Fiona Bruce

Senior Partner

Fiona Bruce founded this firm in 1988 with a focus on client service, staff care, and community engagement . As a sole practice firm, in its early years these qualities were demonstrated by the firm being the first sole legal practice nationwide to achieve both Investors in People (1993) and Lexcel (1997). Fiona also founded a free legal advice clinic, running for over 25 years, which received more than one Law Society recognised pro bono award. Over subsequent years, the firm became an LLP and long-standing and dedicated solicitor colleagues, several of whom trained with the firm, became partners; Fiona Bruce LLP is now a four partner firm based in four spacious office buildings in South Warrington with departments covering a range of legal specialisms.

About Fiona

Her legal specialism has been in Wills and Probate, together with Inheritance Tax planning.
She is a member of the Specialist Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners.
She has been a regular columnist in both the local press and legal journals and a regular interviewee in local and BBC radio stations.
In 2003 she was named Overall National Winner of the ‘Women Into Business Award’ by the Small Business Bureau and British Franchise Association.
Fiona has been actively involved in a number of Charitable and Community projects, including: coordinating aid shipments to Romania for several years; co-founding a homeless project; serving as a school governor and local councillor; engaging in prison visiting; and actively supporting the successful development of a school in Tanzania.
She has written on a variety of legal and management topics in several publications and is one of the co-authors of the book “There is Such a Thing as Society” (published Politicos).

Philip Porter

Managing Partner, Head of Family & Matrimonial Law

Philip qualified as a Solicitor in 1995 and therefore brings a wealth of experience to his role. Initially he worked in the firm he trained with in Liverpool city centre specialising in Matrimonial and Crime. This gave him invaluable experience as a trial lawyer and court advocate, something Philip continues to do and enjoys to this day.

Philip joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in June 2003 and he became an Equity Partner in 2008 and Managing Partner in 2014. In 2019, Philip also qualified as an Advanced Specialist Family Solicitor for Finance as part of the Law Society Family Law Panel. This makes him the only Finance Advanced Specialist in Warrington and is an acknowledgement of his long-standing specialism dealing with complex divorce and high net worth individuals.

Away from work, Philip is married with two adult children – both he and his wife are Christians and are very involved in their local church. His passion for family is one of the reasons why Philip remains so committed to this area of law.

About Philip

For the first 4 years post qualification, Philip specialised in matrimonial, child care and criminal law. He has always undertaken court work and does significant amounts of his own court advocacy.
Since 1999 he has concentrated solely on Matrimonial and Family. He is a member of the national organisation Resolution and is also one of a very limited number of North West Solicitors who are accredited specialist members of the Law Society’s Advanced Family Law Panel (Finance and Children). Membership of the Advanced Panel, recognises Philip’s wealth of experience over many years where he has specialised particularly in both complex and high net worth divorces, with assets valued at many millions of pounds, including overseas elements and complex business structures. He is the only such accredited specialist in Warrington, which only highlights the strength of Fiona Bruce Solicitors in this difficult area of law.
Philip is also Managing Partner at Fiona Bruce Solicitors and helps manage and maintain the growth of the business and maintenance of its many other quality kite marks which include: Lexcel; Conveyancing Quality Standard; and Investors in People.
The firm is rooted in the local community and seeks to offer an alternative to the remote and often over-priced city firms. Philip brings specialist knowledge with a local, friendly and sensible focus.

Contact Philip

PPorter@fionabruce.co.uk

Family Law

Steve Gray

Partner, Head of Private Client

Steve Gray became a Partner with Fiona Bruce Solicitors in 2007. He is a law graduate from The University of Birmingham. After completing the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law, Chester, he joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in Warrington in 1997, qualifying as a Solicitor in 1999. Steve is married and has two sons. He is a keen mountain biker and road cyclist. He is part of the leadership team at a local church.

About Steve

His speciality is in Wills, Trusts and Probate Work, and in Charity Law.
He is a member of the Law Society’s Private Client Section.
Steve is experienced in:
– Wills
– Inheritance Tax
– The preparation and registration of Powers of Attorney
– Court of Protection work
– Advising elderly clients
– Transfers of property
He also acts for numerous church and charitable bodies.

