes strategic planning advice, drafting and negotiating Planning Agreements, undertaking and planning due diligence in respect of complex transactions and advising on the intricacies of the Community Infrastructure Levy. Marianne has considerable experience working with housebuilders, retirement living providers and hoteliers as well as advising retail developers, banks and investors.

Foot Anstey

Marianne Johns

Marianne is the head of the Swindon office’s Dispute Resolution and Debt Recovery team and a highly experienced litigator with over 20 years of experience in civil, commercial and property litigation. Marianne deals with a wide range of disputes including the firm’s client’s more complex medium to large contractual and negligence based disputes which have included presenting and defending allegations of fraud, deceit and conspiracy. Marianne has a practice in professional negligence against solicitors, surveyors, architects and accountants and is a member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association. In addition Marianne has many years of expertise in consumer related matters. As the head of the Debt Recovery team, Marianne is also known for her expertise in debt recovery and enforcement including commercial and personal insolvency and, works with our Real Estate, Healthcare, Retail, Financial services, Technology and Media, Leisure and Hospitality and Racing & Bloodstock sectors. Marianne's experience includes: commercial contractual and negligence based disputes including sale of goods and services, financial and property based contractual disputes including enforcement of charges and commercial mortgage possession proceedings Fraud, deceit and conspiracy based disputes Director, shareholder and partnership disputes Consumer, consumer credit and product liability disputes Building disputes Professional negligence – solicitors, accountants, architects and surveyors Debt recovery and enforcement including insolvency both corporate and individual Insolvency related disputes including misfeasance, unlawful and void transactions, preference and undervalue transactions and defending claims relating to property claims arising in Bankruptcy Residential and commercial possession proceedings boundary, party wall, title and easement disputes, trespass actions. Marianne prides herself on her ability to adapt to meet the needs of her wide variety of clients. She takes a pragmatic, no-nonsense and to the point approach but with the sensitivity that each different client situation requires. At all times, Marianne’s aim is to achieve a swift and cost effective solution to the clients’ issues and she fully understands that litigation is not always appropriate – she is an avid advocate for Alternative Dispute Resolution.

RWK Goodman