Our People
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 Branch Manager at Valerie Holmes.
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
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.
Sally O'Brien
Deputy MD
Sally qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and practised in personal injury litigation for over 20 years before moving into risk and compliance.
Sally’s role carries responsibility for a few key areas in the business. Sally oversees the Risk Management and Compliance section of the business and coordinates the integration of New Acquisitions and Umbrella businesses within the PM Law Group.
Sally joined the PM Law Group as an EL/PL Team Manager in the personal injury department following an 18-month career break following the birth of her twin boys. Having been a salaried partner in her previous firm, Sally was looking for a role within a business where she could use her legal knowledge but also maintain a viable work/life balance.
Outside of work, Sally loves watching football, both on TV and in the stands at Bramall Lane. She also can be found on the sidelines cheering on her children in their football teams and is a keen supporter of the England cricket team. Sally enjoys cooking, and eating out and loves reading historical fiction whenever she can find a peaceful corner or a lounger in the sun.
Richard Helsby
Head of Personal Injury
Richard started his current role in December 2020 having previously been responsible for the litigation department in Proddow Mackay. He’s been with the PM Law Group for over 25 years.
Richard oversees the function of the PI department, this includes clinical negligence, civil resolution and litigation and wills, trusts & probate. Richard ensures these departments work to the best of their ability and meet client expectations.
Richard is a lifelong supporter of Liverpool FC and is a season ticket holder for Warrington Wolves RLFC. He’s also a keen runner and recently completed the Leeds marathon.
Tim Halksworth
Solicitor
Tim joined the business in 2000 and, further to qualifying as a solicitor in 2004, he subsequently became a Director.
Tim is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and an integral member of the Department. His expertise and experience in brain and head injury claims work has been recognised by Headway, the leading brain injury charity, as a member of the Headway Solicitors Directory.
Outside of his busy work life, Tim likes to keep active, exercising and travelling regularly when possible. He also enjoys relaxing by reading or cooking.
Simon Osborne
Solicitor
Simon was admitted as a Solicitor in 2002, and since then, he has been committed to delivering exceptional legal services to his clients. Simon’s diligence, enthusiasm, and unwavering dedication enable him to achieve the best possible outcomes for his clients in every case he handles.
Simon is a highly skilled and compassionate solicitor specialising in representing injured parties in the recovery of damages resulting from the negligence of another party. With extensive experience in personal injury law, Simon is dedicated to assisting individuals during challenging times in their lives, offering support and recovering damages to help them move forward.
In addition to his legal pursuits, Simon coaches the Junior Blades Under 10s football team as well as serving as a Trustee of the Wentworth Village Community Association.
Ranjit Siddle
Head of Family Law
Ranjit qualified as a solicitor in 2005 after initially undertaking criminal defence work and qualifying as a duty solicitor in 2006. She was part of a team that developed a family department in 2012 from the ground up. This is her second time being included on the Family Law panel.
Ranjit is the Head of the Family Law department. She’s a member of the Family Law panel and is looking to become a member of the Children's Law panel as well. Ranjit represents clients in relation to all aspects of family law; from divorce and financial matters to Children Act matters, TOLATA and protective orders.
Ranjit values a professional and friendly approach, enjoying being part of a team and working collaboratively. Outside of work, she finds joy in socialising with friends and family, keeping fit through long walks, exploring new foods as a self-proclaimed foodie, and spending quality time with her daughter.
Samantha Ibrahim
Dispute Resolution Team Manager
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 practiced 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 manages a team of talented individuals who deal with Dispute Resolution, Wills, Trusts & Probate and Landlord & Tenant matters. She also 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 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 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
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 have 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 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!
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
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