Our People

Partner

Claire Poulton

Head of Corporate and Commercial

Claire joined Rutherfords in September 2006 shortly after completing her Law Degree. Claire began work at Rutherfords as a paralegal, gaining experience in a variety of commercial and property transactions. 

Claire qualified as a solicitor in June 2010 and was made partner in January 2013. 

Claire has had the benefit of working in a variety of areas of law and is therefore able to apply this breadth of knowledge to all her work including drafting of commercial contracts, including debentures, bespoke internet agreements, standard terms and conditions of business and privacy policies; residential conveyancing transactions; share sales and purchases; data protection issues; commercial, company and contractual disputes; boundary disputes and Land Registry Adjudication matters.

Claire adopts a professional, warm and friendly approach which is welcomed by business and private clients alike.

Partner

Steve Wengraf

Head of Litigation

Steve qualified in 1993 and became a Partner at Rutherfords in 2003.

Steve has wide litigation experience. He advises both individuals and business clients on various types of litigation and dispute resolution matters. These include professional negligence, business disputes of all types, landlord and tenant disputes, property disputes and general contractual disputes. He frequently attends in the County Court and High Court.

Steve also undertakes Claimant personal injury work. He became a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel in 1997. Steve deals with all types of  personal injury work (particularly catastrophic injury claims) including representing client’s interests in the Coroners Court.

In addition, Steve supervises Rutherfords’ Debt Recovery Department and Employment Department in his capacity as Litigation Partner.

Steve acts as the firm`s Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA), Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), Money Laundering Compliance Officer (MLCO), and Data Protection Manager.

Partner

Tony Illsley

Head of Private Client

Tony qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and has a background of litigation experience including defending clinical negligence claims for healthcare professionals and panel membership of the Medical Defence Union. Tony became the partner in charge of the Private Client Department in 2007 and now specialises as a probate solicitor.

Tony deals with all aspects of private client work while managing the department including inheritance tax and tax reliefs, estate planning and will trusts, appointment of deputies, and dealings with the Court of Protection and Office of the Public Guardian. Tony acts as a professional executor and trustee on many estates, and as a professional deputy and attorney receiving referrals from the local adult safeguarding team.

Appointed the panel solicitor for the South Staffordshire area for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, Tony regularly attends meetings at the Air Ambulance headquarters in Stourbridge and is proud to support and raise funds for this charity. Tony is also a panel member of the National Free Wills Network supporting over 70 local and national charities. 

With a litigation background, he also continues to deal with contentious probate cases including Inheritance Act claims, contesting a will, claims regarding lack of mental capacity, and claims for and against executors.

Tony is the compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) for Rutherfords LLP, the designated partner for the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the compliance partner for the firm`s COVID-19 policy and strategy during the national restrictions for the safety of staff and clients.

Partner

Amanda Edwards

Head of Residential Conveyancing

Amanda is a Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx) and became a partner at Rutherfords in 2020. Amanda heads our Residential Conveyancing Department.

Amanda has worked in residential conveyancing for 15 years, qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2012.

Amanda studied for 4 years at Wolverhampton College University alongside her full time work and then became an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. After a further 2 years of studying, Amanda then qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive.

Amanda has headed our Residential Department since 2016 and has extensive experience in all matters of conveyancing.

Amanda is also qualified to be a commissioner of oaths.

Partner

Claire Poulton

Head of Corporate and Commercial

Claire joined Rutherfords in September 2006 shortly after completing her Law Degree. Claire began work at Rutherfords as a paralegal, gaining experience in a variety of commercial and property transactions. 

Claire qualified as a solicitor in June 2010 and was made partner in January 2013. 

Claire has had the benefit of working in a variety of areas of law and is therefore able to apply this breadth of knowledge to all her work including drafting of commercial contracts, including debentures, bespoke internet agreements, standard terms and conditions of business and privacy policies; residential conveyancing transactions; share sales and purchases; data protection issues; commercial, company and contractual disputes; boundary disputes and Land Registry Adjudication matters.

Claire adopts a professional, warm and friendly approach which is welcomed by business and private clients alike.

Consultant Solicitor

Daniella Tarbuck

Daniella is a Consultant Solicitor who has many years’ experience dealing with business owners mainly in the SME market as she enjoys the ‘hands on’ approach required when working alongside business owners and directors as part of their legal team. Having worked in commerce before her legal career, she adopts a practical and commercial view of transactional work and works hard to find a straightforward resolution for her clients.

