SOCAL Steering Committee Nominees 2024
Nominees for the 2024 Society of Caribbean Lawyers Steering Committee elections are listed below. Voting will take place at the Society of Caribbean Lawyers AGM on 11 June 2024 (details here).
If you would like to apply for a Steering Committee role, please complete this form: https://forms.office.com/e/TNcXj7zMZ1. Applications will close 14 days before the AGM.
This page will be updated periodically as new applications are received.
Chair
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Akima Paul Lambert
It has been an honour and privilege to serve as the Chair of SOCAL since I founded the organisation eighteen months ago.
As Chair, with the support of the SteerCo, we have managed to create a unique organisation that promotes the interests of lawyers and those interested in the law of Caribbean heritage and those who work in the Caribbean. I am proud of the events and initiatives we have offered over the last few years. These include several social events like our Winter Warmer and Spring Social, our 2023 mentoring programme and various panel events and lectures.
As we move forward to the next Chapter, there is plenty of work to do. I would like to continue in my role as Chair with the support of a Co-Chair/Vice Chair for the next year to ensure that SOCAL is sustainable for the future and continues to enjoy strong support.
If I am elected, I will have three priorities.
The first priority would be to improve our governing structures by taking steps to incorporate as a CIC. This would allow us to have more access to funding opportunities.
My second priority would be to institutionalise our corporate support. Whilst our corporates have been very forthcoming with in-kind sponsorship, we need to institutionalise corporate membership so that we have the budget to plan bigger and more impactful events. With corporate support and funding, we can employ an administrator on a part time basis.
My third priority aligns with my strategic vision for SOCAL- to move beyond moments to movements. I have suggested three new roles that aligns with this. Whilst the social events play an important role in bringing our people together, there is an urgent need for greater engagement and lobbying on behalf of the British Caribbean community and the Caribbean region as a whole, more interaction and support with and for our local community groups, and a need to make the organisation less London- centric. The Roles of Special Initiatives Officer, Community Engagement Officer and Regional Lead will crystallise these opportunities.
Secretary
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Shanice Walker
I am a passionate, charismatic personality with a friendly and professional manner. I am articulate and outgoing, with experience in admin, customer service, till work and hospitality.
I possess an infectious enthusiasm to learn new skills and to enhance my existing skills. I am known to be a very hard-working and committed person. My personal contribution towards any role, combined with my professionalism and resourcefulness would make me an asset to your company.
Treasurer
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Web Officer
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Felisa Smith
I am the current Web Officer for the Society of Caribbean Lawyers ("SOCAL"). I hope to serve on the committee for another year to continue the work we have been doing.
I am a trainee solicitor at CMS and prior to starting my training contract, I spent time working in-house in the tech and funds/private capital sectors.
One of my favourite parts of my role as Web Officer for SOCAL is being able to work with all members of SOCAL's Steering Committee to deliver on SOCAL's mission, including events, publications, student mentorship and sponsorship.
During my time on the committee, I built the Society's website and set up the related web hosting. I continue to manage all IT services required for SOCAL to run smoothly as an organisation.
Going forward, I will focus on creating an updated website that is fresh and visually appealing. I will also find more ways for SOCAL to use technology to improve the experience of our members and drive efficiencies on the Steering Committee.
As a woman of Jamaican heritage, I am passionate about the work we do at SOCAL and I am dedicated to working with the Steering Committee and SOCAL's members to progress SOCAL's mission.
Events Officer(s) x 3
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Kedesha Vassell
I have worked in the non-profit sector over the last 4 years and have developed a range of event management skills during this time through organising parliamentary and community-based events. I possess strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills and have an aptitude for planning events, from conception to the delivery stage. I hope to contribute to Socal's mission by channelling my passion for the legal profession and my experience in managing projects and events to support the work of the committee.
Matthew Barnes
As a career-changer from the non-profit/NGO sector, I bring a wealth of experience and unique skills that can benefit SOCAL. Before pursuing law, I worked extensively with NGOs and charities in Canada and the UK, including UNICEF and the Red Cross, where I coordinated donor outreach and marketing initiatives. I also led large-scale engagement events for brands like Nintendo, Ford, and Nestle, gaining a diverse background in event coordination.
In London, I served as the Tax Legal Fellow at the International Lawyers Project, working within the legal CSO space. I had to manage complex projects and collaborate effectively with diverse cross-border stakeholders.
In 2017, I began my legal studies at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill in my native Barbados. This experience profoundly reconnected me with my Caribbean heritage and has forever shaped my professional and personal identity. Having recently obtained my master’s in international tax law, I aim to contribute to the region's legal tax policy expertise and help it become a rule-maker rather than a rule-taker.
