commercial property
commercial litigation
company & commercial law
employment law
debt collection
corporate tax services
VAT consultancy
notary public services
agricultural & rural affairs
taxation farms & landed estates
charities
trusts
employment law
rural disputes
meet the team - private client
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Paul Rhodes - Head of Division He qualified as a solicitor in 1970 and worked his way through the ranks until he was appointed a partner in February 1973. Paul decided to specialise in private client work having done just about everything else in the "old days". He is the deputy coroner for Telford and can probably tell one or two rather interesting stories. Because of his experience with Court of Protection matters, he was appointed as a member of the Court of Protection Receiver’s Panel, which authorises him to be appointed by the Public Guardianship Office to look after the affairs of someone where there is no one available to do so. He is married to Pat who also assists occasionally in the firm. He has two children, one of whom married a couple of years ago. He has recently become a proud grandfather for the first time but does, however, still find time to have occasional walks around the golf course knocking a few balls about. He also likes walking which is probably just as well as he does most of that around the golf course, also gardening and attending the theatre. Like many of the members of the private client division he used to enjoy sporting activities but now, like most, tends just to watch it. Formerly Paul was the president of the Wellington
Rotary Club but now sits back and lets others do the organising.
He is also a trustee of the Shropshire and Telford Community Trust. |
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Alan Neal MA ATII TEP Alan joined mfg Solicitors in 1974 and is now the managing director and financepartner of the firm. He is also office partner of the Halesowen office. He specialises in finance and tax within the private client division. Alan has a wealth of experience both in the law and in taxation. He qualified as a solicitor more than 30 years ago and then obtained dual qualification as a chartered tax adviser some four years later. He is also a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners having previously served on the Birmingham branch of that organisation and on its technical sub-committee. In addition he is clerk to the General Commissioners for Income Tax Purposes for the Kidderminster Division. His professional expertise extends not only to private clients, including high net worth individuals but to owner-managed businesses and the farming and agricultural community. Alan has recently been involved in three high profile inheritance tax cases, namely Antrobus I and Williams, both of which went to the Special Commissioners, and Antrobus II, which went to the Lands Tribunal. All of these cases were groundbreaking in clarifying important issues relating to agricultural property relief for inheritance tax purposes. Alan has built round him a team of tax experts at the Halesowen office. He and his team serve the whole firm in providing high quality advice on taxation issues and are always prepared to travel to whatever location suits the client be it at his home, office, factory or farm. |
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Valerie Robinson Valerie Robinson is a partner at mfg Solicitors, working in the Private client division as the deputy divisional Head. Valerie has specialised in wills and probate and related matters since she qualified as a solicitor in 1994. Her particular areas of expertise are wills, covering areas such as tax planning, providing for disabled beneficiaries and other complex or unusual circumstances, administration of estates, including high net worth cases involving agricultural and business property, deeds of variation and elderly client issues, including community care, asset protection trusts, powers of attorney and court of protection Valerie is a member of the Probate Section of the Law Society and currently acts as the company secretary to Bewdley Festival Ltd. |