Daniella was educated at Queen Mary’s High School for Girls and The University of Birmingham and trained at the Wilkes Partnership in Birmingham, following a period of working for Wragge & Co immediately after qualification.

She now enjoys working with the Rutherfords team to assist corporate and commercial clients achieve the best outcome they can from their transactions and has a particular interest in fast turnaround commercial bridging finance.

Consultant Solicitor

David Sketchley

David is a Consultant Solicitor specialising in Commercial and Agricultural property and development work and related matters including partnership, Wills and successor advice.

David trained with Rutherfords, becoming a partner and then Managing partner before leaving to establish his own practice, Sketchley & Co, to allow him to concentrate on development and agricultural work.

Sketchley & Co merged with Dewes & Son, a long established Tamworth firm, with the two practices becoming Dewes Sketchley and later Dewes LLP. David continued as Managing partner. The practice was eventually sold to Fishers of Ashby with David working as a consultant.

David wanted to return to his roots and has now come full circle to where he started and we welcome him back to the fold as a Consultant with us.

David has many years’ experience and has acted for numerous property developers and farmers on all aspects of their work from original site development, farm acquisition and sales, partnership creation and disputes and commercial lease work for both Landlords and Tenants as well as their private client work. Other work includes acting on multiple farm sales involving PLC’s, the Crown and private owners. He has also advised partnership and company reorganisations primarily for the farming community together with wills and succession planning.

David has also negotiated deals with several major house builders including Persimmon, Bellway and Taylor Wimpey involving options, promotion agreements and conditional contracts, on schemes varying from 10 to 600 plus houses.

Jason King

Jason joined Rutherfords LLP in 2020 as part of the expansion of the Commercial Team.

Jason obtained Distinction when undertaking the LPC at Nottingham Law School, having already obtained a grade 2:1 Law Degree. Having completed his training contract at a law firm in Warwickshire, he qualified as a solicitor in early 2017. Jason has benefitted from working in various areas of Commercial and Property law, with the ability to assist clients in a variety of different matters

Legal Secretary

Lin Clapham

Lin is an experienced legal secretary in the Commercial Department.

Legal Secretary

Ciara Smith

Ciara joined Rutherfords LLP in 2019 under an Apprenticeship scheme.

Ciara has completed her diploma in Business Administration and is currently studying a paralegal qualification in residential conveyancing.

Ciara is working as a legal secretary in the Commercial Department.

Legal Secretary

Denise Lorton

Denise is an experienced legal secretary who joined the firm in 2023.

Denise provides support to the Commercial Department.

Partner

Steve Wengraf

Head of Litigation

Steve qualified in 1993 and became a Partner at Rutherfords in 2003.

Steve has wide litigation experience. He advises both individuals and business clients on various types of litigation and dispute resolution matters. These include professional negligence, business disputes of all types, landlord and tenant disputes, property disputes and general contractual disputes. He frequently attends in the County Court and High Court.

Steve also undertakes Claimant personal injury work. He became a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel in 1997. Steve deals with all types of  personal injury work (particularly catastrophic injury claims) including representing client’s interests in the Coroners Court.

In addition, Steve supervises Rutherfords’ Debt Recovery Department and Employment Department in his capacity as Litigation Partner.

Steve acts as the firm`s Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA), Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), Money Laundering Compliance Officer (MLCO), and Data Protection Manager.

Katie Whelan

Katie is a trainee solicitor gaining experience in the litigation department working with partner Steve Wengraf.

Legal secretary

Delphi Farquhar

Delphi has recently joined Rutherfords LLP to provide secretarial support to Steve Wengraf in the litigation department.

Delphi is currently studying for a law degree.

Partner

Amanda Edwards

Head of Residential Conveyancing

Amanda is a Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx) and became a partner at Rutherfords in 2020. Amanda heads our Residential Conveyancing Department.

Amanda has worked in residential conveyancing for 15 years, qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2012.

Amanda studied for 4 years at Wolverhampton College University alongside her full time work and then became an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. After a further 2 years of studying, Amanda then qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive.

Amanda has headed our Residential Department since 2016 and has extensive experience in all matters of conveyancing.

Amanda is also qualified to be a commissioner of oaths.

Residential Paralegal

Sophie Mortimer

Sophie is a Paralegal who works alongside Amanda Edwards in our Residential Department.

Sophie started her career as an Estate Agent back in 2003, eventually moving on to Residential Conveyancing in 2011.

Sophie joined our Residential Department in 2017 and has extensive experience and knowledge in residential property.

Legal Secretary

Abbie Sutton

Abbie has been with Rutherfords for 8 years after joining the firm in 2016.

