The day-to-day operation of our Law Centres is managed by our Senior Management Team, led by Patrick Marples, our CEO. Patrick is responsible to our trustees for the management of our Law Centre.
Our staff team is supported by our team of dedicated and talented volunteers, to whom we’re all very grateful.
OUR STAFF TEAM
Senior Management Team
Patrick Marples, CEO
Katy Forkah, Head of Legal Service and Housing Solicitor
Rosie Mullender, Communications Manager
Rhiannon Hughes, Community, Campaigns, and Policy Manager
Laura Black, Operations Manager
Bhavna Naik, Finance and Billing Manager
Administration, Volunteer & Pro Bono Team
Kulsoom Mohsini, Receptionist and Triage Worker
Yusra Toorabkhan, Receptionist and Triage Worker
Money Advice, Benefits, and Economic Justice Team
Roni Marsh, Money Advice and Economic Justice Team Leader
Diane Sechi, Welfare Benefit and Community Care Solicitor
Tom Chapman, Economic Justice Coordinator
Ashshan Lewis, Crisis Navigator
Ariam Sibhat, Trainee Money Adviser
Lana Kaminskiene, Money Adviser
Eunice Ashley-Kesson, Money Adviser
Andrew Boba, Money Adviser
Finance Team
Andrew Folkes, Billing/ Costs Manager
Housing Team
Janet Bishop, Pro Bono Supervisor (Housing)
Jeinsen Lam, Housing Team Leader Croydon
Paul McManus, Housing Solicitor Merton
Shanice Danso, Trainee Solicitor Merton
Holly Pritchard, Housing and Welfare Benefits Paralegal
Florence Manders, Apprentice Solicitor
Immigration Team
Pradeep Kumar, Immigration Team Leader
Paul Keeley, Immigration Solicitor
Rajitha Kumar, Asylum & Immigration Solicitor
Sabira Kashmiri, Immigration Solicitor
Kerrin Raulefs, Immigration Solicitor
Agathe Artus, Immigration Solicitor
Ellie Sabet, Immigration Caseworker
Our Trustee Team
Nichola Warrender KC, Chair of Trustees
Nichola joined our Board in 2025. She has worked in London as a barrister for 30 years. Having started her legal career at the common law bar, for the past 25 years has practised at the commercial bar, primarily in the fields of shipping, commodities and insurance . As a self-employed barrister, she brings not only her legal and advocacy experience but also an insight into running a business within the legal advice sector.
Although Nichola’s own day-to-day work is in a different area of law, she strongly believes that legal advice and representation should be available to everyone, not only those who can afford it. She joined SWLLC because of her commitment to access to justice and recognising the value of there being a trusted local source of legal help for people in times of need within their own communities. As Chair of Trustees, she is committed to helping the organisation continue its vital work across six London boroughs and to supporting it through the challenges it faces to do so.
Simon Tinkler
Simon joined our Board at the end of 2019. He has worked as a solicitor in private practice in Bristol and London, as well as in industry. In 2000 he became a partner at Clifford Chance, a long-standing supporter of law centres in London, including SWLLC. He was appointed a deputy high court judge in England and Wales in 2021. Simon also sits as a member of the Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal, ensuring that the regulatory standards of the profession are upheld. In addition, he has held positions in national and regional sports governing bodies, with particular responsibility for governance. Simon has lived in south London for more than 10 years, and believes in ensuring access to justice for everyone. He came on board with us having witnessed at first-hand the effect of lack of legal representation on people’s rights, and lives. He sees a vital role for SWLLC, and law centres generally, in providing this fundamental protection to everyone in society.
Sarmad Qureshi, Treasurer
Sarmad joined the Board in 2020 and was appointed Treasurer in 2022. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has over 25 years of work experience, initially with a Big Four accountancy firm where he advised on delivering government projects and most recently as a regional Finance Director for a multi-national, where he was involved in finance raising and in implementing governance processes.
Sarmad also sits as Chair on the Community Monitoring Group of his local police force undertaking independent oversight of stop and search activities.
Nimmisha Aslam
Nimmisha has been a volunteer adviser in our legal advice clinics for over ten years and prior to that she volunteered as an employment law adviser at the Birmingham TUC centre for the unemployed. She is now a senior associate in the personal injury and clinical negligence team at Russell Cooke LLP where her clients include some of those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
Nimmisha was a founding member of the Law Society LGBT+ Committee, and currently volunteers with both Hidayah LGBT+ and Laamiga, where she mentors black and minority ethnic women from refugee and migrant communities in London to help them find employment. She joined the Board of Trustees in December 2022 and has a particular interest in ensuring disadvantaged individuals from BAME and LGBT+ backgrounds have access to justice.
Susan Field
Susan joined the Board of Trustees in December 2022. She is Senior Pro Bono Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys LLP, with a background in international arbitration and dispute resolution. She has over 15 years’ experience of working with advice units, pro bono schemes and humanitarian organisations in the UK and abroad. She has lived in South London for 8 years and is passionate about helping to design and deliver projects focused on the prevention and alleviation of poverty and on access to justice for marginalised groups, including with SWLLC and other law centres.
Melanie Felten
Melanie Felten brings a diverse set of skills to the Board. Since August 2019, Melanie has been instrumental in setting up workflows and influencing governance within a financial services start-up.
Her commitment to social justice and community service is evident through her roles as Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator in Addiscombe West and and Women’s Officer for the Croydon East CLP.
Melanie’s extensive background in finance, project management, and community activism makes her a valuable addition to SWLLC. She is passionate about improving living conditions, combating discrimination, and enhancing legal education within the community. Melanie’s expertise is further demonstrated by her significant fundraising efforts and her proactive stance in local campaigns, particularly against inadequate housing conditions.
James Waugh
James Waugh is a qualified solicitor and a senior civil servant at the Competition & Markets Authority, bringing a wealth of experience from both the civil service and the charitable sector. His career is marked by significant roles in competition law, consumer enforcement, and regulatory matters across various sectors. James is deeply committed to social justice, having served as a London regional representative for Amnesty International where he was actively engaged in grassroots activism, and he has previously worked for LawWorks, the pro bono charity.
With over six years as a trustee for Healthwatch Kingston, James has honed his expertise in risk management, legal compliance, including data protection, and strategic funding initiatives. His voluntary sector and leadership experience are assets that he brings to the South West London Law Centres, aiming to leverage his skills to further the Centre’s mission in serving the community.