Our People

Our People are at the heart of everything we do

Here at Hart Brown, we recognise that our lawyers are our best and most important asset. Whatever help you need, we have a team of experts on hand to assist you.

To find out more about any member of our team, please click on the individual’s profile, send them a message, or contact us via email, live chat, or by phone today.

Alternatively, why not visit Review Solicitors by clicking the link at the bottom of your screen and see what 1,000 + other clients have said about our team members. 

Meet Our Team

Celia Watts- Consultant, Commercial Property

Celia Watts

Consultant, Commercial Property

Celia Watts- Consultant, Commercial Property

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    Consultant, Commercial Property

    Celia Watts

    Celia has a wealth of experience in commercial property and in particular in acquisition of developments sites, acting for both landlord and tenants on commercial leases of industrial units and offices and acting for landowners on the granting of options. Two of her most memorable cases have been the negotiating of sale of land at Battersea Power Station and acting on the acquisition and disposal of a major development site which included negotiation with the office of the Mayor of London.

    Celia joined Hart Brown in 2007 and she became a consultant in 2015.

    Celia’s clients provide excellent feedback: “From the start of this project to the end you have dealt with everything that has been thrown at you and given me impeccable advice on all matters from buying the sites to obtaining the planning permission through to completing a section 106 on such a massive development and working tirelessly ….. thank you once again for your sound advice”

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        David Kearsley

        Partner, Commercial Property

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          Partner, Commercial Property

          David Kearsley

          David is a highly experienced solicitor in the Commercial Property team, specialising in sales and acquisitions, advice on leases (both to landlords and tenants), and property transactions involving pension schemes. With 20 years of experience in commercial property law, David provides expert legal guidance to a diverse range of clients, including investors and corporate entities.

          David’s practice covers all aspects of commercial property, from negotiating and drafting complex sales and acquisitions agreements to advising on leasehold matters, including lease renewals, assignments, and restructuring. He has a particular expertise in transactions involving pension schemes, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements while safeguarding the interests of trustees and scheme members.

          A trusted advisor, David works closely with clients to understand their business goals, offering pragmatic and strategic legal solutions tailored to their needs. His deep knowledge of the commercial property market, combined with a reputation for delivering results, allows him to navigate complex legal landscapes and facilitate successful transactions.

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              Emma R

              Emma-Rose Reynolds

              Solicitor, Commercial Property

              Emma R

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                Solicitor, Commercial Property

                Emma-Rose Reynolds

                Emma-Rose qualified as a solicitor in September 2023, although she has been with Hart Brown since graduating with her first-class honours Bachelor of Law Degree in 2019. Emma-Rose completed her Master of Law in Professional Legal Practice and obtained a distinction whilst working full-time as a paralegal at Hart Brown.

                Emma-Rose has trained in the Commercial and Corporate, Leasehold Enfranchisement, Residential Property and Commercial Property departments and is now working full-time as a solicitor in her chosen field, Commercial Property.

                Emma–Rose advises clients in relation to the acquisition and disposal of commercial property, granting and taking new leases, lease renewals, assignments of existing leases, grants of easements and deeds of covenant.

                Emma-Rose prides herself in providing a straightforward, efficient and pragmatic approach to her matters so that she can deliver the best possible level of service to her clients.

                Some client testimonials:

                “I would like to thank you Lewis and Emma for your help, support, and advice in this matter, it did seem a bit daunting at first but you made it easy and I really appreciate what you have done for me so thank you again”

                “Emma was a breath of fresh air always nice to speak to very helpful in me understanding the process.”

                “Thank you so much for putting this together and sending it on to me. I am really very thankful. I have been so impressed with the communication from your firm throughout this whole process and have found you to be so easy and friendly to work with. I would have no hesitations in using Hart Brown in the future and would highly recommend you to others.”

                “I just wanted to say thanks so much for doing this so quickly and efficiently… this is a great help.”

                “It was an absolute joy and a pleasure working with you, where it's a small world and so if there are other times of my requiring excellent Solicitors, then I shall of course contact you.”

                “Our interaction with you throughout was professional and efficient and we particularly appreciated your responsiveness/keeping us informed as matters progressed.”

                “A huge thank you to Debbie and Emma for their absolutely incredible service during our house purchase. They were fantastic from start to finish, very thorough, regularly updated us and were always available by phone and email and answered all of our questions. We felt very well looked after and would highly recommend them!”

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                    Isobel Turner

                    Associate, Commercial Property

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                      Associate, Commercial Property

                      Isobel Turner

                      Isobel is an Associate in the Commercial Property department and qualified in June 2019. She advises a broad range of clients on property transactions, including acquisitions, disposals, leases and re-finance acting for landlords, tenants, investors, and business owners across various sectors.

                      Isobel has particular experience in handling property matters involving pension schemes, including SIPPs and SSASs, and regularly works with trustees and scheme administrators to ensure transactions comply with relevant pension regulations. However, her practice spans all aspects of commercial property, and she is known for providing commercially focused, pragmatic advice tailored to each clients’ objectives.

