The Team
John Lowry
Partner and Head of Commercial
As head of our commercial law department, John has spent many years successfully acting for clients from a wide range of business sectors. He specialises in business leases, sales, acquisitions and property development. As a keen sailor he also has a sound knowledge of maritime affairs, which has proved invaluable for many of our local clients.
Mike Wilson
Partner and Head of Family & Children
Mike is a highly skilled and experienced family law solicitor specialising in matrimonial, family and childcare matters. He is a member of 'Resolution' (formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association) and the Law Society's Children Panel. Mike is also a trained family mediator.
Peter Stonehouse
Partner and Head of Residential
Peter is a highly-skilled solicitor with a detailed understanding of the local residential property market and great experience in handling transactions of all sizes. He is also a strong advocate of information technology, keeping the firm at the forefront of developments which complement and support our traditional personal service.
Anne Upfold
Partner specialising in corporate transactions
Anne specialises in company law, including disposals and acquisitions, and is particularly experienced in working with small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). She also has a close understanding of planning and other public law issues. Anne manages her own smallholding and is a competitive equestrian, which has led her to develop strengths in both equine and agricultural law.
Anthony Deacon
Partner and MD of PFCC
Anthony specialises in financial planning including trusts, investments, tax, retirement and pension advice and is one of a hundred or so solicitors in England and Wales to be approved by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to give financial advice. In 2003 Anthony formed and became managing director of Professional Financial Centre (Cornwall) Limited and is recognised by Solicitors for Independent Financial Advice (SIFA), endorsed by the Law Society, as a specialist in his field. He is a partner in Hine Downing and has extensive experience in private client work and is a member of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP).
Brian Dilks
Partner and Head of Department
Brian leads on matters in all areas of civil litigation including personal injury, contract law, property and Landlord and Tenant disputes. He has experience of Maritime Law through the firm's involvement with the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners. Brian is a former Chairman and current Management committee member of Carrick Citizens Advice Bureau. "It is important to review the matter and give practical advice at an early stage. The right solution to a problem must be found before it escalates."
William Richards
Partner and Head of Elder Client Services
William specialises in the protection of vulnerable elderly clients through the creation and supervision of lasting powers of attorney and deals with the management and distribution of deceased clients' estates and the preparation of wills.
Roger Stephens
Partner and Head of Probate
With more than 25 years experience in his field, Roger is an expert in the preparation of wills and the administration of estates. His specialities include advising on inheritance tax and tax mitigation.
John Rutherford
Solicitor
John handles all aspects of residential property transactions, including remortgaging and the transfer of properties as part of divorce proceedings. He also acts for buyers entering into shared equity agreements with housing associations. John is one of our property experts and also deals with issues relating to smaller businesses and commercial enterprises. Within the commercial law department he specialises in acting for landlords or tenants involved in leasehold negotiations.
David Toseland
Executive
With more than 35 years experience, David's knowledge of the local market is second to none. He has secured an enviable reputation over that time as a straightforward and plain-dealing residential property conveyancer with an equally enviable professional contacts book. David is an Associate of the Institute of Legal Executives.
Jenny Richards
Elder Client Coordinator
Following a distinguished career as manager of Falmouth Citizens Advice Bureau, Jenny now applies her expertise as a welfare benefit specialist to ensure our elder clients receive accurate advice about their care and benefit entitlements.
Jo Fisher
Legal Executive
Jo has over 15 years background in dealing with civil disputes and claims. She has a particular interest in personal injury claims and equine law and she also runs our debt recovery service.
Luke Roberts
Legal Executive
Luke Roberts joined Hine Downing several years ago and has qualified and become highly experienced in all aspects of private client services. He is well-respected and an important member of our growing department
Richard Milner
Executive
As a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians, Richard specialises in income and capital gains tax advice. He's also skilled in dealing with wills, probate and court of protection issues.
Sarah Bourguignon
Legal Executive
Sarah handles estates and wills and specialises in dealing with the elderly. She can advise on a range of issues affecting elder clients including enduring powers of attorney, welfare benefits and long term care issues.
Louise Eslick
Legal Executive
Louise is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives (FILEX) and has recently joined the firm to support our continued high level of Residential Conveyancing activity. Louise handles all aspects of residential property transactions, including sales, purchases, remortgaging and the transfer of properties as part of matrimonial proceedings. She brings with her a strong track record in residential legal work and a well established expertise across Cornwall.
Sue Stedman
Licensed Paralegal
Sue works closely with Mike to offer clients support and advice on a wide range of family issues. She assists with drafting documents and statements, and is experienced in guiding families through the Legal Aid and Legal Help process.
Martin Dean
Practice Manager
Martin joined Hine Downing after a successful career in Management Consultancy. He deals with all aspects of the firm's business apart from giving professional legal advice.
