Heads Of The Firm
Iddris Hussain
Practice Areas
- Information & Data
- Intellectual Property
- Commercial
Iddris advises on all aspects of data protection law, commercial contracts and the use of information and intellectual property assets, as well as commercial regulatory issues. He helps clients to balance the sometimes competing objectives of minimising compliance risks and maximising commercial rewards.
Iddris is a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property & Commercial team, where he advises clients on a wide range of commercial matters. His specialisms include data protection and direct marketing, intellectual property and brand protection, commercial contract drafting and review, and other commercial regulatory issues.
Iddris has close relationships with clients in the banking and financial services sector and data-rich businesses including media, technology and sports organisations. He combines a deep understanding of law and regulatory guidance with a sound appreciation of clients’ organisational structures, the nature of their work, and their ultimate objectives in taking legal advice.
Clients and colleagues consider Iddris a sound authority on data protection matters and turn to him for routine problem solving and compliance advice, as well as large-scale personal data audit projects. As an experienced contract lawyer with a keen eye for detail, he drafts accurate and legally robust agreements and other documents for all manner of commercial and compliance purposes.
Iddris is an experienced and popular speaker on data protection, commercial contract and brand protection issues. His presentations are well known for distilling complex legal rules into digestible, commercially realistic, action points.
Clients value Iddris for his commitment to solving their problems, his calm manner and his sense of humour and perspective.
John Stones
Practice Areas
- Commercial Real Estate
John has advised property clients, predominantly institutions and private offices, on investment, asset management and development projects for over 35 years.
John is best known for his work on community developments for landowners and promoters and capital projects for major institutions as well as advising livery companies.
John has over 35 years' experience in the commercial property market starting in the 1980's upwards cycle, then transacting for proactive clients in the 1990's and most recently participating in the London and UK market as a destination for international capital. John has been at the forefront of the development of urban communities and commercial projects reflecting the growing sophistication and flexibility of prime buildings.
His main areas of focus are:
- Investment and development projects for private capital, both international and UK. These projects are generally part of the client's long-term investment strategy and often as part of substantial mixed-use portfolio.
- Community development projects particularly for leading estates, working on the promotion and delivery of mixed-use high-quality design and sustainable communities, and
- Capital projects for institutions and charities.
John qualified as a solicitor in 1990.
James Wright
Practice Area
- Family and Divorce
James has 30 years' experience in leading clients through the many issues arising on the breakdown of their relationships, however difficult and however personal. He does so with dignity, wisdom and common sense. He steers clients through what is often a very troubling time with firm support and realistic advice in a way that maximizes early resolution and minimizes collateral damaged.
James is a Senior Partner at LegalLens and heads the Family team. He has specialized in family law and relationship breakdown since 1991. He has huge experience in resolving both financial issues and disputes relating to children.
He is particularly well known for his ability to resolve situations where the family's financial situation is complex and where there are difficult issues that might, for instance, involve trusts, private companies, tax, overseas assets, pensions and assets that cannot be realized. Many of his cases involve international considerations.
James qualified as a corporate lawyer before moving to specialize in family law.
This background has undoubtedly helped in building his high reputation in difficult financial cases.
Eddie Owen
Practice Area
- Trust, Will and Estate Dispute
Will disputes are on the rise and mental capacity is an ever growing issue. Is it time for the law to be modernised as the landscape shifts?
Eddie specializes in contentious trusts and estates work. He has been involved in some of the highest-profile trusts disputes of recent years, and over the course of his career has worked in most of the leading trust jurisdictions, onshore and offshore.
Eddie has built up over 25 years' experience handling contentious trusts and estates cases in their many different guises, advising trustees, executors, beneficiaries and protectors on the wide range of issues they give rise to, with much of his work having an international dimension.
Although some cases unavoidably end up in Court, Eddie strives wherever possible to secure the resolution of trusts and estates disputes by alternative means, appreciating that many of these cases involve the breakdown of family relationships.
Eddie is a CEDR accredited mediator.
Eddie lectures widely in the area of contentious trusts and estates. He is also named in Band 1 in the Contentious Trusts section of Chambers Directory and as one of the Leading Individuals in the same field in the Legal 500 directory.
Eddie has been listed in ALM's Private Client Global Elite 2019.
Eddie qualified as a solicitor in 1997.
Edward S. Owen
Practice Area
- International Trust, Will and Estate Dispute.
- Tax
Edward has over twenty years of experience in advising clients how to navigate the complexities of private wealth. He has a personable and collaborative style, and is known for advice that is practical and pragmatic.
Edward works with individuals and families, trustees and family offices, often in an international context.
Edward advises clients on how best to structure their wealth, including wealth preservation, tax and succession planning. He has a particular expertise with regard to tax planning for non-domiciled individuals and non-UK trusts.
He also provides guidance on family governance issues, including how a family can structure its wealth in a way that is consistent with its values, and so as to preserve its reputation.
Edward is head of international strategy at LegalLens and is also responsible for Farrers Immigration team. The team has particular expertise in advising entrepreneurs, investors and executives and it frequently advises individuals and families on matters involving political sensitivity.
Edward qualified as a solicitor in 2000. He is listed in the top rank in several directories, and has won several awards.
Olivia White
Practice Area
- Dispute Resolution
Olivia is a senior partner and heads the LegalLens property disputes team. Her expertise in resolving complex property disputes is utilized to assist both commercial and private clients.
The focus of Olivia practice and that of her team is to help clients avoid disputes where possible by working closely with clients and other professional advisors, such as surveyors or valuers, to formulate an appropriate strategy and approach to minimise the scope for dispute and litigation. Where disputes do arise Olivia looks for pragmatic solutions to minimise risk and cost. If more formal dispute resolution methods are required Olivia and her team consider all available options in order to advise on the most appropriate. This can involve litigating in the high court or county court, applications to specialist property tribunals, arbitration, expert determination or mediation
In the context of Olivia commercial practice her expertise includes commercial landlord and tenant disputes (lease renewals, dilapidations, consents, rent reviews, breach of covenant (including non-payment of rent or so charges), forfeiture and possessi claims), disputes relating to interp. and enforcing land and development
contracts, neighbourly matters (including rights of light, party wall issues and nuisance), and property related insolvency (including issues arising from tenant administration, pre-packs, liquidation and CVAs).
Olivia residential and private client practice focusses on disputes relating to beneficial interests in property (in particular relation to high value residential property), disputes arising in relation to long residential leases (including leasehold enfranchisement, lease extensions), boundary and trespass disputes, possession claims and professional negligence.
Olivia qualified as a solicitor in 2003.
