• Swindon & Wiltshire Appointments
• Tuesday March 22 2022
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Forrester Sylvester Mackett appoints two new fee earners

Wiltshire law firm Forrester Sylvester Mackett has appointed two new fee earners, one to the family team in Trowbridge and one to the residential property team in Chippenham.
Anna Row (left) returned to work in family law as a solicitor at Forrester Sylvester Mackett in December 2021 after having stopped work as a family solicitor in 2000 on the birth of her first child.

Anna is a qualified speech and language therapist, who worked with adults and children with learning difficulties in Bristol until she went on to undertake postgraduate training to become a lawyer at the University of Huddersfield and De Montfort University, Leicester.

After qualifying, she worked as a solicitor in family law for seven years, initially in Frome and then for a multi-office firm in Bristol where she represented clients in relation to divorces, financial matters, disputes about children, domestic violence injunctions and cases in which Social Care were involved with families.

During her career break Anna worked in schools with children of all ages and their families, often with other professionals, particularly working with issues around mental health, special educational needs, and safeguarding issues.

She loves the problem-solving element of family law, and the fact that every family and every client’s problem is different, and that there are always new things to learn. She is keen to encourage parties to resolve their disagreements without the need to attend court, if possible, but willing and able to litigate where necessary, and is keen to keep the best interests of any children always firmly in view.

Anna is a member of Resolution; a network of family justice professionals dedicated to the constructive resolution of family disputes and aspires to become a mediator.

Helen Barry (nee While) has worked in the legal sector for 22 years in both high street and corporate firms in Wiltshire, Bath and Pembrokeshire.

She has been working as a lawyer since 2013 specialising in residential property. Helen understands that property transactions can often be regarded as one of life’s most stressful experiences, so she works with clients to deliver a bespoke service designed to meet individual needs and goals. Helen ensures that matters are completed thoroughly and as smoothly as possible, with clear and practical advice throughout.

Helen’s expertise in residential property includes sales and purchases (freehold/leasehold/shared ownership/help to buy/right to buy/new build (including self-build mortgages)) for individuals, investors or companies (including commercial Buy to Let mortgages); remortgage or financing; transfer of equity (including those as a result of divorce); secured legal charges between individuals (secured loans made between family members etc); adverse possession claims; Armed Forces Help to Buy Scheme; sales or transfers of parcels of land (residential land or garden land etc); deeds of grant or relinquishment of rights of way etc over residential properties; and title splits.

Helen likes to continually develop and expand her skills. She completed the Law Society’s Continuing Competence plans throughout the year, every year, attending seminars, conferences and training to keep ahead of the changes and developments in her practice area.

Senior Partner, Michael Cavalla said: “We are delighted to have appointed Anna Row and Helen Barry, strengthening both our Family Law and Residential Property Teams. They both bring a wealth of experience with them, and we warmly welcome them to FSM.”