                      Isobel takes pride in delivering a responsive, detail-oriented service and helping clients navigate complex transactions with confidence and clarity.

                      What do Isobel's clients say?

                      "“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Isobel over the past few years on several commercial lease matters. She’s consistently gone above and beyond - clear, professional, and always reliable. Her attention to detail and ability to make complex legal issues easy to navigate has been invaluable. It’s been a real benefit having someone I can trust to handle these matters so efficiently.”

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                          John Guthrie

                          Partner, Commercial Property

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                            Partner, Commercial Property

                            John Guthrie

                            John started his career at Hart Brown in 2016 before becoming a Partner in 2024. John has more than 21 years post qualification experience in property.

                            He is a member of the Law Society and has written articles for the local press in Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

                            John's specialisms:

                            The full cycle of business leases, buying and selling businesses as a going concern, specific expertise in the leasing and disposal of licensed premises, development work and residential leasehold extensions.

                            His most memorable case:

                            Handling the property aspects of a £20 million company acquisition and restructuring the leaseback arrangements to achieve a substantial SDLT saving.

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                                Lucy Lawrenson

                                Senior Associate, Commercial Property

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                                  Senior Associate, Commercial Property

                                  Lucy Lawrenson

                                  Lucy qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and has practised since then at a variety of firms, both in Central London and regionally. She joined Hart Brown in 2024 as a Senior Associate in our Commercial Property Department based at our Guildford office.

                                  Lucy has 29 years’ post qualification experience in a wide variety of non-contentious property related matters, covering commercial and residential property and leasehold enfranchisement.

                                  She currently focuses on all aspects of commercial property matters – where the property itself is for commercial use or the transaction has a commercial slant to it. This includes sales, purchases, leases, re-finance, auctions, property support for corporate transactions, development related work, sales and purchases of going concerns and more miscellaneous matters, such as Licences, Deeds of Easement and Covenant and more general property advice.

                                  One of her most logistically challenging cases was the simultaneous completion of a re-write of all the leases in a block of 45 flats. Whilst one of her more interesting sales involved land at the Brooklands Race Track and the peculiarities it threw up.

                                  Lucy prides herself on giving her clients a first class, well rounded, pragmatic, efficient, accessible service and cuts through the legal jargon to communicate with her clients in the best way she can. Her clients come back time and again and invariably recommend her to others, as do the other professionals she deals with on a regular basis.

                                  Some recent testimonials from clients:

                                  "Lucy provided an extremely efficient and professional support to the completion of our new commercial lease. The service ran to time and on budget with a good sense of humour too!"

                                  "It is with pleasure, to highly recommend Lucy Lawrenson, at Hart Brown Solicitors. I found Lucy to be highly informative, on the residential and commercial aspects, of the property I was purchasing. I felt at ease with Lucy, during the whole process. She was concise in her responses, and made the transaction run smoothly, from start to finish. I have since, commissioned Lucy, and Hart Brown Solicitors, for further legal representation. I'm very happy to have found a Solicitor I can rely on, to give me the best service."

                                  "Thank you, I’m really pleased I went with Hart Brown. You and Rod have been nothing short of excellent."

                                  "I wanted to Thank you very much for your assistance in getting the contract signed at 6.55pm today. It was a really great effort on your behalf and you dealt with all the various complexities very well. I would be very happy to be advised by you again or to recommend you."

                                  "Friendly, relaxed attitude and atmosphere. I never had to explain who I was or repeat information. Case was dealt with smoothly, tactfully and promptly. End result was exactly as planned and promised."

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                                      Tamzin Mandelli

                                      Partner, Head of Commercial Property

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                                        Partner, Head of Commercial Property

                                        Tamzin Mandelli

                                        Tamzin became Head of Commercial Property in April 2025.

                                        Tamzin is a Partner with over 25 years' experience and is based at our Guildford office. Tamzin specialises in all aspects of development work, including option agreements, overage and the acquisition and disposal of development sites.

                                        Tamzin is also highly experienced in all aspects of commercial property including the sale and purchase of commercial properties, landlord and tenant matters (from granting the new lease, through to the various licences for works, transfers and so on) and dealing with the eventual termination of a lease.

                                        Prior to joining Hart Brown, Tamzin had worked for a local authority and for both regional and national firms.

                                        Hart Brown is recognised in the Legal 500 2024 edition for real estate work in the South East and the entry states “With substantial experience in sales and purchases of properties, landlord and tenant matters and development agreements, Tamzin Mandelli 'provides a high level of service’ and ‘is able to deliver what is needed’.”

                                        What do Tamzin's clients say about her?

                                        "We have just worked on a commercial transaction together, which was by far the most challenging case I have dealt with (for a variety of reasons). Tamzin was extremely efficient and salvaged the transaction multiple times... I highly recommend her!"

                                        “Thank you very much for all of your help and support. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you and hope to do so again in the future!”

                                        "...thank you for your support with X, it's been good fun. Wish you were handling a commercial purchase for me! … lesson learnt, will place with you next time!"

                                        “The service I received was efficient, professional and the members I dealt with both past and present have been helpful…and very personable.”

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