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Christian Gape specialises, and has extensive knowledge and experience, in family finance cases. He advises and acts in all types of financial remedy claims, including disputes over jurisdiction and cases involving farms, inherited assets, pensions and third-party claims. He is recognised for his formidable skill as an advocate and his ability to assist his clients to resolve difficult and emotionally charged cases by agreement. Christian is experienced in all areas of financial remedy applications, from pre-proceedings negotiations, onwards through to final hearings. He has also worked on pre-nuptial agreements as well as on drafting and advisory work. Christian has an eye for detail with a pragmatic approach in advising clients. With a strong grasp of both the technical and emotional complexities of family financial disputes, Christian provides clear, tactical guidance designed to secure robust, fair, and pragmatic resolutions for his clients.
Stephen Barratt began his career in local government where he worked across a number of service areas including waste and resources management, social care and housing. Stephen joined KBG Chambers as a tenant in 2024. He has a broad practice across Chambers’ core arears including property; contract & commercial; bankruptcy & insolvency; trusts, probate & estates; personal injury; credit hire; and general common law matters. Stephen regularly appears in the County Court and he has also appeared in the High Court, specialist tribunals and inquest proceedings. Alongside his court work Stephen has a busy and expanding paperwork-based practice. Stephen completed his Bar Professional Training Course at BPP Holborn where he was awarded ‘Outstanding’ and a Distinction following completion of the LLM component. Outside of his practice, Stephen enjoys running and hiking on Dartmoor, where he lives with his family.
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Kelly Baker | 20th October 2026 | Blogging
CONGRATULATIONS to the newly qualified Solicitors who attended our Admission Ceremony on Thursday 15th October 2026 at the Guildhall Exeter.Thank you to our President Ben Darby, our guest speaker HHJ Elizabeth Willsteed and Chris Hart for hosting such a lovely evening and welcome to the profession on behalf of DASLS. We were also joined by a number of the DASLS Board and friends and family to celebrate this career milestone. We wish them all the very best for their future in law. View PHOTOS here ...
20th October 2026 | blogging
CONGRATULATIONS to the newly qualified Solicitors who attended our Admission Ceremony on Thursday 15th October 2026 at the Guildhall Exeter.Thank you to our President Ben Darby, our guest speaker HHJ Elizabeth Willsteed and Chris Hart for hosting such a lovely evening and welcome to the profession on behalf of DASLS. We were also joined by a number of the DASLS Board and friends and family to celebrate this career milestone. We wish them all the very best for their future in law. View PHOTOS here ...
05th October 2026 | Blogging
Take a look at our first Residential Property Bulletin. This compendium of information and views from some key stakeholders in residential property conveyancing work will appeal to conveyancers. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY...
28th September 2026 | blogging
DASLS Autumn Dinner Fundraiser for Presidents Charity is a Huge Success80 guests came together at The Castle Hotel in Taunton for the DASLS Autumn Dinner on Friday 25th September 2026.We were delighted to be joined by our guest speaker Samantha Marsh, Senior Coroner for Somerset, who gave an insightful talk about her fascinating role. DASLS President Ben Darby's chosen charity YOUNG DEVON also joined us. Andrew Moreman, CEO for Young Devon shared the worthwhile support and very much needed work they provide to young people in Devon.In addition to the £1,637 Ben raised by completing the 15km Run Devon event, Ben raised £845 the on the night for YOUNG SOMERSET raising a total of £2,482 across the two charities. Thank you to all our guests for supporting the dinner, 12 law firms were represented in total and we also welcomed a number of our sponsors Insight6, Lloyd & Whyte, Smokeball, Wessex Searches, Landmark & MJ Bowers. If you would like to support YOUNG SOMERSET - DONATE HERE If you would like to support YOUNG DEVON - DONATE HERE Photos from the night can be VIEWED HERE...
