Our People

Helen Jago

Helen is a department director working in the company’s Wills, Trusts and Probate Department. Helen is also head of branch at the Rayleigh office.

She took a law degree at the University of East Anglia and was awarded a Distinction in the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law. Helen joined Palmers Solicitors in 2003 as a Trainee Solicitor and qualified in September 2005. Helen is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) having gained a distinction in the entrance exams. She specialises in Estate Administration, the preparation of Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection Work, Residential Care issues and Trust Work. Helen is also a member of the Association of Lifetime Lawyers, a National Body specialising in areas of law affecting elderly clients and their carers (formerly known as Solicitors for the Elderly).

Helen is a married mother of two children. In addition to work and family life, Helen helps lead a group for 7-14 year olds and enjoys keeping fit, baking cakes, socialising with friends and walking her playful cockapoo.

Helen is Chair of Governors at Westcliff High School for Girls grammar school.

Helen is accredited by the STEP Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Private Wealth Advice. She is also the treasurer of the Essex Branch of The Association of Lifetime Lawyers.

Helen is a Dementia Friend

Lee McClellan

Lee obtained both his Law Degree and Legal Practice Course Diploma from Sheffield University. He joined Palmers Solicitors in 1996 as a trainee and qualified as a solicitor in September 1998. He was made a partner in August 2002 and a director in 2021.

Lee is a member of the nationwide group ‘Association of Lifetime Lawyers’ which specialises in all areas of law affecting the elderly client. He is also a member of the Law Society private client section.

Whilst Lee has undertaken a significant amount of dispute work relating to elderly or deceased individuals including:-

disputes with both the NHS and various local authorities over the funding of residential and nursing care.
contested probate matters;
claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975; and
family disputes over the finances and/or care of elderly relatives; and
disputes within the Court of Protection

in addition to more traditional ‘non-contentious’ wills, probate and trust work, his current workload primarily consists of ‘non-contentious’ wills, probate and trust work, particularly higher value and / or complex matters. He has also acted as both an independent administrator and an independent trustee on the recommendation of other solicitors.

Once a fit and active sportsman, but with age and his devotion to his family having reduced his sporting efforts to weekly 5-a-side football, he has now taken up running in an attempt to arrest the increase in his waistline. He has been a trustee of Basildon Borough’s Citizens Advice and separately of a charity responsible for the provision of sporting and fitness facilities in the Grays/Thurrock area.

Legal 500 2017 – “puts forward multifaceted solutions to clients”

Lee is a Dementia Friend

Jeremy Sirrell

Jeremy was called to the Bar in 1981 and, having qualified as a Barrister, was then offered a position as a legal adviser in the Magistrates Courts Service. There he remained until he joined the Crown Prosecution Service in 1987 as a Crown Prosecutor. Having decided he wished to embark upon a wider career, he decided to join private practice and qualified as a solicitor in May 1989, since which time he has been engaged in both prosecution and defence work as a solicitor. He became a partner in Palmers Solicitors in 1990 and director in 2021.

Having an uniquely wide experience of the criminal justice system, he is able to advise on all matters relating to road traffic (and criminal) work from the simplest and most minor to the most detailed, complex and serious matters.

Jeremy is also able to advise on licensing matters which come before the Magistrates’ Court including Licensing Appeals, both simple and complex, and all and any criminal matters which may be breaches of the Licensing Act or any regulatory crime, including under-age sales, health and safety, food safety etc.

Jeremy enjoys walking and forcing his family into the back of the car whilst he drives them across the Continent lecturing them on the beauties of the locale.

Jeremy is currently engaged in writing a series of stories in which beastly things happen to people in East Kent.

Carey Jacobs

Based at the Palmers’ Hub at Phoenix House, Basildon, Carey has been a fixture at the firm since 1995 when she joined as a trainee solicitor.

She has been involved in the leadership of Palmers Solicitors since 2001, first as a salaried and then as equity partner, joining the Management Committee of the practice in 2013 and most recently sitting at Management Board level.

As a solicitor, Carey specialises in Commercial Property with over 25 years of experience – dealing with and now primarily supervising a wide contact and client base across a huge range of commercial property work including:

Acquisitions and disposals
Estate development
Commercial leases – grant and sale/purchase
Business lease renewal (non-contentious)
Bank and private securities over property
Agricultural land
Charity land
Fisheries
Third party mortgages and consents
Schools and education establishments

As a Director and in her continuing management role, Carey’s primary focus is now, with her colleagues on the Management Board, on the management of the business. HR, personnel, training, wellbeing, financial management and business development are at the heart of her role.

Carey is passionate about clear communication and development – whether that is building excellent relationships with her fellow leaders in the legal sector, her colleagues and trusted business friends in the local and business communities, or in dealing with matters of particular complexity in law and in commerce.

Carey is also committed to empowering and supporting others to do the same – helping her team and clients in “Moving Forward Together”, being the Palmers motto.

For over 25 years, Carey was involved in school governance and as Trustee of a local Multi Academy Trust. In the business community, she is a member of the Executive Board of the Basildon Business Leaders.

She also helps her fellow directors to run and promote the Palmers’ BASS (Bankers, Accountants, Surveyors and Solicitors) networking events at Basildon.

Legal 500 2017 – “‘Wise’ practice head Carey Jacobs ‘takes time to understand requirements and is often able to offer a choice of solutions’, dealing with lease negotiations, site assembly, conditional contracts, overage agreements and urgent transactions.”

BJ Chong

BJ trained with Palmers Solicitors and qualified in March 1993, becoming partner in 1996 and director in 2021. BJ is the director at our Thurrock Office and practises in Company and Commercial law. He acts for a number of commercial clients including professional partnerships and large companies.

BJ is an avid motorsports fan and also enjoys interesting books, films and music.

Legal 500 – “Very impressive solicitor, extremely personable and well liked by clients.”

Legal 500 – “Ability to gain absolute confidence from his clients.”

Legal 500 – “Great strength on corporate matters.”

Adam Davis

Adam is a director and the head of the company’s Construction and Engineering Law Department. He is based in the Commercial Hub office where he specialises in both contentious and non contentious Construction and Engineering Law.

Adam read law at the University of Brighton before successfully completing his Masters in Law at Nottingham University and was called to the Bar in July 2007. He qualified as a Solicitor in September 2009.

Adam joined Palmers Solicitors in April 2008 to cross qualify as a solicitor and successfully completed the remainder of his training with Palmers Solicitors and became a partner in 2015 and then a director in 2021. Adam deals with all areas of construction law including:

advising on and drafting JCT contracts
NEC contracts
bespoke contracts
standard form contracts
amendments to standard form contracts
arbitration
adjudication
mediation
technology and construction court claims
County Court claims
applications for payments
insurance-related matters
LADs
Party Wall Act matters
warranty claims
planning disputes

Adam is a full member of the Society of Construction Law, a group of construction solicitors, barristers, surveyors, engineers, architects, and other construction professionals promoting the development, study and practice of construction law in the UK.

In his spare time, Adam enjoys rugby, horse riding and socialising with his friends and family

Experience:

Called to the Bar July 2007
Admitted to Roll of Solicitors September 2009
Practiced in Construction and Engineering Law since 2009