Our People

Kerry Addison

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217017

Kerry, who was admitted as a solicitor in November 2003, joined the TSP Commercial Property and Agriculture team in November 2015. Based in the Colchester office, Kerry, a Legal 500 Recommended Lawyer, undertakes all types of general commercial property work but specialises in development and planning, rural matters for farmers and landowners (such as promotion and option agreements), and property portfolios and refinancing. She is a Fellow of the Agricultural Law Association (FALA). The ALA has been the UK’s largest inter-professional organisation devoted to the business of the countryside for almost 40 years.

Since 1 March 2017 Kerry Addison Ltd, of which Kerry is a Director, has been a corporate partner in Thompson Smith and Puxon.

She was born in Portsmouth, a Navy child, but moved to Suffolk as a teenager, attending Ipswich High School. On leaving school Kerry joined an Ipswich Law firm as a trainee Legal Executive, and was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives in 1997. In 2001, having taken a short career break, Kerry decided to train as a solicitor undertaking a Post Graduate Diploma in Law at De Montfort University Leicester and then a Diploma in Legal Practice at Nottingham Law School, passing both with a commendation.

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Fiona Ashworth

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217057

Fiona, who qualified as a solicitor in 1999, joined the TSP Wills and Estates team in August 2014 as Team Leader. Fiona has extensive experience and advises clients on their Wills and succession planning, Powers of Attorney (Lasting Powers & the registration of Enduring Powers), the administration of estates, tax and trust matters and Court of Protection cases. She has developed a particular specialism working with elderly clients and her farming background (she grew up on a farm and is married to a farmer) has helped her to develop an agricultural client base. Fiona is based in our Colchester office.

Since January 2016 Fiona M Ashworth Ltd , a company of which Fiona is a Director, has been a corporate partner in Thompson Smith and Puxon.

Fiona, who was born in Colchester, has long established links with the town. Her Father, David Cannon, is a former Mayor (1998), and she attended Colchester County High School for Girls. She completed both her Law Degree and her Legal Practice Course at Anglia Ruskin University, before going on to train with a Colchester law firm. During her training Fiona worked in Wills and Probate and on “elderly client” matters and decided that this was the area of the law that she wanted to focus on.

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Sharon Auton

Director, Chartered Legal Executive

T.+44 (0)1206 217043

Sharon is a Director, Chartered Legal Executive and accredited Mediator. Sharon joined Thompson Smith and Puxon in 2000. Since 2012, Sharon Auton Ltd, a company of which Sharon is a Director, has been a corporate partner in Thompson Smith and Puxon. Sharon became the Head of the Dispute Resolution team in January 2014 and Finance Director in January 2016.

Sharon has over 15 years experience in Dispute Resolution (and Litigation, a name by which the team was previously known). She is professional, friendly and approachable, acting for a wide range of clients, both individuals and businesses, in dispute resolution matters. In her spare time Sharon enjoys spending time with her family (she has two sons), travelling and particularly enjoys long walks in the countryside and spending time in the garden.

Prior to choosing a career in the law Sharon worked at the University of Essex for ten years and prior to that was in banking and finance.

Sharon advises her clients on a wide and varied range of cases from landlord and tenant disputes (residential and commercial), breach of contract disputes, commercial disputes, consumer disputes, construction disputes, neighbour disputes – all manner of disputes – harassment and injunctions, mediation, debt recovery, insolvency, contentious probate, professional negligence, and claims under constructive and/or resulting trusts……….life is never dull!

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Mary Anne Fedeyko

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217049

Mary Anne, a Legal 500 Leading Individual, joined TSP in 1991 and qualified as a solicitor in the UK in 1989. She leads TSP’s Corporate and Commercial team and specialises in corporate, corporate finance and commercial law and has wide experience of company restructuring, mergers and acquisitions. She has exceptional technical expertise in large industry acquisitions and contracts. She acts for clients in local industry and commerce as well as those with parent-companies based outside the UK – in Canada, the United States and Europe – and as such is very often involved in multi-jurisdictional transactions.

Mary Anne, who is originally from Canada, completed her law degree at the University of Western Ontario in 1983, qualifying as a solicitor there in 1984. She practised at a large Canadian firm before transferring her skills to the UK and worked at Freshfields in London whilst qualifying in this country. She left Freshfields in 1991, joining Thompson Smith and Puxon and became a partner of the firm in 2001. When the structure of the firm changed in 2006 Mary Anne became a director of Mary Anne Fedeyko Ltd, a corporate partner in Thompson Smith and Puxon. In January 2016 Mary was appointed as TSP’s Senior Partner.

