Tony Brook

Tony trained with and became a partner in a national law firm before leaving to help set up nexus. He advises businesses and other organisations on contentious and non-contentious contractual and commercial issues, with clients predominantly in the entertainment, retail and insurance sectors.

“nexus aims to be different in terms of service delivery. The days of stuffed shirts have well and truly gone”

Specialises in: -
Commercial Contracts
Business Disputes
Sports Law

Lincoln Darlington

Lincoln qualified in 1997 and prior to joining nexus in October 2004 worked for major regional national firms in Leeds and Manchester. He has wide ranging experience in commercial property law and has acted for many major lenders and developers, as well as investment and retail clients.

Main areas of Practice
Landlord and Tenant
Investment property/ management
Secured lending
Development
Corporate support

Debbie Illsley

Debbie trained with a national law firm, qualifying in 1999. She joined nexus on its inception in 2000 and became an associate in 2004 and a partner in 2007. Debbie advises on a wide range of contentious matters as part of the Dispute Resolution team specialising in:

Main Areas of Practice
Property disputes
Insurance litigation including recovery claims
Contractual and business disputes

Jamie Lloyd

Jamie trained and worked at a large regional commercial firm in Liverpool before moving across to Manchester in 1995. Specialising in advising owner managed businesses in a range of market sectors clients are receptive to timely, practical and commercial legal advice.

"In setting up and operating our own business we share many common experiences with our clients. This gives us a unique insight into, and understanding of, their motivations."

Specialises in: -
Corporate Finance
Mergers, Acquisitions & Disposals
Reconstructions and Group Reorganisations
Joint Ventures
Share Schemes
Commercial contracts
Non-Contentious Insolvency

Paul McGladdery

Paul qualified as a legal executive in 1996 and has worked in both local government and private practice. Before joining Nexus in 2001, Paul worked for the largest commercial property firm in the north - west and has gained a wide experience in many areas of commercial property law and a keen commercial edge. He has acted for major investors, retailers, breweries and telecommunications companies in all manner of property transactions.

Main Areas of Practice
Telecommunications Property
Licensed Premises
Landlord & Tenant
Investment Property
Corporate Support

Carl joined nexus from a major international law firm and since qualifying has specialised in employment law. He has considerable experience in providing advice to both the public and private sectors on all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious. Carl appears regularly as an advocate in the Employment Tribunal and is a regular speaker at various seminars and conferences on a broad range of employment-related issues.

Specialises in:-
Employment contracts, policies and procedures
Unfair and wrongful dismissals
Redundancies
Restrictive Covenants
Employment Tribunals
Discrimination Law
Transfer of undertakings

Desmond O’Driscoll

Des trained at a Specialist Commercial Property Firm in Manchester and later became a partner in a niche Manchester Commercial practice. Setting up nexus with his fellow partners has been well received by Des's wide client base, which includes numerous national multiple retailers and private Landlords. He has found that the departure from the traditional, old-fashioned fustiness of law firms has been warmly received.

"Clients appreciate the combination of quality advice and swift response times. They know that we are alive to the commercial decision-making process."

Specialises in: -
Property Development
Landlord & Tenant
Health Trusts
Secured Lending Matters

Terry has practised in Manchester throughout his career. He specialises in Intellectual Property, particularly licensing, merchandising and exploitation of trade marks, designs and patents. Terry has acted for clients ranging from large corporations to successful family businesses and for individual designers and inventors. Much of his work is designed to avoid future difficulties in relation to the ownership of existing and newly created IP. Terry also provides advice on a whole range of commercial agreements and assists business start-ups.

Specialises in:-
Intellectual Property (trade marks & names, patents and inventions & designs)
Commercial Contracts
Company and commercial law
Joint ventures and business start-ups

Christopher Pugh

Chris trained and worked at a major international firm in London, before returning to Manchester in 1995. One of the founding nexus partners, Chris advises commercial and insurance clients on a range of contentious matters from straightforward money disputes to complex, multi-party actions.

“I think the success of nexus shows that clients like the way we do things”

Specialises in: -
Contractual and Business Disputes
Professional Negligence
Insurance Disputes including recovery claims
Product Liability
Judicial Review
Personal Injury
Property Litigation

Andrew Tonge

Andrew, who is qualified as both a solicitor and a barrister, has significant experience in corporate and personal insolvency. He is a former partner in a major national law firm where he headed the Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency Group. He advises on the full spectrum of restructuring and rescue and the avoidance of insolvent losses in both contentious and non-contentious settings.

Specialises in:-
Administrations, Liquidations and Receiverships
Voluntary Arrangements
Restructuring solvent and insolvent companies
Securities
Directors' duties
Bankruptcies

Phil has worked in Manchester for most of his 20 years as a solicitor. He specialises in intellectual property disputes and Chancery litigation with particular focus on the retail, leisure and creative industries in the North West region. A keen amateur musician himself, Phil also has extensive experience of dealing with the commercial needs of musicians generally.

Specialises in:-
Intellectual Property Claims
Media and Entertainment Law
Contractual and Business Disputes
Chancery Litigation

Melanie trained and worked at a large international law firm in its London and Paris offices. After returning to the North West in 2004, Melanie has specialised in acting for SMEs in the region with particular emphasis on management buy-out and buy-in work.

"It is key, as an adviser to any SME, to take a practical approach to issues as well as providing sound legal advice. Clients in this market are increasingly looking to their lawyers to facilitate deals and provide commercial advice as well as advising on the purely legal".

Specialises in:-
Management buy-outs and buy-ins
Private Equity
Acquisitions and disposals
Reorganisations
Shareholder issues
Partnership matters (inc LLP)