SOCAL has provided a home away from home, embodying values I deeply resonate with. Contributing to this community would be an honour. I am passionate about supporting the Caribbean community in London and look forward to the opportunity to help advance SOCAL’s mission.
Reginald Harper
I am a passionate and enthusiastic legal practitioner with a breadth of experience spanning across 3 regions and drawn not only from my legal career but also from various extra-curricular activities.
I grew up in Guyana where I studied Law and worked in a general legal practice. Later on in 2015, I moved to Fiji, South Pacific region, where I qualified and practiced as a general litigation barrister and solicitor as well as a mediator. In 2018 I moved to the UK where I went on to join the legal team at Lambeth Council specialising in Data Protection Law.
Apart from legal practice, I have been heavily involved in the Anglican Church as a member of the Altar Servers Guild in the Anglican Diocese of Guyana, volunteering for charitable purposes as well as a member of various field hockey clubs in Guyana, Fiji and England. These outfits have seen me engage in team leadership, mentorship, outreach, networking and fundraising activities.
In all aspects of my life, I believe that we can all succeed through collaboration – where we open and hold doors for each other and more so, if each one could teach one.
My vision for this role would be to introduce into our events elements that encourage us to build closer relationships among our SOCAL peers where members can feel more comfortable reaching out to each other for guidance and opportunities.
Let us create a space within the legal fraternity for our community to thrive.
Shanice Walker
I am a passionate, charismatic personality with a friendly and professional manner. I am articulate and outgoing, with experience in admin, customer service, till work and hospitality.
I possess an infectious enthusiasm to learn new skills and to enhance my existing skills. I am known to be a very hard-working and committed person. My personal contribution towards any role, combined with my professionalism and resourcefulness would make me an asset to your company.
Social Media Officer
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Shanice Walker
I am a passionate, charismatic personality with a friendly and professional manner. I am articulate and outgoing, with experience in admin, customer service, till work and hospitality.
I possess an infectious enthusiasm to learn new skills and to enhance my existing skills. I am known to be a very hard-working and committed person. My personal contribution towards any role, combined with my professionalism and resourcefulness would make me an asset to your company.
Shannakaye Panton
I am an advocate for the Caribbean legal community, and I am dedicated to leverage social media to boost engagement. By sharing updates, promoting SOCAL events, and fostering connections among Caribbean legal professionals, I aim to create a vibrant and connected online space for all members.
Publications Officer
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Akeya Herbert
As a proud British Virgin Islander, I am eager to contribute my skills and passion to the SOCAL mission and I am excited about the opportunity to connect with likeminded individuals of Caribbean heritage within the legal profession in the UK. I am a soon-to-be LLB graduate of the University of Surrey and will be commencing the bar course with a master's in the fall, working towards my goal in becoming a barrister.
Throughout my academic and professional career, I have been involved in various writing projects, including event speeches, legal essays, and research papers. These experiences have equipped me with the skills necessary to produce high quality, engaging content for the monthly newsletter, ensuring our supporters are well-informed and engaged with SOCAL's activities. Additionally, my involvement in numerous committees and team-based projects has taught me the importance of collaboration and effective communication.
I look forward to the possibility of working together with other members of the steering committee to bring our shared vision for SOCAL into reality.
Matthew Barnes
As a career-changer from the non-profit/NGO sector, I bring a wealth of experience and unique skills that can benefit SOCAL. Before pursuing law, I worked extensively with NGOs and charities in Canada and the UK, including UNICEF and the Red Cross, where I coordinated donor outreach and marketing initiatives. I also led large-scale engagement events for brands like Nintendo, Ford, and Nestle, gaining a diverse background in event coordination.
In London, I served as the Tax Legal Fellow at the International Lawyers Project, working within the legal CSO space. I had to manage complex projects and collaborate effectively with diverse cross-border stakeholders.
In 2017, I began my legal studies at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill in my native Barbados. This experience profoundly reconnected me with my Caribbean heritage and has forever shaped my professional and personal identity. Having recently obtained my master’s in international tax law, I aim to contribute to the region's legal tax policy expertise and help it become a rule-maker rather than a rule-taker.
SOCAL has provided a home away from home, embodying values I deeply resonate with. Contributing to this community would be an honour. I am passionate about supporting the Caribbean community in London and look forward to the opportunity to help advance SOCAL’s mission.
Natalie Campbell
Law - General
I am a barrister (unregistered) called to Lincoln's Inn in Michaelmas term 2022. I am currently applying for pupillage at the Commercial Bar, where I hope to practise as a Barrister in England and Wales.
I have a particular interest in ADR and
commercial arbitration, and I hold a first-class law degree and a distinction at LLM level in the same area.
I am also an experienced senior professional paralegal and legal project manager specialising in commercial law.