Contact Steve

SGray@fionabruce.co.uk

Charity Probate Trusts Wills & Inheritance

Tim Grainger

Partner, Head of Employment

Tim was made a Partner in September 2019, having been an Associate Solicitor since July 2017 and is the partner responsible for Employment and Personal Injury at Fiona Bruce Solicitors. Tim advises on a wide range of employment matters, advising both employers and employees.

About Tim

After being called to the Bar, Tim originally trained as a Barrister, cross qualifying as a Solicitor in 2009. He has experience in high value matters and has a strong track record of settling matters on behalf of clients. He is known for being very approachable with a determination to pursue fair settlements for his clients.

Prior to joining Fiona Bruce Solicitors Tim has spent time working as a Consultant to an NGO at the United Nations. He is an active member of the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship and in 2008 spent time working with Lawyers in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.

Tim is a member of the Employment Lawyers’ Association and is a Trustee of the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship.

Outside of law, Tim plays the guitar and sings, he is a keen runner and is an avid supporter of Liverpool Football Club.

Contact Tim

TGrainger@fionabruce.co.uk

Personal Injury Employment

Gareth Langham

Commercial & Private Client

Gareth joined the practice as a Solicitor in 2008 and was made an Associate Solicitor in July 2017. He has obtained a breadth of experience in general commercial work, in commercial construction and dispute resolution. His areas of expertise are in the fields of Commercial Law, including leases and property; business sales and acquisitions; disputes; as well as Wills, Trusts, Probate, and Court of Protection matters.

Contact Gareth

GLangham@fionabruce.co.uk

Commercial Court of Protection Power of Attorney Probate Wills & Inheritance

James Thornton

Head of Litigation

James joined the firm in August 2017. He trained and qualified with a national firm based in Liverpool and worked for an international firm in Manchester before joining Fiona Bruce Solicitors in Warrington. James specialises in all forms of commercial litigation, with particular expertise in the areas of: sale of goods; product liability; transport; shipping; warehousing and storage; professional negligence; general debt; property litigation; insurance; insolvency; enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards in the UK and worldwide; mediation and arbitration.

On the non-contentious side, James also drafts standard terms and conditions of trade for businesses, along with contracts relating to the sale of goods. He drafts and negotiates insurance policy wordings covering various types of risk.

James also has extensive experience in dealing with contentious probate matters

About James

Away from work James is married with two young children. Both his children are actively involved with local sports clubs, which takes up most of his time during the week. However, when he has a few spare minutes he tries to catch up with another love of his life, Everton F.C.

Contact James

JThornton@fionabruce.co.uk

Commercial Litigation Contentious Probate

Leah Knight

Family & Matrimonial Law

Leah initially studied for a BA (Hons.) in Geography and Archaeology at the University of Nottingham graduating in 2011. She then went on to complete the Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course at the University of Law Manchester, graduating with an LL.B (Hons.) in 2014.

About Leah

Leah first joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in Warrington in November 2012, and started her training contact in September 2014, completing seats in the Commercial, Family and Residential Property Departments, qualifying in October 2016.

Leah advises on many aspects of family law including contact arrangements for children, divorce, dissolution of civil partnerships and cohabitation disputes. Leah also advises clients in relation to non-molestation/occupation injunctions.

As of October 2021, Leah qualified as a Law Society Family Law Accredited Solicitor. The accreditation is a recognised quality standard for family law practitioners.

Leah’s passion, care and dedication is what drives her to always do her utmost to seek the best possible outcome for her clients.

In her spare time, Leah enjoys spending time with family and friends, walks with her French Bulldog, swimming, reading and music.

Contact Leah

LKnight@fionabruce.co.uk

Family Law

Rachael Latham

Head of Residential Property

Rachael Lathan is Head of Residential Property at Fiona Bruce Solicitors. She is a law graduate from The University of Liverpool. After completing the Legal Practice Course at the BPP Law, Liverpool, she joined completed her training contract is a Law Firm in Surrey, qualifying as a Solicitor in 2015. Rachael joined Fiona Bruce in 2017. Rachael is married and enjoys travelling and socialising with friends.

