Sharon Cambridge

Department: Civil Litigation

Telephone: 01553 692737
Email: scambridge@kennethbush.com

Admitted 1996. (previously FILEX). Sharon has developed a varied civil caseload, being predominantly contract and commercial based, but including other disputes such as probate, boundary and insolvency.

Involved in 2000 as the legal advisor in the campaign preventing English Heritage from removing the Timber Circle at Holme-next-the-sea (seahenge).

Sharon is the Honorary Secretary for the West Norfolk & King’s Lynn Local Law society and Chairs the Society’s Civil Court Sub-Committee. She is also one of the town's representatives on the court users committee, serving King's Lynn county court.

Within the firm Sharon has responsibility for all training and personnel matters.

Sharon also engages in voluntary work for the Prince's Trust, mentoring one local businesses and sitting on the West Norfolk applications panel.

In 2001 Sharon became a trustee of the King's Lynn General Charities, which has the responsibility for looking after the Almshouses in the town and administering the Poor Fund.

Also in 2001 Sharon was invited to, (and accepted), become a governor of the College of West Anglia, the College where she in fact began her studies and had subsequently lectured on a part time basis. Sharon was elected as Vice Chair to the Board in 2008.

Paul Croker

Department: Employment

Email: pcroker@kennethbush.com

Paul qualified as a Solicitor in 1994.

We represent both employers and employees.

We pride ourselves on being able to offer a personal and professional service to all of our clients.

For employers we aim to provide practical common sense advice to deal with everyday problems in the workplace. We can draft terms and conditions of employment, staff handbooks, policies and procedures, advice on how to deal with employee problems (e.g. grievances/disciplinary matters), redundancies, advise on employment aspects of commercial transactions (e.g. buying or selling a company) and dealing with Tribunal claims. A telephone advice helpline is available which ensures that an employer can get access to advice from an appropriate qualified lawyer. In certain circumstances insurance cover may also be available for the costs of any Tribunal claim – for further details please contact Paul Croker.

If you are an employee we will advise you on any difficulties you are experiencing at work e.g. advising you on your terms and conditions of employment, assisting you with grievances, advising on Compromise Agreements and representing you on Tribunal claims.

Suzanne Curl

Department: Civil Litigation

Email: scurl@kennethbush.com

F.Inst.L.Ex

Suzanne is a vital member of the Civil Litigation Department, having joined us in January 1991 she has progressed through the firm and is a qualified Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives.

Suzanne currently runs a mixed caseload of general civil matters including Contract disputes, Insolvency, Boundary disputes, Neighbour disputes and Injunctions under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Other aspects of law covered are Housing matters and Landlord & Tenant where Suzanne assists both Landlords and Tenants in residential matters but also has a working knowledge of Commercial Lease work. Suzanne also fronts our Debt Recovery department dealing with both commercial and individual clients. This also leads to Suzanne having considerable dealings with both Legal Help and Legal Funding matters.

Due to the nature of her work, Suzanne obviously spends some time before District Judges dealing with all hearings in relation to her areas of expertise, including a great deal of agency work

Suzanne is well known within the area, having been born and raised in King's Lynn, and is considered to be a great asset to the firm as a whole. She has also recently been appointed as the Minutes Secretary for the local Court Users Committee which allows her to be actively involved in assisting the local professional community.

Peter Denison

Department: Family

Email: pdenison@kennethbush.com

Admitted 1985. Peter formerly ran our Downham Market office, but realised in 1991, that family work was where his talents lay. He is a skilled advocate and all clients will find a sympathetic ear at a time of great distress. Peter has also in recent years been developing his practice into Child Care cases, and is regularly recommended to act for children and their parents in proceedings instituted by the Local Authority.

He is a member of:-

• The Norfolk Family Justice Council (Solicitor Representative) since its inception in 2005
• The Law Society’s Children Panel (representation of children and of parents)


• The Law Society’s Family Law Panel
• Member of Resolution (formerly SFLA)
• Local Family Court User Group (Solicitor Representative since 2004)

Peter also specialises in Public Child Care Law, involving cases where the local authority places your child in care.

Hayley Docherty

Department: Family

Email: hdocherty@kennethbush.com

Hayley joined the firm in 1996 at the age of 16 as an Office Junior. Through her ability and enthusiasm, she progressed to the role of secretary. In that position she became a valuable asset to Mr Kowalski and to the department as a whole.

Hayley’s abilities and skills were recognised by the firm, and as a consequence Hayley was encouraged to further progress herself and she began training with the Institute of Legal Executives in 2006 and is currently half way through her course. She hopes to have completed her studies by 2009.

Hayley is employed by the firm’s matrimonial department specialising in family work including divorce, children issues and injunction proceedings.

Nigel Dodds

Department: Personal Injury

Email: ndodds@kennethbush.com

Read Law at Queen Mary, London University. Admitted in 1973 and member of Personal Injury Panel since its outset in 1994. Managing Partner 1990-2003. Respected Practitioner in the field of Personal Injury with over 30 years experience of successfully making claims for compensation on behalf of clients.

