Conveyancing & Property

Team

Meet our Team

The team has many years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all aspects of Conveyancing Transactions. Regardless of who works on your matter they will be supervised by one of our specialist Supervising Conveyancing Lawyers.

Mark John Deavall

Solicitor, Director & Head of Conveyancing

Mark qualified as a Solicitor on 1st September 2000 after gaining both a Law Degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (with Distinction) from Staffordshire University (where in 1998 Mark was awarded the Annual Prize for Outstanding Performance) and undergoing a Professional Skills Course with the College of Law in 1999.

Having previously worked for Woolliscrofts for seven years prior to 2006 (including just over two years as a Partner), following employment and Partnerships with other Legal Practices, Mark returned to work for Woolliscrofts in August 2014 – since when Mark has been appointed as a Director of this Company.

Mark has considerable experience of Conveyancing, is the Head of our Property Department and is the Senior Responsible Officer in relation to the membership of this Company of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

Ray Basnett

Solicitor and Director

Having qualified as a Solicitor in 1978 after gaining his Law Degree, Ray has considerable experience in Conveyancing, Wills, Probate and Powers of Attorney. He began his training at Rees Jones Solicitors and joined Woolliscrofts Solicitors in 1982 and has practiced here since then. He became a Partner of the firm and, following the incorporation of what was originally a Partnership Practice, is now an Executive Director of Woolliscrofts Solicitors Limited.

Ray is proud to have had dealings with many long standing clients during his time with Woolliscrofts – in many cases acting for successive generations of families – and has experience of dealing with in the region of 400 conveyancing transactions per year with the assistance of his team.

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William Murray Cantlay

Associate Solicitor

Murray qualified as a Solicitor in 1980 with a Bachelor of Law Honours Degree from London University.

For in excess of 25 years he was a Partner at different law firms before joining our Conveyancing / Property department in 2013, primarily based at our Tunstall Office.

He is skilled and experienced in dealing with a wide variety of property matters and has experience of dealing with in the region of 150 residential conveyancing matters per year in addition to also undertaking Commercial Property work.

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Caroline Helen Carnes

Associate Solicitor

Caroline heads up the Conveyancing Team at our Stone Office and has over 30 years of expertise in property work. Caroline qualified in 1987 after completing her Law Degree at University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (UWIST), training both in Stone and London. She has worked at different firms in the Staffordshire area before joining Woolliscrofts in 2015. Caroline lives in Stone and knows the issues that are relevant to the area.

Caroline has experience of undertaking in the region of 200 residential conveyancing transactions per year.

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Rachel Byles ACILEx

Conveyancing Manager

Rachel is a Conveyancing Manager in the Practice and has had experience in private client work since 2001, specialising in Residential Conveyancing.

Rachel started at Woolliscrofts on 15^th September 2001 at our Head Office in Hanley and in 2002 commenced her studies through the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx).

On 1st September 2009 she became an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (ACILEx) and transferred to our Alsager Branch in 2016 to run the Conveyancing Department, where she has experience of dealing with in the region of 200 residential conveyancing transactions with the assistance of her team. Rachel is currently the Conveyancing Manager at our Hanley Branch.

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Alison Myatt

Conveyancing Assistant

Alison is Personal Assistant and Senior Conveyancing Secretary. She has worked in the legal profession since 2001, joined Woolliscrofts in 2013 and, through her considerable practical experience, is very fully conversant with the conveyancing process. Like all our staff, due to the fact that Woolliscrofts Solicitors are a Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme accredited legal practice, Alison undertakes the regular training requirements essential in conveyancing today.

On a day-to-day basis Alison is supervised by Caroline Carnes.

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Gillian Buckley

Conveyancing Assistant

Gill has in excess of 30 years experience working within the property / conveyancing departments of law firms as a secretary / assistant to a Partner and /or other Fee Earner.

Since 2013 Gill has been with us working in the same capacity where the work she undertakes involves both residential and commercial property transactions.

On a day-to-day basis Gill is supervised by Murray Cantlay.

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Linda O’Brien

Conveyancing Secretary

Linda is a Conveyancing Secretary, she worked in a hospital in Ireland for over 10 years as a Medical Secretary before moving to England in 2002.

Linda has worked at Woolliscrofts since 8th March 2005. During this time she has worked in various departments within the Practice – including Conveyancing, Personal Injury, Debt Collection and Litigation departments. Linda has, however, specialised as a Conveyancing Secretary since 29th June 2015.

On a day-to-day basis Hayley is supervised by Rachel Byles.

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Hayley Wright

Senior Receptionist

Hayley has worked for Woolliscrofts since July 2007 and her role includes assisting our Private Client Department with the initial Client Identification process, making appointments and processing Card Payments.

On a day-to-day basis Hayley’s involvement with our Property Department is supervised by Ray Basnett.

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Claire Smith

Receptionist

Having previously worked in reception roles on and off since 1987, Claire initially commenced her career with Woolliscrofts, as a Senior Receptionist at our Hanley branch, in September 2002, before taking a break in January 2013 to run her own business prior to returning to work for Woolliscrofts – initially at our Alsager Branch in August 2016 prior to returning to our Head Office in Hanley in 2020.

Claire has extensive experience of looking after Woolliscrofts clients both on the phone and face to face and assists our Conveyancing Department with the initial Client Identification process.

On a day-to-day basis Claire’s involvement with our Property Department is supervised by Ray Basnett.

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Sarah Peach

Receptionist / Administrative Assistant

Sarah began work with Woolliscrofts in May 2012 and her role includes assisting our Private Client Department with the initial Client Identification process.

On a day-to-day basis Sarah’s involvement with our Property Department is supervised by Murray Cantlay.

Email Sarah

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Our Areas

We offer a wide range of legal services with competitive fee structures tailored to your individual needs.

Buying
Selling
Remortgage/Transfer of Equity/Equity Release