Our People
Meet the dedicated professionals behind our exceptional service
Our diverse and experienced team is committed to providing outstanding support and advice. Discover the people who drive our firm’s success and see how their expertise can help you with your property needs.
Stephanie Boocock
Licensed Conveyancer & Branch Manager
Stephanie Boocock
Licensed Conveyancer & Branch Manager
Stephanie has over 23 years of residential conveyancing experience in the West Yorkshire area. After working as a Licensed Conveyancer for many years, she’s now also the Branch Manager at Valerie Holmes Law.
Stephanie enjoys helping people through what is often one of life’s most important and stressful events – buying a home. She loves doing whatever she can to make this easier for clients and finds helping them through the process extremely rewarding.
Stephanie loves the outdoors and will take any opportunity she can to go camping. She also enjoys spending time with her friends, family and those close to her.
Valerie Holmes
Conveyancer & Business Development Consultant
Valerie Holmes
Licensed Conveyancer & Business Development Consultant
Valerie has an impressive total of 39 years combined conveyancing experience, 18 years of which have been as a qualified Licensed Conveyancer. This tenure explains Valerie’s knowledge of property law while also demonstrating her commitment and passion for it.
Having worked in different areas of law within solicitors practices in Bradford and temping while studying for a teaching degree, Valerie most enjoyed working in conveyancing and decided that this would be her chosen career. The opportunity to set up her own practice came very soon after completing her studies as a Licensed Conveyancer and Valerie was ready for the challenge. This was a chance for her to work with clients and further build a reputation in the Halifax area. Valerie’s role has changed over the years, from a conveyancer and manager to now being in Business Development within the PM Law Group. This new role gives Valerie the opportunity to network and liaise with other businesses in the area.
Outside of work, Valerie is a keen gardener and spends a lot of time on the upkeep of her garden. Spending time with family and close friends is also really valuable to Valerie. Her other hobbies include cooking, travelling and setting time aside to read a good book.
Samantha Ibrahim
Dispute Resolution Team Manager
Samantha Ibrahim
Samantha started as a legal secretary in dispute resolution in 1997 and became a Paralegal in 2000. She qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in September 2003 and has practised civil litigation for her entire career. Samantha then became a supervisor in August 2004 and has managed a team of experienced lawyers since 2018.
Samantha handles the day-to-day conduct of a number of higher-value civil litigation matters with the aim of settling or resolving disputes between parties, whether individuals or businesses, to achieve a fair and amicable outcome for our clients.
Sam loves travelling and spending time with her family. She also has a fantastic group of friends that she’s very grateful for – they fill her life with fun, and there’s never a dull moment with them.
Simon Pass
Wills & Probate Solicitor
Simon Pass
Wills & Probate Solicitor
Simon qualified as a solicitor in 1999 and his vast experience helping achieve positive outcomes for his clients is a valuable tool as he always looking to impart his wisdom on to others. Simon’s success as a solicitor is down to solid, consistent communication and hard work in addition to being attentive and understanding to clients. Work aside, Simon is a keen sports fan and loves to watch live sport whenever possible.
Leanna Thorpe
Private Client Lawyer
Leanna Thorpe
Private Client Lawyer
Leanna is a private client lawyer at the Baildon branch. Leanna graduated with an LLB (Hons) 2:1 degree from Bradford University School of Management in 2009. Her legal education continued with studies at the BPP Law School for the LPC between 2009 and 2011. Leanna’s commitment to helping others at Wilsons to develop is a huge asset. Her knowledge and experience is something hugely valuable when providing mentorship for her colleagues. Outside of work, Leanna loves attending festivals and camping in her VW Camper Van, Daisy! She also enjoys collecting vintage furniture and clothing.
Paolo Rocchi
Debt Claims Litigator
Paolo Rocchi
Debt Claims Litigator
In April 2023, Paolo joined as a Civil Litigator, managing his caseload of small claims, and is now a Debt Claims Litigator.
Paolo graduated with his Diploma in Legal Practice in 2019 while working as a court-based volunteer for a year, assisting Litigants in Person (Support Through Court). In January 2019, he started his first role as a fee earner, where he began managing his own small claims caseload. Paolo then went to the UKVI (UK Visa and Immigration) in May 2022 as part of the civil service where he worked as a workflow manager. His main responsibility was the operational delivery of the humanitarian visa caseload for the Home For Ukraine Scheme.
Paolo really appreciates the support of his team, going as far to say that this is his favourite thing about his role. He loves learning from his professional, well experienced colleagues. When asked about what the most important part of his role is, Paolo thinks it’s the people he helps. He gets a lot of satisfaction from supporting his clients with their problems and doing everything he can to get a positive outcome for them. In terms of what clients can expect from Paolo, he strives to approach every task with a positive, professional attitude and has amazing attention to detail. When not busy helping clients, Paolo loves going for walks in the Peak District with family. He also really enjoys having dinners with friends whenever possible.
Michelle Riordan
Conveyancer
Michelle Riordan
Conveyancer
Michelle has over 20 years of experience in the legal industry with a focus on conveyancing in particular.
Michelle loves all aspects of her role but particularly enjoys the interaction she gets with clients. Being able to guide clients through the conveyancing process is something she always enjoys.
Aside from work, Michelle has a keen interest in cooking and baking. She’s passionate about experimenting with different recipes and creating delicious meals. Michelle also enjoys going to the gym to maintain a healthy lifestyle – and to work off the calories consumed during her culinary adventures!
Naheed Akhtar
Conveyancer
Naheed Akhtar
Conveyancer
Naheed began her conveyancing career in 2002 as a trainee fee earner, gaining valuable insight and hands-on experience across a wide range of residential property matters. Over the years, she has developed her expertise to a senior level, providing clients with a knowledgeable and efficient service.
Naheed deals with all aspects of residential conveyancing, including freehold, leasehold, new build properties and transfer of equity matters. She takes care to understand and meet each client’s individual requirements, ensuring that the buying or selling process is as smooth and stress-free as possible. Naheed prides herself on keeping clients fully informed throughout every stage of their transaction.
Aliyah Begum
Legal Conveyancing Assistant
Aliyah Begum
Legal Conveyancing Assistant
Before joining Valerie Holmes Law, Aliyah worked as a Teaching Assistant while studying for the LPC.
Aliyah thoroughly enjoys helping the conveyancers with their tasks and finds being part of such an important process for many people very satisfying.
Aliyah enjoys various activities outside of work, including baking delicious treats in the kitchen, hiking to enjoy the beautiful scenery, indulging in a good book and running to stay fit and healthy. These activities give Aliyah a great balance between creativity, relaxation and physical activity.
Maariya Rehman
Legal Conveyancing Assistant
Maariya Rehman
Prior to joining Valerie Holmes in 2025, Maariya graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 and is currently studying her LPC and Masters.
In her role as a legal assistant, she assists fee earners on their files, interacting with clients, providing them updates and any additional support, as well as liaising with estate agents.
Samaira Yousaf
Legal Conveyancing Assistant
Samaira Yousaf | LLB (Hons)
Legal Conveyancing Assistant
Samaira graduated with an LLB (Hons) in Law and began her career in conveyancing as a paralegal in 2020. Since then, she has developed a strong understanding of the conveyancing process and continues to build her expertise within the team at Valerie Holmes Law.
As a Conveyancing Assistant, Samaira provides vital support in managing property transactions from instruction through to completion. She assists fee earners by preparing legal documents, conducting searches, liaising with clients, estate agents and mortgage lenders, and ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements.
Her organised and proactive approach helps streamline communication and administration, ensuring each client enjoys a smooth, efficient conveyancing experience.