Thompson Smith and Puxon has, for a number of years, been highlighted as a Leading Firm in this practice area by the Legal 500 and Mary Anne has, during that time, been highlighted as a Legal 500 Recommended Lawyer.

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Laura Finnigan

Associate Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217020

Laura, who was admitted as a solicitor in 2006, joined Thompson Smith and Puxon in November 2011. She leads the TSP Residential Property team, advising TSP’s clients on all matters relating to Residential Property.

Laura, who is local to the Colchester area, completed her Law degree at the University of East Anglia and went on to complete her training at a London law firm. Since qualifying Laura has specialised in Residential Property, joining TSP from a top rated residential real estate team at a well known London practice. She has a wealth of experience dealing with the London Residential Property market, acting for a range of clients, both international and London based, in medium to high value fast-paced property transactions, negotiating the best contract terms and property deals for her clients. Laura has, since joining TSP, effectively transferred her first rate city law firm skills to the East Anglian Property market.

In her spare time Laura enjoys swimming and spending time with her daughter. She is a keen baker although says that she is not very good and there is definite room for improvement!

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Stephen Firmin

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217023

Stephen, who qualified as a solicitor in 1993, joined TSP to head up the Commercial Property and Agriculture team in May 2011.

Stephen has over 20 years’ experience in Company and Commercial law and has a particular expertise in Commercial Property. Stephen’s wide-ranging knowledge and experience mean that he is able to advise clients on achieving their objectives across a broad range of business activities. He has helped client companies of differing sizes – from start-ups and family businesses to large PLC’s – and from many and varied business sectors, to achieve their business goals.

Stephen attended St Joseph’s College in Ipswich before going on to complete his Law degree at Nottingham Trent University in 1990. Having taken his Legal Practice Certificate at the College of Law, Guildford, he trained at an Ipswich firm, qualifying in 1993. Stephen become a partner in that firm in 1995, before joining Thompson Smith and Puxon in 2011, since which time Stephen has been the director of Stephen Firmin Ltd, a partner in Thompson Smith and Puxon.

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Nick Mayles

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 2170

Nick has over 20 years’ experience advising UK and overseas companies and individuals on all aspects of Corporate and Commercial matters, and general business affairs. He has a wealth of experience in mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and reorganisations, and shareholder and partnership agreements. He also has specialist expertise in the acquisition and disposal of dental practices. Nick’s experience also includes agriculture, construction and engineering, the retail and the leisure sectors. Nick has since 2010 been a director of Nick Mayles Ltd, a corporate partner in TSP, having previously worked at leading firms in the City and the South-East.

Thompson Smith and Puxon has, for a number of years, been highlighted as a Leading Firm in the Corporate and Commercial practice area by the Legal 500. In 2014 Nick was highlighted by the Legal 500 as a Recommended Lawyer in his field.

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Richard Porter

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217027

Richard advises on all aspects of Employment law, including its impact on business acquisitions and disposals, redundancy programmes, severance contracts and policy drafting, and has a particular interest in discrimination law.

Richard is based at the Colchester office but regularly travels to the Clacton office to see clients and is happy to meet prospective business clients at their business premises.

Richard, who is Colchester born and bred, attended Charterhouse and then the Colchester Royal Grammar School before going on to gain his Law degree at what is now the Anglia Ruskin University and his Master’s degree at the University of Leicester. He trained at Stewards, an Ipswich firm, before joining TSP. In 1987, like his father before him, Richard became a partner in Thompson Smith and Puxon. In 2006, the formal structure of the firm changed and Richard became a director of Richard. S. Porter Ltd, a corporate partner in TSP.

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Claire Powell

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217050

Claire, who qualified as a solicitor in 2000, joined TSP’s Corporate and Commercial team in 2001. She deals with a broad range of Corporate Commercial work, advising traditional, corporate and limited liability partnerships on all issues including those arising on admission, retirement, dissolution and various disputes. Claire also advises owner-managed businesses, SMEs and international manufacturing groups on business-critical contracts, and assists private and public companies on corporate governance, directors’ duties and acquisitions and disposals.