My present engagement is reporting to
General Counsel for the asset management company Octopus Energy Generation.
I am the first-generation daughter of a Caribbean immigrant father from Jamaica. I have a keen interest in furthering, nurturing and honouring the deeply-established historical connections between the Caribbean nations and the legal system of England and Wales and it's Privy Council. I am also deeply interested in improving the very low Caribbean take-up into the legal profession. I hope that this role within Socal will enable me to do precisely that.
Pro Bono
I have an extensive and fulfilling Pro-Bono practice working in the Public Law legal areas of Education and Social Security Benefits and in Civil Law where I do trusts and probate (succession), housing (disrepair, HMOs) and most recently, civil litigation.
This work exposes me to the entire range of legal work, from making representations to taking client conferences and minuting my hearings. I am responsible for all my legal and associated logistical filing for the charities with whom I work.
Background & Experience
I have ten years of entrepreneurial experience at the start of my career, followed by ten years in the banking and finance industry. I started very young and left school at the age of 16 to attend university directly. I started my first fashion business before I graduated at the age of 18. Neither of my parents completed high school.
I hope that this information adequately conveys that I am a self-starter who is able to work effectively and do so under pressure and with great effectiveness.
My experience in banking has exposed me to professional client and stakeholder relationship management, both areas of my work that I particularly enjoyed.
I would very much appreciate the opportunity to be considered for this role. I am available to start immediately, and I can travel as required for the role.
Stacee Smith
Although I live in London I was born and raised in Bermuda and I'm both a Bermuda and UK qualified lawyer. I also have an extensive background in journalism and communications, having written for publications such as The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/stacee-smith) and the UK Black History Month Magazine (https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/interviews/staying-power-interview-with-earl-cameron/).
As a result of my background and skill set I believe I would be able to make a positive contribution to the SOCAL Steering Committee as the Publications Officer.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sponsorships Officer
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Johari Adjei
My name is Johari, I’m an associate at Hogan Lovells and I am running to be your Sponsorships Officer.
I have been SOCAL’s Sponsorship Officer since the end of 2022 (when SOCAL was formed) and I have really enjoyed working to build our base of support so that we can provide you all with memorable events for great value. I have worked hard on designing and tailoring sponsorship proposals and I’m proud of the network of supporters (including law firms, chambers and inns of court) that SOCAL is developing.
SOCAL's mission is of great personal and professional importance to me. My grandmother came to the UK from Barbados in the 1950s. I'm very proud of my Caribbean heritage and Caribbean history is a real passion of mine. I recently qualified into Hogan Lovells' Energy and Infrastructure Practice, through which I play an active role in the firm's Caribbean Desk.
If given the opportunity to continue in the role of Sponsorships Officer, I’d like to work with a broader range of organisations with connections to the legal sector, including profession bodies and legal software and knowledge services providers. It's fantastic that the community that has formed around SOCAL represents such a varied cross-section of the profession and it's clear that SOCAL can serve as a powerful hub for community engagement, networking, and business development. It would be my pleasure to spend another year sharing what we have to offer with organisations who might like to support us in our mission.
Student Outreach Officer(s) x2
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Dr. Anthony Richardson
Dr. Anthony Richardson is a practicing Barrister and a former judge of Bermuda. He has been in continuous legal practice for more than twenty years. Dr. Richardson’s areas of practice are commercial law, criminal law, public law, public international law, and revenue law (tax law). Although his legal practice is based in London, Dr. Richardson’s legal practice is an international practice. He provides legal advice, litigation services and technical legal assistance to clients in: Bermuda (commercial, criminal, and public law), Caribbean (commercial, criminal, and public law), Middle East (Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon, in public international law: war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity) and North America (technical legal assistance and advisory: State of California death-row appeals; State of Texas death-row appeals; State of New York miscarriages of justice appeals. Dr. Richardson was appointed in 2021 by the Attorney General of Bermuda to serve on an ad hoc and visiting basis, on the Proceeds of Crime Appeals Tribunal Panel in Bermuda as an Adjudicator.
Dr. Richardson is also a Legal Academic and in January 2023 was admitted as a Visiting Law Lecturer and Visiting Research Fellow & Scholar, at Brunel University Law School. He holds an MPhil/PhD from the University of London’s Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from Harvard University’s Derek Bok Centre for Teaching and Learning and, in conjunction with his MPhil/ PhD studies at the University of London, was awarded a highly competitive and prestigious internship with the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) in 2014. While at CTED he researched complex international human rights and international law in relation to how best to deal with the return of foreign terrorist fighters to their countries of origin; assisted in the preparing of English language and French language legal ‘talking notes’ for use by the Executive Director for use in interviews with the BBC World Service, and TF1 France; assisted in drafting various UN Resolutions relative to the issue of how best to deal with the phenomena of foreign terrorist fighters and the rendering of the same stateless by Member States of the UN. This was his first time working in a dual multilingual and multicultural work environment. Dr Richardson has a keen interest in Bermuda, Caribbean, and UK comparative law study, especially in relation to how the law generally and the criminal law specifically affects the lives of ethnic minorities, religious minorities, visible minorities/ young black males.