About Rachael

Her speciality is in Residential Property.

Rachael is experienced in:

Purchases
Sales
Transfers of Equities
Right to Buy from the Council
Retirement Flats
Shared Ownership Properties
Adverse Possession

Contact Rachael

RLatham@fionabruce.co.uk

Residential Property

Anna Barfield

Wills, Probate & Powers of Attorney

Anna has not always worked as a Solicitor. She originally studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge which led to working in biomedical research in London and Manchester. Anna then spent time as a full-time mum to her four children.

In 2017, Anna returned to university and completed a Masters in Qualifying Law and the Legal Practice Course at John Moores University, Liverpool in 2020. She then joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors as a trainee; qualifying into the Private Client department.

About Anna

In between working and looking after her family, Anna is involved in her local church, enjoys walking with her family and their dog and running on her own.

Contact Anna

ABarfield@fionabruce.co.uk

Power of Attorney Probate Wills & Inheritance

Jessica Newton

Wills, Probate & Powers of Attorney

Jessica completed her Law degree at Cardiff University, followed by completing the Legal Practice Course at Nottingham Law School.

Jessica joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in 2016 as a trainee, qualifying in 2018 and joining the Private Client team at the start of 2019.

From 2021 to 2023 Jessica completed the STEP Diploma in Trusts and Estates, and has been a fully accredited Trusts and Estates Practitioner since 2023.

About Jessica

Jessica is married and has a Goldendoodle, Arlo who loves being taken on muddy walks. In her spare time, Jessica is a keen knitter.

Contact Jessica

JNewton@fionabruce.co.uk

Power of Attorney Probate Wills & Inheritance

Judy Birchall

Wills, Probate & Powers of Attorney

Judy is a law graduate of Liverpool University and qualified as a Solicitor in 1983. Initially she worked in General Litigation, Family, Personal Injury and Crime. Judy is married to Stephen who also practices as a Solicitor.

About Judy

Judy joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in Warrington in 1989 to help set up the Litigation department, now part of our Business Solutions team.
Having done so she moved on and specialised in Practice Management and Wills, Trusts and Probate.
For ten years Judy was the Regional Support Officer for the north for The National Association of Child Contact Centres.
She then returned again to Fiona Bruce Solicitors, to once more concentrate on her specialism of Wills, Trusts and Probate.

Contact Judy

JBirchall@fionabruce.co.uk

Power of Attorney Probate Wills & Inheritance

Megan Hamilton-Riddick

Family & Matrimonial

Megan studied Law at the University of Liverpool gaining a 1st class honours in 2021.

Megan then completed her LPC LLM at the University of Law in Liverpool in July 2022

gaining a distinction. On the 1st September 2022, Megan commenced her training

contract at Fiona Bruce Solicitors, where she then qualified into Family & Matrimonial

Law in September 2024.

About Megan

Outside work, Megan enjoys spending time with her friends and trying different

coffee shops with her husband.

Megan is also involved in her local church in Liverpool and enjoys flying back

home to Northern Ireland for beach walks with her family.

Contact Megan

MRiddick@fionabruce.co.uk

Family Law

Rachel Keegan

Wills, Probate & Powers of Attorney

Rachel studied for her undergraduate Law degree at the University of Bristol before completing the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at John Moores University in Liverpool.

Rachel initially joined Fiona Bruce & Co LLP in 2006 as a paralegal in the Property Department before taking a year out to complete the LPC. She returned to complete her training contract and qualified into the Wills & Probate Team in 2010. She has returned to Fiona Bruce & Co LLP after taking some time out to look after her young family.

Rachel covers the following practice areas:-

Wills
Probate & administration of estates
Lasting Powers of Attorney
Court of Protection applications

About Rachel

Outside of work Rachel is married with three young daughters. As a family they enjoy spending time with friends and family, going for walks and camping!

Contact Rachel

RKeegan@fionabruce.co.uk

Power of Attorney Probate Wills & Inheritance

Rebecca Vart

Residential Property

Rebecca studied for her undergraduate LLB (Hons) Law Degree, as well as her Legal Practice Course, at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Rebecca completed her training at a Law Firm in Preston, gaining experience in Property Law and Family Law. After making the move from Preston to Warrington in 2023, Rebecca joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors as a Residential Property Solicitor.

