Meet our Team

Cheryl Baxter

Partner

Cheryl is a Partner and the Head of our Commercial Property team having been with the firm for over 10...

Cheryl is a Partner and the Head of our Commercial Property team having been with the firm for over 10 years. Cheryl undertakes a broad variety of commercial work including sales, purchases and financing of the full range of commercial property for businesses and charities including hotels & guesthouses, restaurants & bars, retail units, offices and factories as well as development work and transactions involving SIPPS. Cheryl also acts for landlords and tenants in connection with both new and renewal leases or assignments, and undertakes corporate support work for business sales, acquisitions, mergers and de-mergers. Cheryl is an active member of the local community as a founding member of our successful ‘Women in Torbay & Totnes’ networking group and as a local school governor and sea scout leader.

Christine Shute

Associate Solicitor

Christine is an Associate Solicitor in the Private Client team advising on all aspects of this work but with a...

Christine is an Associate Solicitor in the Private Client team advising on all aspects of this work but with a particular specialism in elderly client work. Christine is a full member of Solicitors for the Elderly and the Private Client Section of The Law Society. She advises on all aspects of Powers of Attorney and their consequences and, where there is a lack of capacity, assists with applications to the Court of Protection for appointment of deputies for those with no POA. She has many years’ experience in drafting Wills including for high net worth individuals where there may be IHT consequences, businesses and agricultural property, parents of vulnerable children and adults who need to set up trust arrangements as well as couples with children from previous relationships who may also need Trusts as well as “standard” Wills. In addition, she has in-depth experience of acting for Executors and Administrators (on intestacies) and obtaining grants of representation and administering a wide range of estates from modest to multi-million pounds in value.

Cris Boyce

Partner

Cris is recognised throughout the South west of England for his expertise in corporate and commercial matters. He has over...

Cris is recognised throughout the South west of England for his expertise in corporate and commercial matters. He has over 30 years experience in advising on mergers, acquisitions and disposals and has advised on a range of high profile transactions covering a diverse range of sectors including health, leisure, marine, manufacturing and services as well as professional football clubs. Cris has considerable experience in advising family companies and also management buy outs. Cris is a Partner and heads up our commercial team.

Fiona Hannaford

Partner

Fiona is a Partner and head of our litigation team. She has a mixed dispute resolution practice specialising in personal...

Fiona is a Partner and head of our litigation team. She has a mixed dispute resolution practice specialising in personal injury and landlord and tenant matters. Fiona has extensive experience in head injury and other serious injury cases as well as dealing with a wide range of personal injury cases from road traffic accidents, to accidents at work and product liability. She is committed to getting the best outcome for her personal injury clients, especially on complex cases which often take a long time to bring to a satisfactory outcome. Fiona is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). As a landlord and tenant specialist, Fiona advises both commercial and residential landlords on high-value commercial and residential property disputes including dilapidations and disrepair disputes, recovery of rent arrears and service charges, forfeiture, lease renewals, breach of covenant, possession proceedings and general landlord and tenant work. Fiona wins praise from both peers and clients with sources recognising her as a safe pair of hands and someone to turn to for pragmatic, cost effective advice. As of January 2022, Fiona will be on maternity leave. In her absence, please speak with Tara Hawthorn on 01803 408587.

Gary Watson

Partner

Gary is one of a very few solicitors in the South West accredited as an Advanced Member of The Law...

Gary is one of a very few solicitors in the South West accredited as an Advanced Member of The Law Society's family panel specialising in cases with complex assets. Gary is regularly instructed by high net worth individuals in connection with divorce proceedings involving business assets, investment property portfolios and substantial pension funds. Gary is the head of our family team and, for almost 30 years, has advised clients in all aspects of family law including cohabitation/relationship breakdown disputes, the preparation of pre & post nuptial agreements, separation agreements and private law proceedings relating to children.

Helen Graham

Practice Manager

Helen Graham is our Practice Manager, responsible for the smooth running of the firm. Having worked in the legal...

Helen Graham is our Practice Manager, responsible for the smooth running of the firm. Having worked in the legal sector since 1994, Helen ensures the correct policies and procedures are established for the firm, and is responsible for the firm's HR, recruitment, training, premises and IT. Helen takes a hands on approach, helping and supporting people when necessary, inspiring confidence in people and focusing on the positives.

Helen Handley

Solicitor

Helen is a Solicitor in the Family department. Helen works alongside Kate Barton and Gary Watson in our family team,...

Helen is a Solicitor in the Family department. Helen works alongside Kate Barton and Gary Watson in our family team, supporting families across Torbay and the South Hams. With over 20 years’ experience as a solicitor, Helen now specialises in divorce and relationship breakdown, financial matters, pre-nuptial agreements, cohabitation disputes and children. She is particularly interested in supporting and advising clients with diverse family structures and relationships.