Dr. Richardson is admitted to practice as a Barrister in Bermuda, the Caribbean and in England & Wales. He is in the process of activating his ability to practice law in the American States of California, New York, and Texas and at the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
James Braham
I am currently serving on the Steering Committee of the Society of Caribbean Lawyers (SOCAL) as one of the Student Outreach Officers. I hold an LLB from the University of Exeter and am currently pursuing an LLM at Queen Mary University of London. In September, I will commence the bar course, furthering my commitment to the legal profession.
Throughout my tenure at SOCAL, I have gained valuable insights into the organization's operations and its impact on the Caribbean legal community. I was instrumental in launching SOCAL's inaugural mentorship scheme, a project I am passionate about refining and enhancing. My goal is to continue developing initiatives that support and empower our student members.
I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to deepen my involvement with SOCAL and contribute to its mission.
Leanne Tyme
It is with great enthusiasm and a deep sense of responsibility that I submit this proposal for my continued role as Student Outreach Officer of the Society of Caribbean Lawyers. Joining the committee towards the end of 2023 meant that I hit the ground running. I teamed up with my esteemed colleague James Braham to revise feedback from the Mentorship Scheme’s launch event and the team’s own reflections, putting in motion the infrastructure to re-run the scheme this coming academic year. As the scheme now draws to a close, we aim to collate feedback from candidates to offer an improved version this summer. As well as this, I have been working on another initiative that will enhance students’ CVs and provide them with talking points for interviews, whilst highlighting their Caribbean heritage and promoting the Caribbean legal space. Details of this initiative will be shared soon, but it promises to be of significant benefit for our members. Networking is crucial so, if reelected as Student Outreach Officer, I will organise social events to help junior and aspiring lawyers to build relationships, network with each other and develop a sense of community. Thank you for considering my proposal, I look forward to the opportunity to continue serving as (one of) your Student Outreach Officers
Special Initiatives Officer
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Dr. Anthony Richardson
Dr. Anthony Richardson is a practicing Barrister and a former judge of Bermuda. He has been in continuous legal practice for more than twenty years. Dr. Richardson’s areas of practice are commercial law, criminal law, public law, public international law, and revenue law (tax law). Although his legal practice is based in London, Dr. Richardson’s legal practice is an international practice. He provides legal advice, litigation services and technical legal assistance to clients in: Bermuda (commercial, criminal, and public law), Caribbean (commercial, criminal, and public law), Middle East (Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon, in public international law: war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity) and North America (technical legal assistance and advisory: State of California death-row appeals; State of Texas death-row appeals; State of New York miscarriages of justice appeals. Dr. Richardson was appointed in 2021 by the Attorney General of Bermuda to serve on an ad hoc and visiting basis, on the Proceeds of Crime Appeals Tribunal Panel in Bermuda as an Adjudicator.
Dr. Richardson is also a Legal Academic and in January 2023 was admitted as a Visiting Law Lecturer and Visiting Research Fellow & Scholar, at Brunel University Law School. He holds an MPhil/PhD from the University of London’s Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from Harvard University’s Derek Bok Centre for Teaching and Learning and, in conjunction with his MPhil/ PhD studies at the University of London, was awarded a highly competitive and prestigious internship with the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) in 2014. While at CTED he researched complex international human rights and international law in relation to how best to deal with the return of foreign terrorist fighters to their countries of origin; assisted in the preparing of English language and French language legal ‘talking notes’ for use by the Executive Director for use in interviews with the BBC World Service, and TF1 France; assisted in drafting various UN Resolutions relative to the issue of how best to deal with the phenomena of foreign terrorist fighters and the rendering of the same stateless by Member States of the UN. This was his first time working in a dual multilingual and multicultural work environment. Dr Richardson has a keen interest in Bermuda, Caribbean, and UK comparative law study, especially in relation to how the law generally and the criminal law specifically affects the lives of ethnic minorities, religious minorities, visible minorities/ young black males.
Dr. Richardson is admitted to practice as a Barrister in Bermuda, the Caribbean and in England & Wales. He is in the process of activating his ability to practice law in the American States of California, New York, and Texas and at the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
Dawn De Coteau
Dawn is the Principal of EMA Solutions Management Consultants & Legal Services. She is an international Barrister & Attorney - called to Bars of England & Wales, Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and St. Christopher & Nevis. In addition she is a Fellow at the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and a Ciarb Arbitrator. She is a previous Vice President of the Grenada Bar Association.