She has a particular interest in the field of supply, distribution and agency agreements and consumer regulatory compliance.

Claire studied law at the University of Hull and from there went straight on to study for her Legal Practice Certificate (LPC) at the College of Law, York. She has worked at Thompson Smith and Puxon since 2001 and in 2009 became the director of Claire Powell Ltd, a corporate partner in the firm.

Thompson Smith and Puxon has, for a number of years, been highlighted as a leading Firm in this practice area by the Legal 500. In 2014 Claire was highlighted by the Legal 500 as a Recommended Lawyer in her field.

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Marcus Price

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217073

Marcus leads the TSP Family and Divorce Law team and advises clients on all aspects of Family law. He is able to offer a free telephone chat to provide general information.

Marcus completed his law degree at the University of Nottingham in 1978 and from there went on to study for his professional exams at the College of Law in London. He joined TSP as a trainee solicitor (known as an Articled Clerk back then!) in 1979 and during the two years of his professional training he worked in a number of areas of law including Family, Litigation, Residential Property and Wills and Estates before qualifying as a solicitor in 1981. He became a partner in the firm in 1985, and in 2006, when the structure of Thompson Smith and Puxon changed, Marcus became a director of Marcus J.S. Price Ltd, a corporate partner in TSP.

Since qualifying in 1981 Marcus has specialised in Family law and he has led the Family team at TSP for many years.

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Sean Stuttaford

Chief Operating Officer

T.+44 (0)1206 574431

Sean, who joined TSP in 2001 as an IT specialist, was appointed as Chief Operating Officer (C.O.O.) at the beginning of 2010. As C.O.O. Sean gets involved on a daily basis with the management of the practice, including strategy, performance and change management, marketing and business development and budget planning.

Before moving into the legal sector in 1998 Sean, who is local to the area, spent much of his early career working with technology within the Home Office and Civil Service. He also worked for a charity placing young adults into work placements and spent time as a lecturer for City College Norwich. Sean has an MBA in Legal Practice Management, which he passed with flying colours in 2013. In his spare time Sean is a very keen golfer and also enjoys watching motorsport.

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Steve Webb

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217045

Steve, who qualified as a solicitor in 1990, joined TSP in 1988 as a trainee (known as an Articled Clerk back then!). He leads the Litigation team, a team of some 20 people, dealing with Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, Civil and Commercial Dispute Resolution and Employment Law.

Steve, who has been a Litigation solicitor for over 25 years, is local to the Colchester area, and attended the Colchester Royal Grammar School before going on to gain his Law degree at Leeds University. He studied for his professional exams at Nottingham Trent University and joined TSP as an articled clerk in 1988. He became a partner in the firm in 2001, and in 2006, when the structure of Thompson Smith and Puxon changed, he became a director of Steven J. Webb Ltd, a corporate partner in TSP. In January 2016 Steve was appointed Managing Partner.

Following qualification, Steve worked predominantly on cases involving Personal Injury but now deals with cases covering all aspects of both Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence. In particular, he has worked on a number of high value cases involving brain injury.

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Julian Wilson

Director, Solicitor

T.+44 (0)1206 217034

Julian has been a Clinical Negligence solicitor for over 25 years. He trained at the Inns of Court Law School, qualifying as a barrister in 1975, before going on to Cambridge to gain his Law Degree in 1978. He qualified as a solicitor in 1981, joining Thompson Smith and Puxon the same year. He became a Partner in the firm and Head of the Litigation team in 1985, a position that he held until very recently (2014) when he handed the reins over to Steve Webb. Under Julian’s stewardship the team has grown significantly and is now a thriving team of some 20 people dealing with Personal Injury work, Individual and Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution as well as Clinical Negligence.

Julian works on cases that cover all aspects of Clinical Negligence but in particular has worked on a number of high value birth injury and Cerebral Palsy claims. He says “one aspect of being a Clinical Negligence solicitor that I feel I am particularly suited to is delving through the very detailed medical issues that a matter almost always brings to find the forensic evidence that can be used to build a strong case for our client.”

“When a client first comes to us they very often feel badly used or unfairly dealt with by the system. One of the most rewarding things for me in dealing with them is to listen to what has happened to them, explain to them some of the difficult issues they may face and then to go on to guide them through the process of pursuing a claim.”

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