Meet the team

Penny Smith

Director & Senior Partner

Penny qualified as a solicitor in 1980. Since 1992, she has focused on private client work dealing exclusively with Wills, administration of estates, Inheritance Tax, Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection, Trusts, and other related matters.

She was a senior solicitor with Blake Lapthorn until joining Belcher Frost as a partner in 2002. Penny took over as senior partner of Belcher Frost in 2011 to manage both her private client team and the practice. She remains in this position for Belcher Addison.

Sara Lloyd

PRACTICE MANAGER

Sara has worked within the legal environment since 1984, initially inhouse and then moving into private practice as the Practice Manager for Coffin Mew in 1994. After leaving Coffin Mew in 2011, Sara worked at a large firm in London and then for Law South in Chichester. Sara has worked with Penny Smith since 2011 and joined Belcher Frost in 2016.

As an experienced practice manager with an MBA, Sara is involved with the day to day running of Belcher Addison, with particular emphasis on risk and compliance.

Walter Cha

Director and solicitor

Walter is a highly experienced law firm manager and solicitor. For the last five years he has worked on consultancy projects for law firms, large and small. Prior to that he was the managing partner of a top 50 law firm for over 16 years.

With significant expertise in business strategy and business growth, Walter is on the Belcher Frost Management team to help deliver service excellence for our clients and stakeholders and to develop the firm as a premier practice in this wonderful place called Emsworth and the surrounding area.

Walter looks forward to making new friends in Emsworth and has already made a start with Kay and her team at the Driftwood, the wonderful people at the green grocers and the ever so helpful people at the butchers and fishmongers! And a big thank you goes to the Emsworth Deli for fuelling me during the course of a day. As you can see food plays a big part!

Chris Halliwell

Director and solicitor

Having graduated from Cambridge University, Chris qualified as a solicitor in 1977 and is a director of Belcher Addison solicitors specialising in wills and trusts. Chris joined the Board in 2011 and was Chair between 2016 and 2022. Chris has also been President of both Portsmouth and Southsea Round Table and Rotary Club; is an Elder of the South Hayling United Reformed Church; and an original sponsor of The Hayling Island Men’s Shed. Chris is a keen golfer and real tennis enthusiast

Marie-Alice Slavov

Director & Solicitor

Marie qualified in France as an Avocat in 2004. In 2011, she qualified as a UK solicitor. Alongside traditional private client work, her unique expertise lies in cross-border successions and Will planning for UK-based clients with assets in more than one jurisdiction.

She joined Belcher Frost in January 2018 after working at Blake Morgan. Marie was then appointed as a director of Belcher Frost in January 2020. She remains a director of Belcher Addison.

David Ashton

Consultant Solicitor

David is skilled at delivering straightforward commercial advice that allows those who manage property and land assets to maximise revenues and to reduce risk. He focuses on delivering projects on time and to budget.

Whether a large scale disposal programme, renegotiating lease terms on a volume portfolio, or securing option agreements or conditional contracts for a land development project, David enables businesses to manage their property assets effectively so they can continue to operate profitably.

Keri Fairley

ASSOCIATE Solicitor & Head of Conveyancing

Keri was first a paralegal in conveyancing before qualifying as a solicitor in 2007. For 9 years, Keri worked as a local duty criminal solicitor assisting those suspected to be involved in crime. In 2016, she returned back to conveyancing.

Having grown up in the area, Keri worked for another local firm before joining Belcher Frost in 2020 to become head of the Conveyancing team. She remains in this position for Belcher Addison.

Lauren Nation

ASSOCIATE Solicitor

Lauren qualified as a solicitor in 2019. Alongside Wills, Powers of Attorney, Trusts, and administration of estates, two of Lauren’s specialist areas are preparing Lasting Powers of Attorney and drafting Court of Protection Deputyship applications.

After completing her training at the larger Portsmouth firm Coffin Mew, Lauren joined Belcher Frost in 2019 to focus on growing their expertise in Court Of Protection.

Anna Grant-Casey

Associate Solicitor

Anna joined Belcher Addison in January 2023 and has been practicing as a private client solicitor since 2017. Anna is a full STEP member and is a student of the Association of Tax Technicians.

Anna is a tax and trusts specialist and advises clients in respect of Wills and inheritance tax planning, as well as tax compliance, capital gains tax planning and income tax planning.

Anna assists clients in setting up trusts for tax planning purposes as well as to provide for vulnerable family members. Where clients have already established trusts, Anna provides trust administration services, tax compliance advice (including the Trust Registration Service) and discussions around bringing trusts to an end.

Anna provides estate administration advice, managing estates of all sizes and complexities. This includes providing advice to executors who need assistance obtaining a grant of probate, delivering a full end-to-end estate administration service, and advising where there is no valid Will.

Anna can assist clients in the preparation of Lasting Powers of Attorney, dealing with Enduring Powers of Attorney, and making applications to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order.

Outside of work, Anna is studying for a Master’s Degree at the University of Greenwich and lives with their partner and two dogs Cyril and Tetley. Anna enjoys motorcycling, crafts, and DIY.

Michelle Glide

Conveyancing Executive

Michelle was first a conveyancing assistant in 2009 before becoming a conveyancer and taking on her own caseload in 2018.

Michelle has worked within leading law firms in and around the south coast. She joined Belcher Addison in 2023 as a conveyancing executive.

Claudia Peach

Conveyancing Executive

I have been working for leading Law Firms in London and around the South Coast for 36 years. I worked in most areas of Law over this period.

I have been a Conveyancing Executive running my own case load since 2002.

I joined Belcher Addison in 2023.