Rebecca advises on many areas of Residential Conveyancing, including claims of adverse possession, as well as legal advice to guarantors.

About Rebecca

In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, and playing tennis.

Contact Rebecca

rvart@fionabruce.co.uk

Residential Property

Richard Palfreyman

Residential & Commercial Property

Richard graduated from The University of Liverpool and he has practised in commercial and residential property since qualifying. He has worked at a number of law firms throughout his career, including Legal 500 firms. Richard’s wealth of experience in residential property work includes sales and purchases of both freehold and leasehold land (including shared ownership and new build dwellings), transfers in matrimonial proceedings and for taxation planning, as well as lease extensions and the granting of new leases. Richard’s commercial property work includes the sale and purchase of commercial premises and the leasing of commercial units.

Contact Richard

RPalfreyman@fionabruce.co.uk

Commercial Property Residential Property

Jenny Gilbertson

Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Jenny qualified as a Solicitor in 1988. For the last 22 years she has specialised in acting for claimants in personal injury and clinical negligence cases. Jenny acts in road traffic accident cases, accidents at work and public liability claims and has particular experience in acting for clients who have suffered serious and life-changing injuries. She is a member of The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. Formerly a partner in a North East law firm, Jenny moved to the North West in 2010 and joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in Warrington in May 2017.

About Jenny

Jenny plays an active role in her local church where she leads services and preaches and in her free time also enjoys being a member of a book group and growing vegetables.

Contact Jenny

JGilbertson@fionabruce.co.uk

Medical Negligence Personal Injury

Lucy Porter

Wills, Probate & Powers of Attorney

Lucy joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in 2022 to manage the social media and assist with the firm’s marketing, expanding her role to Practice Support Assistant in 2023, then also Paralegal in 2024.

Lucy then commenced her Solicitor training through an apprenticeship in September 2024.

About Lucy

Lucy holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, which she obtained in 2022, followed by a Masters in Forensic Psychology in 2023, enriching her understanding of human behaviour and organisational dynamics.

Outside of the office, Lucy finds joy in spending quality time with friends and family. As a novice crafter, she enjoys exploring her creative side and continuously seeks new projects to start (and likely not complete).

Contact Lucy

LPorter@fionabruce.co.uk

Power of Attorney Trusts Wills & Inheritance

Luke Hodgkinson

Residential Property

Luke graduated with a First-Class honour’s degree in Law from the University of Liverpool in 2022, before undertaking an LPC at the University of Law. I am interested in Conveyancing as well as Commercial Law, Employment and Litigation.

Luke joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in 2023 as a Trainee Solicitor and is currently practising in the Residential Property department for the final year of his training contract.

About Luke

Outside work, Luke enjoys playing golf, going to the gym and participating in endurance sports.

Contact Luke

LHodgkinson@fionabruce.co.uk

Residential Property

Elizabeth Davies

Litigation, Employment & Personal Injury

Ellie holds an undergraduate law degree from the University of Liverpool and started at Fiona Bruce doing work experience. A year later, she is now a paralegal while undertaking her LLM LPC. She will then begin her training contract with us in September 2025.

About Elizabeth

Outside of the office, Ellie enjoys exploring independent coffee and brunch spots. She also enjoys reading books and running when she gets the chance.

Contact Elizabeth

EDavies@fionabruce.co.uk

Employment Litigation & Dispute Resolution Personal Injury

Harriet Crompton

Wills, Probate & Powers of Attorney

Harriet studied Law with Politics at undergraduate level and obtained her LLM at the University of Manchester, graduating in 2011. She joined the firm in September 2024, returning to law after a 13-year sojourn in politics.

She is currently working as a Paralegal in the Wills and Probate department and is pursuing the SQE qualification in her own time.

About Harriet

Outside of work, Harriet is an avid reader, watcher of Formula One, and church trustee (not necessarily in that order) and is happiest spending time with friends and family.

