Who we are
We are a specialist team providing practical solutions for our clients in a wide range of disputes.
We are based in Oxford and support clients throughout the country. We operate a digital-first practice, minimising the burden of paper and ensuring that all information is at hand for our team and clients.
Our team brings a professional and friendly approach, working with you to deliver the best outcomes. Read below for more
Our Team
Arj Arul
Director
Arj is a specialist dispute resolution and commercial lawyer bringing twenty years of experience to find structured solutions to the most complex of problems. He started his career fighting his client’s corner in the county courts and the high court covering diverse disputes in general contract, employment, business and property. Arj works with his clients, getting to know what is important to them and how their businesses work so that he is able to act quickly and robustly whenever he is called upon. He regularly advises businesses and individuals on employment law areas including unfair dismissal, redundancy, discrimination, business reorganisations and contract matters.
Arj is also an Associate Lecturer at The Open University, an External Tutor at the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) as well as having volunteer board roles with the Citizens Advice Bureau and a local school for dyslexic children.
Rachel Chambers
Business Manager
Rachel is an experienced business manager and executive assistant. With a background in business and finance, her twenty year career gives a breadth of experience including big-six consultancies, financial services, manufacturing and the legal sector. Often the link between businesses and their customers, her naturally effective communication skills and highly-organised work ethic enable a level of support that helps businesses thrive.
During the pandemic, Rachel created InformPA, a virtual assistant business to support small to medium businesses (www.informpa.co.uk ). She is an active member of her local environmental group, spends free time at her allotment and is learning to play the drums.
Ken Ragon-Chambers
Legal Adviser and Mediator
Prior to taking up law, Ken worked in the telecommunications industry in the UK, Hong Kong and New Zealand. He was latterly chief executive of a UK listed telecom network operator.
Ken gained his LL.B at The Open University (The OU) and trained as a civil and commercial mediator. He became part of Spires team in September 2019. Keeping contact with his alma mater, Ken is a Mediation Ambassador at The OU and undertakes pro bono work for The OU Law Clinic. Ken is particularly interested in commercial and shareholder disputes; IP; and copyright matters.
Glenn Stanbury
In-House Counsel and Mediator
Glenn has experience in a diverse range of legal areas, but is best known as both a mediator and mediation advocate. A professional legal negotiator, he has mediated disputes ranging from lower value private client matters, commercial and local authority disputes, to large value multi-jurisdiction, and multi-party disputes. Glenn works privately and in association with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.
Glenn has dealt with both contentious and non-contentious matters throughout his professional career, and almost exclusively so since his call to the Bar of England and Wales in 2012. Having previously worked in financial litigation, Glenn worked with Michael Ronan & Co dealing primarily with local authority law and disputes in local governance, planning, property and land, costs, health and safety and other regulatory crime, environmental and public law; as well as high value commercial and contractual litigation, intellectual property, company and partnerships, employment, and professional negligence cases.
Jumaal Ahmed
Trainee Solicitor
Jumaal is a Trainee Solicitor with a particular interest in dispute resolution, intellectual property, personal injury, employment and landlord and tenant matters. After studying at Surrey University, Oxford Brookes University and the University of Law he joined Spires in November 2022. Since then he has been dealing with client matters in civil litigation, employment, music publishing, tenancy disputes, shareholder disputes and consumer rights.
Jumaal enjoys helping clients to achieve their desired outcome, feels great satisfaction in doing so and has an unshakeable drive to achieve the best possible results. In his spare time he enjoys history, sports and music.
Louise Skittrall
HR Consultant
Louise is a senior HR professional with over 20 years’ experience in various sectors including hospitality, retail, IT and the not for profit sector. Louise is a fellow of the CIPD with a breadth of operational and strategic experience. Key strengths include influencing employees at all levels, a proactive approach and ability to get up-to-speed quickly to understand the complexity of organizations.
Her engaging management style places a high value on working in partnership to engage staff and inspire performance; with a reputation for helping people confront reality and excelling in business transformation & TUPE assignments. Experience of managing complex projects, leading teams and driving change in organizations.