Dawn practices internationally across jurisdictions in England & Wales and the Caribbean. She has developed a sound practice across covering cross jurisdictional Probates & Estates, Maritime, Family, Banking, Commercial, Corporate, Governance & Compliance, Conveyance, Trusts, Wills, Civil Litigation, Immigration & Citizenship amongst others.
Dawn has a Doctorate - Thesis Entitled: Corruption in Caribbean Politics - Examining Cultural Tolerance.
Her expertise and knowledge in the business sphere stems from holding various senior and chief officer positions within several large public sector organisations, coupled with over 10 years Directorship at EMA Solutions.
The consultancy specialises in corporate and strategic management, business interventions, social exclusion, human rights and equality. She has a breadth of academic and professional qualifications including BPTC, LLM Dist, LLB Hons, BA Hons, CIM Coaching and Mentoring, PRINCE II Project Management, and ADR Group Accredited Mediator.
In addition the consultancy offers a full 'Turn Key' services for clients relocating from UK, Europe, Canada, USA and other parts of the world to the Caribbean, who seek legal consultants to project manage the whole transition process from finding suitable property, designing, conveyancing, shipping and freight and all aspects in accordance with client's needs.
She has over 20 years experience of management in the public, private and third sector organisations. This entailed undertaking strategy, policy, project development and implementation in a range of disciplines including corporate management, housing management, business development, community development and regeneration.
As Director at EMA she oversees the strategic and operational element of the business at their legal office in Central London, where services are provided across unreserved areas of law.
She has project managed numerous consultancy projects and been instrumental in co-ordinating, drafting and managing facilitation a raft of capacity building programmes to over 200 organisations, an accomplishment of which she is extremely proud.
Natalie Campbell
Law - General
I am a barrister (unregistered) called to Lincoln's Inn in Michaelmas term 2022. I am currently applying for pupillage at the Commercial Bar, where I hope to practise as a Barrister in England and Wales.
I have a particular interest in ADR and
commercial arbitration, and I hold a first-class law degree and a distinction at LLM level in the same area.
I am also an experienced senior professional paralegal and legal project manager specialising in commercial law.
My present engagement is reporting to
General Counsel for the asset management company Octopus Energy Generation.
I am the first-generation daughter of a Caribbean immigrant father from Jamaica. I have a keen interest in furthering, nurturing and honouring the deeply-established historical connections between the Caribbean nations and the legal system of England and Wales and it's Privy Council. I am also deeply interested in improving the very low Caribbean take-up into the legal profession. I hope that this role within Socal will enable me to do precisely that.
Pro Bono
I have an extensive and fulfilling Pro-Bono practice working in the Public Law legal areas of Education and Social Security Benefits and in Civil Law where I do trusts and probate (succession), housing (disrepair, HMOs) and most recently, civil litigation.
This work exposes me to the entire range of legal work, from making representations to taking client conferences and minuting my hearings. I am responsible for all my legal and associated logistical filing for the charities with whom I work.
Background & Experience
I have ten years of entrepreneurial experience at the start of my career, followed by ten years in the banking and finance industry. I started very young and left school at the age of 16 to attend university directly. I started my first fashion business before I graduated at the age of 18. Neither of my parents completed high school.
I hope that this information adequately conveys that I am a self-starter who is able to work effectively and do so under pressure and with great effectiveness.
My experience in banking has exposed me to professional client and stakeholder relationship management, both areas of my work that I particularly enjoyed.
I would very much appreciate the opportunity to be considered for this role. I am available to start immediately, and I can travel as required for the role.
Vanessa Wilson
Vanessa believes collaboration is an imperative ingredient to success. She is a profound collaborator who is comfortable networking and is keen to contribute to SOCAL’s mission; to connect, support, advocate and network with lawyers of Caribbean heritage. For these reasons, Vanessa puts herself forward for this role.
Currently, Vanessa is a paralegal in the public sector. She is qualifying as a solicitor via the new SQE/QWE route. Vanessa is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University with a LLB, and the University of Law with a Master of Laws Legal Practice SQE 1 & 2.
She reverts to her career in law after taking a break 10 years ago. During her break, she worked in the residential lettings industry, for over 6 years. With a passion for property, Vanessa worked as a property manager. While studying her LLB she established and scaled a property inventory business, which she sold in 2023. Vanessa is a property investment mastermind graduate of the UK's biggest property training & networking organisation, Property Investors Network (PIN). She is also a qualified empowerment coach, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner and soon to complete her business coaching diploma. She remains connected to her PIN and coaching network.