Jamie Bartlett

Solicitor

Jamie is a Solicitor in the Commercial Property department who also specialises in planning law matters. His property work includes...

Jamie is a Solicitor in the Commercial Property department who also specialises in planning law matters. His property work includes purchases and sales of all kinds of commercial property, bank financing, acting for landlords and tenants in a range of leasehold matters, negotiating rights of way and deeds of covenants as well as dealing with residential property matters. The planning work Jamie undertakes includes submitting planning applications for the changes of use of land and buildings, submitting certificates of lawful use both to protect the existing use of land as well as to exploit potential opportunities, negotiating s106 planning obligation agreements with local authorities and negotiating infrastructure agreements (s38 and s278 highways agreements and s104 water and sewer adoption agreements). With his mixed property and planning expertise, Jamie has a particular specialism in the leisure sector assisting park home operators with acquisitions and disposals of residential and holiday park home sites.

Joe Pengelly

Partner

Joe is a Partner in the Commercial Property Team. He has over thirty years’ experience in all aspects of commercial...

Joe is a Partner in the Commercial Property Team. He has over thirty years’ experience in all aspects of commercial property transactions. He has particular expertise in residential and commercial development, acting for both developers and landowners and has been involved in many high-profile developments in the South-West acting for major regional developers. As well as development work, Joe has considerable experience in acting for clients both locally and nationally on the sale and purchase of commercial properties with particular emphasis on investment and SIPP transactions, commercial leases and business sales and purchases.

Judy Vaughan

Chartered Legal Executive

Judy deals with all aspects of residential conveyancing including sales, purchases, remortgages, equity release mortgages, shared ownership properties, transfer...

Judy deals with all aspects of residential conveyancing including sales, purchases, remortgages, equity release mortgages, shared ownership properties, transfer of equity, leasehold sales and purchases, help to buy and new builds. Judy started at Boyce Hatton in 2000 as a secretary in the commercial property department, and then went on to studyfor CILEX. Since qualifying she have worked at other firms in Torquay and Exeter, before returning to Boyce Hatton in 2021.

Kate Barton

Managing Partner

Kate is the Managing Partner at Boyce Hatton and a specialist in Family Law. She has particular expertise in matters...

Kate is the Managing Partner at Boyce Hatton and a specialist in Family Law. She has particular expertise in matters concerning children and acts for parents, grandparents and other family members with a view to achieving the right outcome for the family. A member of the Law Society’s Children panel, Kate is experienced in dealing with the more complex issues that can arise in children proceedings between family members. Kate also has a detailed knowledge of Divorce and financial settlements, issues that can arise between cohabitees and pre and post nuptial settlements and advises clients on these issues. Kate is a member of Resolution and the Association of Lawyers for Children.

Kate Gillette

Practice Administrator

Kate is our Practice Administrator. She works with our Practice Manager to ensure that policy and procedures are implemented across...

Kate is our Practice Administrator. She works with our Practice Manager to ensure that policy and procedures are implemented across the Practice. Kate also has responsibilities for managing the practice HR administration.

Kyle Rich

Paralegal

Kyle Rich is a paralegal in our Commercial and Residential Property Teams. Dealing with all parts of conveyancing transactions, with...

Kyle Rich is a paralegal in our Commercial and Residential Property Teams. Dealing with all parts of conveyancing transactions, with specific experience in sales, purchases, leases, transfers of equity and remortgages of both freehold and leasehold property. He works alongside Cheryl Baxter and Rebecca Holloway offering support to all fee earners within the respective departments. Kyle recently completed his LPC with University of Law in Exeter and will be starting a training contract with us in the near future.

Lois Davidson

Finance Director

Lois is the Firm’s Finance Director and is responsible for all aspects of finance ensuring the firm is compliant with...

Lois is the Firm’s Finance Director and is responsible for all aspects of finance ensuring the firm is compliant with the Solicitors Accounts Rules. She has over 20 years experience with large law firms in London. Lois joined Boyce Hatton in August 2016 when she relocated to Devon for a better work-life balance. She is particularly interested in business performance analysis, strategic decision making and maximising the efficiency of the financial and reporting systems.

Martin Roberts

Associate

Martin is an associate member of the firm in our Private Client team. He has over 30 years’ experience in...

Martin is an associate member of the firm in our Private Client team. He has over 30 years’ experience in the administration of estates, the creation and administration of Settlements, preparing and advising upon Wills, Powers of Attorney of all types, applications to the Court of Protection and lifetime tax planning. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and a member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP). Martin has dealt with some very large estates over his years in legal practice, including high value estates with complex tax issues as well as those with multiple beneficiaries. He is, as are all the members of the Team, passionate about recognising and challenging cases of elder abuse which is sadly increasingly common and can creep into many aspects of our lives. If you need advice about estate planning, the administration of an estate or Trust, or issues with powers of attorney Martin will be able to help as he will probably have come across it before.