Most high profile case being Capps v Miller (1989) [2AIIER], a Court of Appeal decision which is the leading authority on contributory negligence relating to the wearing of crash helmets by motorbikers.

Holds position of Clerk to the West Norfolk General Commissioners of Tax and acts as an Adjudicator on Costs Review Cases for the LSC at Cambridge.

Nigel also specialises in Licensing and Gambling Law, acting for corporate clients operating throughout Great Britain.

Jonathan Eales

Department: Civil Litigation

Email: jeales@kennethbush.com

BA Honours Law solicitor admitted 1983. Jonathan is head of the Department. He has been a litigator for the last 17 years and has enormous experience and is widely recognised as a skilful, aggressive, and successful litigator.

Jonathan is first and foremost a ferocious advocate, conducting all his own Trials and some others within the Department personally. Jonathan's reputation as a quality advocate has brought him to the position as a Prosecutor for the Norfolk RSPCA, a position he of proud to hold.

Additionally, Jonathan is a skilled and clever (some would say crafty) negotiator, often rescuing clients from what might otherwise have been, disastrous situations.

Jonathan has broad depth of legal expertise:-

Company & Commercial Matters Contract Disputes Building Disputes Nuisance & Trespass Actions against the Police

Land & Boundary Disputes Wills & Probate Disputes Inheritance Act Claims Professional Negligence (especially involving Surveyors & Accountants) Speeding Offences

Recent reported cases include :

Clarke and Clarke -v- Nationwide Building Society : Court of Appeal LTL 17.3.98 and 1998 EGCS 47 Civil Procedure : Professional Surveyor Negligence :Contract Accord and Satisfaction : Gesture of Goodwill : Full and Final Settlement

R.W. Peak -v- R. W. Peak (King's Lynn) Ltd. Chancery Division, Companies Court LTL 9.10.98 and 1998 1 BCLC 193 and 1998 BCC 596 Company purchase of own shares : Validity of Share Purchase Agreement : Statutory Requirements Exceptions : Duomatic Principle : Written Procedure : Rectification of Register of Members

Palmer -v- Bowman Court of Appeal LTL 14.10.99 and TLR 10.11.99. Land Boundary Dispute : Easements by way of Prescription : Lost Modern Grant : Abandonment of Easements : Land Drainage on Agricultural Land : Hedge and Ditch Presumption : Adverse Possession.

Payne and others v John Setchell Ltd Negligence - Duty to take care - Economic loss - Building - Defect in building - Claimants subsequently acquiring defective buildings - Whether claimants acquiring fresh causes of action upon purchase - Whether claims time-bared - Latent Damage Act 1986, s 3; Limitation Act 1980, s 14A; Defective Act 1972, s 1.

Rebecca Hamilton

Department: Personal Injury

Email: rhamilton@kennethbush.com

Rebecca joined the firm in July 2007 as a Trainee Solicitor in the Personal Injury Department.

Rebecca started her career as a legal secretary before commencing her legal exams with the Institute of Legal Executives and achieving Membership in June 2001. Rebecca started the Post Graduate Legal Practice Course at the De Montfort University in Leicester in September 2005 graduating with Distinction.

Rebecca specialises in personal injury claims and is due to qualify as a solicitor in August 2009. Rebecca is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), and intends to commence a Masters Degree in Personal Injury Legal Practice in 2010.

Roman Kowalski

Department: Family

Email: rkowalski@kennethbush.com

Admitted 1976. Roman comes from a background of criminal law, spending some time with the Crown Prosecution Service. He too realised that his forte was in family law, and in 1992 moved into the department to deal exclusively with family matters.

Roman can deal sensitively with clients concerns, but has the ability to be robust when required, particularly with regard to financial matters.

Dennis Stafford

Department: Corporate/Commercial Property

Email: dstafford@kennethbush.com

Admitted 1974. Dennis has a wealth of experience in the most complex of company and partnership acquisitions and sales. His knowledge and expertise extends to all related land and tax consequences and has the capability of being the single source of contact and advice, an obvious advantage for busy businessmen and women.

Dennis also specialises in company acquisitions, ranging from asset sales or purchases to share transactions. Dennis is able to advise on all aspects including tax, pensions etc.

Amanda Webb

Department: Family

Email: awebb@kennethbush.com

Prior to commencing her training as a solicitor, Amanda worked for the Contributions Agency doing debt recovery work and at Leicester City Council as a Senior Investigations Officer investigating financial irregularities.

Amanda qualified in June 2001 after undertaking her training contract with a large Norwich based firm where she stayed until her move to us.

Originally from Kings Lynn, Amanda moved back to the area and joined the firm in January 2006. She specialises in virtually all areas of Family Law including, divorce and related financial issues, children matters, domestic violence injunctions and the breakdown of relationships of unmarried couples.

Amanda has undertaken work in the Magistrates Family Proceedings Court, County Court and High Court. She is a keen advocate who will deal with matters sensitively but can be a firm negotiator when this is required.

Although Amanda undertakes both privately and publicly funded work, she is a strong supporter of Legal Aid ( Public Funding).