Vanessa was born and partially raised in Jamaica, visits regularly and desires to become a dual-qualified solicitor in the UK and Jamaica. She has resided in Oxfordshire since moving to the UK over 21 years ago. Oxfordshire is a reasonable commuting distance to larger cities. Thus, Vanessa is in a great location to establish and maintain connections with various identified Caribbean community groups, and to contribute towards the growth of SOCAL outside of London.
Community Liaison Officer
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Ardis Bess
I am a New York qualified attorney, working in house as a Financial Crime Lawyer. I schooled in the UK but choose the NY Bar route as a way to qualify due to limited access using with the more tradition route in the UK. I am interested in the inclusion and upward mobility of lawyers with a caribbean heritage.
I'm stepping up because representation matters. I am keen to help where possible.
Natalie Campbell
Law - General
I am a barrister (unregistered) called to Lincoln's Inn in Michaelmas term 2022. I am currently applying for pupillage at the Commercial Bar, where I hope to practise as a Barrister in England and Wales.
I have a particular interest in ADR and
commercial arbitration, and I hold a first-class law degree and a distinction at LLM level in the same area.
I am also an experienced senior professional paralegal and legal project manager specialising in commercial law.
My present engagement is reporting to
General Counsel for the asset management company Octopus Energy Generation.
I am the first-generation daughter of a Caribbean immigrant father from Jamaica. I have a keen interest in furthering, nurturing and honouring the deeply-established historical connections between the Caribbean nations and the legal system of England and Wales and it's Privy Council. I am also deeply interested in improving the very low Caribbean take-up into the legal profession. I hope that this role within Socal will enable me to do precisely that.
Pro Bono
I have an extensive and fulfilling Pro-Bono practice working in the Public Law legal areas of Education and Social Security Benefits and in Civil Law where I do trusts and probate (succession), housing (disrepair, HMOs) and most recently, civil litigation.
This work exposes me to the entire range of legal work, from making representations to taking client conferences and minuting my hearings. I am responsible for all my legal and associated logistical filing for the charities with whom I work.
Background & Experience
I have ten years of entrepreneurial experience at the start of my career, followed by ten years in the banking and finance industry. I started very young and left school at the age of 16 to attend university directly. I started my first fashion business before I graduated at the age of 18. Neither of my parents completed high school.
I hope that this information adequately conveys that I am a self-starter who is able to work effectively and do so under pressure and with great effectiveness.
My experience in banking has exposed me to professional client and stakeholder relationship management, both areas of my work that I particularly enjoyed.
I would very much appreciate the opportunity to be considered for this role. I am available to start immediately, and I can travel as required for the role.
Reanne Thomas
I am one of the current Events Officers with Sam Jackson. Since joining SOCAL last year, I have organised events such as ICAAD – A Discussion on Gender Based Bias in Judicial Decision Making and our upcoming Windrush commemoration event: Windrush Voices: Stories of Resilience at Clifford Chance, where I am currently a trainee lawyer.
My Grenadian and Jamaican heritage inspires me to contribute to my community and promote and support its development. I am grateful and motivated by the opportunities that I have received, and I want to keep using my expanding skills and knowledge for causes that matter to me.
As Community Liaison Officer, my goal is to build and sustain strong relationships with groups that participate in development programmes that benefit the diaspora worldwide, and the Caribbean region. I will focus on the legal issues that have the most impact on our communities and collaborate with partners and contributors to contribute in a meaningful way. I have introduced ICAAD, a Clifford Chance Pro Bono partner, to the SOCAL team, and I hope to continue creating connections with like-minded individuals who share the aspiration of achieving justice, equality, and equity for Caribbean people across the globe.
I hope you will consider me for the position of Community Liaison Officer.
Many thanks.
Reginald Harper
I am a passionate and enthusiastic legal practitioner with a breadth of experience spanning across 3 regions and drawn not only from my legal career but also from various extra-curricular activities.
I grew up in Guyana where I studied Law and worked in a general legal practice. Later on in 2015, I moved to Fiji, South Pacific region, where I qualified and practiced as a general litigation barrister and solicitor as well as a mediator. In 2018 I moved to the UK where I went on to join the legal team at Lambeth Council specialising in Data Protection Law.
Apart from legal practice, I have been heavily involved in the Anglican Church as a member of the Altar Servers Guild in the Anglican Diocese of Guyana, volunteering for charitable purposes as well as a member of various field hockey clubs in Guyana, Fiji and England. These outfits have seen me engage in team leadership, mentorship, outreach, networking and fundraising activities.