17th December 2016 | Management Training
DASLS Leadership & Management Conference Date: Thursday 12th November 2026Time: 9:30am - 5:00pm Venue: The Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Exeter Programme will include: Economic Update – Arbuthnot Latham From Accommodation to Belonging: Creating workplaces where everyone can flourish." Janice Jones, Quiet Tide Consulting Over the past decade, organisations have invested heavily in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Yet across modern workplaces, a quiet, pervasive crisis remains: a profound lack of belonging. Traditional EDI approaches frequently fall into "The Accommodation Trap", treating equity as a series of reactive, medicalised, and bureaucratic exceptions. This forces employees from under-represented demographics into belonging uncertainty, where they expend critical cognitive energy "masking" their authentic identities just to fit in. In this practical, evidence-based keynote, Jannice Jones reframes inclusion from a reactive compliance exercise into a proactive operational design strategy. Delegates will discover how shifting from individual accommodations to systemic belonging removes workplace friction, equips frontline managers, and drives measurable retention and business performance. Charlotte Ferguson – Beyond the Vacancy: Building a direct approach to attracting legal talent. Attracting and engaging legal talent without relying on agencies'. Acknowledging the challenge of recruiting qualified fee earners, and why it makes sense to develop your own capacity to recruit whilst still valuing good agencies. How the fee earner candidate market/candidate behaviour has changed and what you can do in response. Focus on identifying your unique proposition: what makes your firm different to your competitors? Increasing employee advocacy: how your workforce can boost direct recruitment efforts. Your online presence matters: how your employer brand is impacting on your ability to attract and engage talent. Delivering an exceptional candidate experience. Building trusted relationships with good agencies - for when you need them. The value of strategic talent planning, beyond coping with one vacancy at a time. Driving a consistent, well maintained process to maximise your direct hiring opportunities. Five questions to take back to your firm. PII Update Alastair Banks - AI: The Art of the Possible 1 year on Why AI Governance Must Come Before AI Scale - Nexus OS AI is creating new opportunities for law firms to improve productivity, unlock knowledge and enhance client service. But successful adoption starts with governance. This session explores how firms can embrace AI confidently by putting the right guardrails in place around client confidentiality, data access, compliance and professional judgement. Attendees will learn why governance is not a barrier to innovation, but the foundation for scaling AI safely, empowering employees to use tools like Microsoft Copilot, and building long-term competitive advantage. Key takeaway: Governance isn't what slows AI down. It's what enables firms to adopt AI faster, safer and with confidence. Andrew Allen - Accountants Update Fees: DASLS Members/Affiliates: £145 plus VATNon-members: £165 plus VAT Jannice Jones MSc Jannice Jones is an AuDHD positive psychologist, neurodiversity specialist, BEDI consultant, executive coach, and founder of Quiet Tide Consulting. Dedicated to helping organisations bridge the gap between executive intent and frontline execution, Jannice equips leaders, teams, and individuals with practical, evidence-based frameworks to eliminate workplace friction, foster psychological safety, and build genuine belonging. Specialising in cognitive differences (such as ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and Dyscalculia) as well as compounding intersectional experiences, including the interplay between neurodivergence and hormonal transitions like perimenopause and menopause, Jannice ...
17th December 2016 | Residential Conveyancing Training
Reporting to the Lender and other Hot Mortgage Issues Date: Monday 16th November 2026 Time: 9:45pm - 1:00pm Speaker: Richard Snape Venue: The Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Exeter Course Programme: The course aims to look at frequently met issues and problems when reporting to the mortgage company and suggests solutions.- Conflicts of interest and third party obligations- Leasehold issues: Building Safety Act, Ground Rent Issues, EWS 1 certificates and mortgagee requirements- Flying freeholds- Air BnB- Parental gifted deposits- Planning and building regulations issues Fees: DASLS Members/Affiliates: £145 plus VAT Non-members: £165 plus VAT 3 for 2 offer! Book 3 places on this seminar and get the cheapest FREE! Richard Snape has been the Head of Professional Support at Davitt Jones Bould since 2002. He speaks at numerous courses for law societies all over the country, various public courses, in-house seminars within solicitors’ firms and has also talked extensively to local authorities and central government bodies. His areas of specialism include both commercial and residential property, in particular in relation to local government law, conveyancing issues, development land, commercial property and incumbrances in relation to land. ...
17th December 2016 | Residential Conveyancing Training
Residential Conveyancing Update Date: Monday 16th November 2026 Time: 2:00pm - 5:15pm Speaker: Richard Snape Venue: The Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Exeter Course Programme: Conveyancing in England and Wales is undergoing major changes both in relation to statute and case law. In particular, the Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026 is due to start coming into force in April 2027. The course aims to look at some of the changes and how to prepare for them. A contrast between the Renters’ Right Act 2025 and the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 Latest on the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 Implementation of changes to commonhold The Building Safety Act 2022 and Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026 The new TA6 6th Edition and responses to enquiries Recent case law on email signatures, boundary issues and agreements, adverse possession, leasehold and car parking rights Fees: DASLS Members/Affiliates: £145 plus VAT Non-members: £165 plus VAT 3 for 2 offer! Book 3 places on this seminar and get the cheapest FREE! Richard Snape has been the Head of Professional Support at Davitt Jones Bould since 2002. He speaks at numerous courses for law societies all over the country, various public courses, in-house seminars within solicitors’ firms and has also talked extensively to local authorities and central government bodies. His areas of specialism include both commercial and residential property, in particular in relation to local government law, conveyancing issues, development land, commercial property and incumbrances in relation to land. ...