Contact Harriet

HCrompton@fionabruce.co.uk

Power of Attorney Probate Wills & Inheritance

Harry Day

Employment & Personal Injury

Harry commenced his training at Fiona Bruce Solicitors in May 2024 on a paralegal apprenticeship – this is the first of two apprenticeships that he will complete throughout his training to qualify as a solicitor.

He will progress onto a 4-year solicitor apprenticeship in late 2025, offering an alternate route to attending University as a school leaver – this route is also a first for the firm.

Harry works in the employment and personal injury departments and thoroughly enjoys gaining varied experience.

About Harry

Harry enjoys (and sometimes dreads) following Manchester United, as well as spending his free time with friends and family. Harry also plays the French Horn and helps out at his local musical groups and church regularly.

As and when he finds a few free days amidst these pastimes, Harry loves to travel to explore new cities with his friends – these trips are often organised around visits to their favourite football stadiums in Europe.

Contact Harry

HDay@fionabruce.co.uk

Employment Personal Injury

Anne Ackerley

Receptionist

Anne joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in 2013, training on the job as a Receptionist and Archivist – she finds it very rewarding. Anne’s role is very different from her previous employment, but is still people based.

About Anne

Anne spends a lot of her free time at her church – The Salvation Army in Prescot. Anne is also one of the volunteers at 2 nd Prescot (SA) Guides and Rangers.

Anne enjoys knitting and reading (she is an Agatha Christie fan, especially Miss Marple and Poirot). Anne also supports the Accent Community Ensemble, which her daughter Rebecca and grandson Daniel are members.

Contact Anne

AAckerley@fionabruce.co.uk

Brian Hall

Receptionist

Brian joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in October 2023, to provide assistance for our growing Reception team. Brian comes from a background of having provided high level customer service for over 25 years.

About Brian

Away from work, Brian is married with one Son. He enjoys playing Snooker for a local team and is a lifelong supporter of Liverpool FC.

Contact Brian

Legal@fionabruce.co.uk

Katy Porter

Practice Support Manager

Katy initially studied for a BSc (Hons) in Valuation and Estate Management, qualifying as a surveyor in 1991. She then went on to become a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and worked in the valuation office for over 30 years.

After deciding to make a change, Katy joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in September 2023 as the Practice Support Manager.

About Katy

In her free time, Katy enjoys walking, cooking, and gardening. She is also an active member of her local Church, where she heads up their Café Church outreach ministry with her husband, Phil. Katy and Phil have two adult children.

Contact Katy

KPorter@fionabruce.co.uk

Nicola Ramsey

Accounts Manager

Nicky joined Fiona Bruce Solicitors in November 2021 as the Accounts Manager. Nicky manages all aspects of the accounts to assist the firm in operating as smoothly as possible.

About Nicola

Nicky initially studied for a BA (Hons) in Accountancy and Financial Management at Sheffield Hallam University graduating in 2013. She then went on to study her Chartered Management Accountancy qualification with Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) where she gained a diploma in Management Accountancy. She is working towards becoming a fully qualified Chartered Accountant.

In her spare time, Nicky enjoys spending time with her friends and family, looking after her 2 cats, swimming, watching films and series and going to the theatre. Harry Potter is a big passion!

Contact Nicola

NRamsey@fionabruce.co.uk

Richard Bruce

Practice Development Manager

Chartered Surveyor

Richard Bruce qualified as an Incorporated Valuer in 1977 and was made an Associate in 1979, becoming a Fellow in 1987. On the merger of the Incorporated Valuers with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in 2000. Richard is married to Fiona; together they have two sons

About Richard

Richard’s career started with Humberts land agents, surveyors and estate agents in Southampton.
In 1979 he moved to Warrington, his home town, to work for land agents Frank Marshalls in their Northwich office. He latterly managed the estate agency office and, in addition to estate agency, undertook planning, valuation and survey work.
On the birth of his first son Samuel in 1993, he left Marshalls to become the Practice Manager of Fiona Bruce Solicitors and assisted in the acquisition of Riley’s Solicitors in 1998.
Since 2000, Richard’s role has altered to that of Practice Development Manager, dealing with business expansion, marketing and customer care.

Contact Richard

RBruce@fionabruce.co.uk

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