My vision for this role:
SOCAL represents the Caribbean people, let us draw on these resources. Let us make connections with our people. There is boundless potential for our members in building strong relations with the cultural bodies and representative authorities of our nations within the UK as well as similar organisations such as the bar associations in the Caribbean. Through fostering these bonds, we can encourage the exchange of knowledge, culture and resources as well as create new opportunities, not only for our existing members, but also reach new members to grow our community. An example that readily comes to mind is where these relations would make us more visible and accessible to established and aspiring lawyers transitioning from the Caribbean to the UK whether permanently or even temporarily for studies. This would also allow us an opportunity to support and feed our roots as well as establish us as a champion within the Caribbean legal community.
Thank you for your consideration.
Vanessa Wilson
Vanessa believes collaboration is an imperative ingredient to success. She is a profound collaborator who is comfortable networking and is keen to contribute to SOCAL’s mission; to connect, support, advocate and network with lawyers of Caribbean heritage. For these reasons, Vanessa puts herself forward for this role.
Currently, Vanessa is a paralegal in the public sector. She is qualifying as a solicitor via the new SQE/QWE route. Vanessa is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University with a LLB, and the University of Law with a Master of Laws Legal Practice SQE 1 & 2.
She reverts to her career in law after taking a break 10 years ago. During her break, she worked in the residential lettings industry, for over 6 years. With a passion for property, Vanessa worked as a property manager. While studying her LLB she established and scaled a property inventory business, which she sold in 2023. Vanessa is a property investment mastermind graduate of the UK's biggest property training & networking organisation, Property Investors Network (PIN). She is also a qualified empowerment coach, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner and soon to complete her business coaching diploma. She remains connected to her PIN and coaching network.
Vanessa was born and partially raised in Jamaica, visits regularly and desires to become a dual-qualified solicitor in the UK and Jamaica. She has resided in Oxfordshire since moving to the UK over 21 years ago. Oxfordshire is a reasonable commuting distance to larger cities. Thus, Vanessa is in a great location to establish and maintain connections with various identified Caribbean community groups, and to contribute towards the growth of SOCAL outside of London.
Regional Division Head
This section will be updated as applications are received.
Dr. Anthony Richardson
Dr. Anthony Richardson is a practicing Barrister and a former judge of Bermuda. He has been in continuous legal practice for more than twenty years. Dr. Richardson’s areas of practice are commercial law, criminal law, public law, public international law, and revenue law (tax law). Although his legal practice is based in London, Dr. Richardson’s legal practice is an international practice. He provides legal advice, litigation services and technical legal assistance to clients in: Bermuda (commercial, criminal, and public law), Caribbean (commercial, criminal, and public law), Middle East (Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon, in public international law: war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity) and North America (technical legal assistance and advisory: State of California death-row appeals; State of Texas death-row appeals; State of New York miscarriages of justice appeals. Dr. Richardson was appointed in 2021 by the Attorney General of Bermuda to serve on an ad hoc and visiting basis, on the Proceeds of Crime Appeals Tribunal Panel in Bermuda as an Adjudicator.
Dr. Richardson is also a Legal Academic and in January 2023 was admitted as a Visiting Law Lecturer and Visiting Research Fellow & Scholar, at Brunel University Law School. He holds an MPhil/PhD from the University of London’s Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from Harvard University’s Derek Bok Centre for Teaching and Learning and, in conjunction with his MPhil/ PhD studies at the University of London, was awarded a highly competitive and prestigious internship with the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) in 2014. While at CTED he researched complex international human rights and international law in relation to how best to deal with the return of foreign terrorist fighters to their countries of origin; assisted in the preparing of English language and French language legal ‘talking notes’ for use by the Executive Director for use in interviews with the BBC World Service, and TF1 France; assisted in drafting various UN Resolutions relative to the issue of how best to deal with the phenomena of foreign terrorist fighters and the rendering of the same stateless by Member States of the UN. This was his first time working in a dual multilingual and multicultural work environment. Dr Richardson has a keen interest in Bermuda, Caribbean, and UK comparative law study, especially in relation to how the law generally and the criminal law specifically affects the lives of ethnic minorities, religious minorities, visible minorities/ young black males.
Dr. Richardson is admitted to practice as a Barrister in Bermuda, the Caribbean and in England & Wales. He is in the process of activating his ability to practice law in the American States of California, New York, and Texas and at the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
Ardis Bess
I am a New York qualified attorney, working in house as a Financial Crime Lawyer. I schooled in the UK but choose the NY Bar route as a way to qualify due to limited access using with the more tradition route in the UK. I am interested in the inclusion and upward mobility of lawyers with a caribbean heritage.
I'm stepping up because representation matters. I am keen to help where possible.
Lara Kees Brooks-Simpson
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." - Coretta Scott King
It is a pleasure to put myself forward to contribute to the SOCAL committee for the 2024/2025 period.
