About Us: Team

Directors

Philip Cuerden, BA MPNLA

Philip helped form Bowcock Cuerden in 1993 and
is presently its Managing Director. Having practised
for 25 years in commercial and general civil litigation,
claims and dispute resolution, general corporate
and commercial work, and employment law, Philip
has a formidable track record across a broad range
of  specialisations. Typical instructions include plant
and equipment disputes, property disputes, land ownership and trust issues, partnership disputes, professional negligence claims, negotiating and drafting commercial agreements.    Philip is a
member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers
Association.

  

Lesley Smith, LLB

Before joining Bowcock Cuerden in 1998, Lesley
was a partner in Baileys Shaw and Gillett in
London, followed by a partnership and head of
litigation at Kuit Steinart Levy in Manchester.
She became a partner in Bowcock Cuerden in
April 2000.   She has considerable experience of dealing with employment claims, commercial and general civil litigation, as well as extensive High
Court experience. Typical instructions include plant
and equipment disputes, agricultural tenancy and
property disputes, partnership and inheritance
disputes and professional negligence claims.

 David Thorp, LLB

David qualified in 1989 and formed Bowcock
Cuerden in 1993 with Philip Cuerden and Brian
Bowcock, and now heads the firm's Property Team.
David's areas of specialisation include: freehold
and leasehold commercial work; the firm's property
work for British Waterways Board; large scale
voluntary applications for registration of title.

 

Solicitors

David Bevan, BA TEP

 
David qualified in 1984.  He joined Bowcock Cuerden in March 2008 to head the Private Client Team, having previously been based in St Helens and, before that, Manchester.   David deals with wills, trusts, probate,
tax and estate planning and legal services for the elderly.   He is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.  David combines specialist expertise with considerable management, compliance and supervisory experience.

 

Susannah Taylor, LLB

Susannah qualified in 1992 and became partner
in her former firm that same year.  She remained
there, until she joined Bowcock Cuerden in 1999. 
Susannah specialises in all aspects of family law
and she also leads the residential conveyancing
section of the Private Client Team.  As a member
of Resolution (formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association), she is committed to promoting a non-confrontational atmosphere in which family disputes can be resolved.

 

 

Mary Thompson, B.Sc

Mary qualified as a Solicitor in 2004. She joined Bowcock Cuerden LLP in 2009, having previously worked at Bevan Brittan LLP in London. Mary has a broad range of experience in commercial property matters, acting for public bodies, developers, investors, regional development agencies, housing associations and financial institutions dealing with acquisitions, disposals, landlord and tenant issues and financing.

 

 

Rachel Phillips, LLB

Rachel was a trainee with Bowcock Cuerden and, following qualification in 2008, joined the Commercial Property Department as an Assistant Solicitor. She deals with all aspects of commercial work, including a wide variety of work for British Waterways Board.

 

 
 

Carina Pennant-Williams, LLB

Carina joined Bowcock Cuerden as a Paralegal in 2006. Upon her qualification as an Assistant Solicitor in June 2009, Carina remained within the litigation team. She deals with commercial and general civil litigation, property disputes, debt collection and employment law.

  

 

 

Consultants

Lewis Denton, LLB

Lewis gained extensive experience in planning, environmental, compulsory purchase and highway law as a Principal Solicitor with Warrington Borough Council and Senior Assistant Secretary with Vale Royal Borough Council. He joined private practice in 1990 and was partner in a large North-West firm before becoming a Consultant to Bowcock Cuerden. Lewis represents commercial clients focusing on development proposals ranging from retail and leisure development to mineral extraction and port development projects. Lewis is a member of the Law Society’s Planning Panel and a member of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association.

 

 

S C Herbert, LLB

Simon qualified with a Chester commercial firm in 1998, remaining there until 2002 when he formed his own specialist practice dealing solely in corporate transactions.  He acts as a specialist Consultant to Bowcock Cuerden on the more complex aspects of corporate work as and when required.