Peter Lewis

Partner

Peter is the head of Civil and Commercial Dispute Resolution at Boyce Hatton. He has over 30 years of experience...

Peter is the head of Civil and Commercial Dispute Resolution at Boyce Hatton. He has over 30 years of experience in dealing with complicated civil and commercial disputes relating to land, company and commercial and private client including trusts and administration of estates. He is a trained CEDR and ADR mediator and advises on all aspects of alternative dispute resolution. He holds the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes. Peter is member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association and the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists. He is also an Associate Member of the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners. As the firm’s Senior Partner and a former Managing Partner, Peter understands the day to day needs of businesses and sees the function of the lawyer as providing not just high quality legal advice but also practical solutions to everyday problems.

Rebecca Holloway Bowden

Partner

Rebecca is a Partner and Licensed Conveyancer who specialises in residential conveyancing and is Head of the Residential Property Team....

Rebecca is a Partner and Licensed Conveyancer who specialises in residential conveyancing and is Head of the Residential Property Team. She has in-depth experience of domestic residential transactions and has acted for a wide variety of high net worth individuals in the sale and purchase of both freehold and leasehold properties. She also deals with re-mortgages, equity release, shared ownership, help to buy, new builds, deeds of variation and deeds of surrender and re-grant of leases, plot sales on small and larger developments, high value property purchases and complicated title purchase. Rebecca qualified as a Licensed Conveyancer in 2010 and worked for a Torquay firm for 11 years before joining Boyce Hatton’s Residential Property Team in 2014.

Richard James

Partner

Richard James is a corporate lawyer in our Company Commercial team, specialising in franchising including domestic & International work. Richard...

Richard James is a corporate lawyer in our Company Commercial team, specialising in franchising including domestic & International work. Richard James is a corporate law specialist adept at helping businesses grow and achieve their ambitions, with a wealth of experience in advising businesses and individuals on commercial transactions. With considerable experience in mergers and acquisitions and described by Legal 500 as an expert in the commercial exploitation of intellectual property and franchising. Previously with a UK top-50 international law firm, based in the City of London and now a Partner at Boyce Hatton Solicitors. Sector and industry experience includes: technology & media, franchising, retail, healthcare, food & drink, energy & utilities and not-for-profit. Richard is one of only a handful of franchise law specialists throughout the UK, having been involved in franchising for over 15 years; recently established the first health and safety franchise in the UK, alongside work for well-known brands and advice to prospective franchisees, and was recently recommended for the fourth time in the latest 2022 edition of Legal 500. Particular specialisms include: mergers & acquisitions, reorganisations and corporate restructuring, domestic and international joint ventures, investment and distribution arrangements, private equity and corporate finance, in addition to franchising (for both franchisees and franchisors), start up advice and exit strategies.

Stephen Hanbury

Partner

Steve handles transactional work including buying and selling private businesses and companies. His portfolio ranges from small family businesses to...

Steve handles transactional work including buying and selling private businesses and companies. His portfolio ranges from small family businesses to national operators. Steve’s experience covers a number of sectors including brewing, construction, food and drink, healthcare, sports, tourism, transport and social care. Steve also provides advice on corporate governance as well as offering general company law advice to start ups and established businesses. Steve is also the Honorary Secretary on the board of Torquay Rugby Club.

Tara Hawthorn

Solicitor

Tara is a solicitor in our Residential Property department. She works alongside Rebecca Holloway Bowden and Judy Vaughan and has...

Tara is a solicitor in our Residential Property department. She works alongside Rebecca Holloway Bowden and Judy Vaughan and has experience in dealing with purchases and sales of both freehold and leasehold properties, including new build properties, and re-mortgages. Tara undertook her training contract with Boyce Hatton having previously worked for the firm as a paralegal. As a paralegal and trainee, she gained experience in our commercial and residential property teams and within property litigation, which has given her a wide knowledge base.

Warren Douglas

Partner

Warren is a Partner in the Commercial Property department advising on all aspects of commercial property and specialising in the...

Warren is a Partner in the Commercial Property department advising on all aspects of commercial property and specialising in the food and hospitality sector. He advises on a wide range of business sales and purchases for unincorporated businesses and undertakes commercial property aspects in support of our corporate team on corporate transactions. He has experience dealing with all real estate aspects of buying and selling commercial and residential property, site acquisition development and disposal, SIPP and SSAS acquisitions and disposals, easement negotiations with landowners and financing. He also advises on all commercial landlord and tenant issues including the negotiation of Leases, ancillary documents and ongoing portfolio management. Warren predominately works for private sector clients but also undertakes some work for Local Authorities and Charities. Additionally, he has experience in relation to residential lettings advising Landlords, Tenants, Letting Agents and Associations.