Having attended a few of the SOCAL events, there is no shortage of talent across our Caribbean community and I have witnessed myself that we have leaders both presently and for the future. With this being said, it is imperative that that this society can reach the individuals not yet aware and most importantly, that we can incite action from them. To reach the strategic mission of SOCAL - I anticipate this will require visibility and outreach. As much as London is a major business hub of the UK, there is much to be sought, moreover, gained from engaging surrounding communities in other major cities and towns. For all intents and purposes, I foresee this:
If we can plant the seeds in other towns we spread awareness of SOCAL. Awareness precipitates participation - those who belong to our community will feel inspired to join and persons/organisations who believe our cause noble, will offer support and extend our reach further. There will be resources and effort needed for this strategy, yes, however, the long term benefits will pay dividends. As the division of labour to the mission of SOCAL will be shared amongst several communities, similarly, we will be united in that front across a large geographical area.
In light of the above, no matter how elaborate a plan is, action is the true currency of growth. From the wisdoms I have learnt in my career and my personal business, I believe I am at the ripe moment to undertake a position on this committee. Above this, it would personally be an honour to contribute to the SOCAL mission.
Thank you for the consideration,
LKBS
Rochelle Tapping
Greetings
I’m Rochelle, of Jamaican heritage, my maternal side is from the parish of Portland and my father comes from the city of Montego Bay. They say that we also have Maroon roots and that may explain the grace I’ve experienced.
I’ve practised in Local Government Law since qualifying as a solicitor in 2015. I’ve sat as a non-executive Board member of LLG, which is an established Board representing some 4000 plus local government lawyers, a role which gave me experience of operating at a strategic level. I’m also the Independent Chair of the Fair Access Panel for the London Borough of Hackney, a position which affords me the opportunity to give back to my birth town. I live and work outside of London and for all of the above reasons, I consider myself ideal for the Regional Division Head post.
I am committed to the SOCAL mission. I continue to advocate and support kinfolk, trying to break into and/or survive, in a profession that can ‘snob us’, based in country that wasn’t home to our parents or grandparents. I’ve experienced the challenges of being an educated, confident, young, black, Caribbean, female lawyer including my fair share of bruises, while sitting at the corporate table, yet in the words of Maya Angelou, ‘still I rise’, passionate about helping others and not afraid to be me, truly living my value.
With my relentless motivation to remove barriers, there is no doubt that this role provides an opportunity to give much needed support to those coming after me as well as the strategic direction and mentorship for those that need the ‘push’, something that I continue to do in my spare time.
There is a need for guidance and encouragement to produce the next, great Caribbean lawyers of this generation and beyond. We are in a new age and the big fish mentally means that our future lawyers are not limited to practising in the UK, why not practice ‘back home’?
Why not make those connections now?
It is refreshing to see that SOCAL has identified and addressed the need for representation that focuses solely on ‘outside London’, something that has been overlooked by many. I look forward to forging relationships with the wider network of Carribean lawyers across the UK and establishing something life changing and meaningful. I’ve made connections from all walks of life and truly believe that I have the potential to build something great. I look forward to leading from the front and successfully delivering on the SOCAL mission, this is our legacy!
Finally, given the proud Jamaican that I am, it would be a pleasure working alongside my fellow Caribbeans for my fellow Caribbeans; “One love, one heart. Let’s get together and feel alright”, the great Bob Marley.
Thank you for taking the time to read this statement.
Vanessa Wilson
Vanessa believes collaboration is an imperative ingredient to success. She is a profound collaborator who is comfortable networking and is keen to contribute to SOCAL’s mission; to connect, support, advocate and network with lawyers of Caribbean heritage. For these reasons, Vanessa puts herself forward for this role.
Currently, Vanessa is a paralegal in the public sector. She is qualifying as a solicitor via the new SQE/QWE route. Vanessa is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University with a LLB, and the University of Law with a Master of Laws Legal Practice SQE 1 & 2.
She reverts to her career in law after taking a break 10 years ago. During her break, she worked in the residential lettings industry, for over 6 years. With a passion for property, Vanessa worked as a property manager. While studying her LLB she established and scaled a property inventory business, which she sold in 2023. Vanessa is a property investment mastermind graduate of the UK's biggest property training & networking organisation, Property Investors Network (PIN). She is also a qualified empowerment coach, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner and soon to complete her business coaching diploma. She remains connected to her PIN and coaching network.
Vanessa was born and partially raised in Jamaica, visits regularly and desires to become a dual-qualified solicitor in the UK and Jamaica. She has resided in Oxfordshire since moving to the UK over 21 years ago. Oxfordshire is a reasonable commuting distance to larger cities. Thus, Vanessa is in a great location to establish and maintain connections with various identified Caribbean community groups, and to contribute towards the growth of SOCAL outside of London.