Abbie started as an office assistant, moving on to become a Legal Secretary in our Residential Department shortly after.

Abbie also assists in the day to day running of the department.

Legal Secretary

Lucinda Shelley

Lucinda is a Legal Secretary in our Residential Department, with over 30 years’ experience.

She joined Rutherford’s in 2016 and assists in the day to day running of the department.

Partner

Tony Illsley

Head of Private Client

Tony qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and has a background of litigation experience including defending clinical negligence claims for healthcare professionals and panel membership of the Medical Defence Union. Tony became the partner in charge of the Private Client Department in 2007 and now specialises as a probate solicitor.

Tony deals with all aspects of private client work while managing the department including inheritance tax and tax reliefs, estate planning and will trusts, appointment of deputies, and dealings with the Court of Protection and Office of the Public Guardian. Tony acts as a professional executor and trustee on many estates, and as a professional deputy and attorney receiving referrals from the local adult safeguarding team.

Appointed the panel solicitor for the South Staffordshire area for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, Tony regularly attends meetings at the Air Ambulance headquarters in Stourbridge and is proud to support and raise funds for this charity. Tony is also a panel member of the National Free Wills Network supporting over 70 local and national charities. 

With a litigation background, he also continues to deal with contentious probate cases including Inheritance Act claims, contesting a will, claims regarding lack of mental capacity, and claims for and against executors.

Tony is the compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) for Rutherfords LLP, the designated partner for the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the compliance partner for the firm`s COVID-19 policy and strategy during the national restrictions for the safety of staff and clients.

Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx)

Rebecca Taylor

Rebecca joined Rutherfords in 2018, as part of the expansion of our Private Client Department.

Rebecca has a wealth of experience working in Wills & Probate for over 11 years and qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2015.

Rebecca deals with all aspects of Private Client work such as Wills and Powers of Attorney but specialises in Administration of Estates (including farming estates and BPR/APR tax relief), Inheritance tax planning, Probate (including Grants of Probate, full administration and letters of administration) as well as deeds of variation and trusts.

Rebecca also has extensive experience in dealing with transfers of property to beneficiaries and trustees.

Private Client Paralegal

Michelle Green

MIchelle has recently joined the Private Client Team at Rutherfords LLP as an experienced Paralegal dealing with wills and lasting powers of attorney for finance & property and health & welfare.

Legal secretary

Maxine Witton

Maxine is an experienced private client legal secretary who joined the firm in 2021.

Maxine provides support to Tony Illsley, Rebecca Taylor and locum solicitor Lorraine Burkey in the probate department.

Legal Secretary

Gemma Marshall

Gemma is an experienced legal secretary who has joined the Private Client Team at Rutherfords LLP.

Gemma provides secretarial support to lawyer Rebecca Taylor.

Support secretary

Melanie Pearson

Melanie is a legal secretary with over 25 years experience and works as a support secretary for Michelle Green in the Private Client Department

Locum solicitor

Lorraine Burkey

Lorraine is an experienced locum solicitor who specialises in large value estates, particularly farming estates, agricultural property relief, probate, tax and trusts.

Lorraine also provides lifetime tax planning for working farmers.

Consultant Finance Manager

Tony Green

Tony joined Rutherfords LLP in 2017 and is responsible for the all aspects of the financial management of the firm as Consultant Finance Manager.

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Legal Cashier

Laura Ealing

Laura has worked for Rutherfords for over 20 years and has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience during this time, working in our Accounts Department.

Laura deals with all aspects of Accounts with such tasks as overseeing transactions, reconciling accounts and day to day banking for the whole firm and ensuring compliance with the Solicitors’ Accounts rules.

Receptionist

Lynne Marshall

Lynne joined Rutherford’s in 2018 and acts as our Receptionist. As a first point of contact with many clients, Lynne`s warm and courteous tone is an asset to the firm.

Lynne also assists with administrative duties, arranges for daily scanning of post and outgoing mail and provides support for the Accounts Department.

Compliance Officer

Zoe Wright

Zoe joined Rutherfords in 2012.

She has a wide ranging role which includes responsibility for the annual Legal Practice Standard Accreditation by Lexcel (The Law Society’s Legal Practice Quality mark for Rutherfords LLP), CQS (the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme), implementing practice management standards for the firm and updating the firm`s policies and procedures.

Zoe also deals with the administration of the firm’s case management software and provides updates and training to all staff.

In addition, she assists with the marketing and updates on the firm`s website and social media.