Sole Practitioners Group

Executive Committee 2023

JOANNA CONNOLLY

Chair

Joanna is well known as an expert in the complex field of consumer credit law. She is a Solicitor Advocate and qualified to represent clients in the Higher Courts. Joanna’s experience and passion for helping people is reflected in her exceptionally high success rate. Joanna and her team run a thriving practice dealing with clients from all over the country. Hers is the ‘go-to’ consumer credit defence firm in the UK.

Tel: 0330 053 9340

Email: joanna@spg.uk.com

Joanna Connolly Solicitors

33 Cheadle Avenue • Liverpool • L13 3AE

RAHIL CHAUDHARI

Vice-Chair

Rahil Chaudhari is a Senior Solicitor at Arlingsworth Solicitors. Rahil secured an LLM at University College London and trained and worked at some of the most prestigious law firms in the City before joining Arlingsworth in 2005. Rahil is a highly experienced and versatile solicitor and specialises predominantly in immigration, human rights and company law. Rahil has become a leading authority in these areas, his client base spans a wide range of sectors from multinational companies to private individuals.

Tel: 01273 696 962

Email: rahil@spg.uk.com

Arlingsworth Solicitors Ltd

145 Islingword Road • Brighton East Sussex • BN2 9SH

TAHIRA SHAFFI

Honorary Secretary

Tahira has been qualified for 20 years and started as a sole practitioner in 2010 after being made redundant. Working on your own can be a lonely experience but she has found the SPG to be wonderful source of support and friendship. It is important for her that there is an independent body outside of the Law Society working hard to look after its members interests. Tahira is based in Bury, Greater Manchester where she lives with her family. She has many interests outside of the law. Tahira was previously an LEA school governor and has stood as a candidate in the local elections. She is passionate about civic duty and putting something back into the community.

Tel: 0161 222 6092

Email: tahira@spg.uk.com

Mikhael Law

197 Rochdale Road • Bury • Lancs • Bl9 7BB

PENNY RABY

Honorary Treasurer

Penny has been a SP specialising in family law for 20 years, working with her husband Mike a Forensic Accountant on divorce cases involving business and complex asset and income tracing and Inheritance Act disputes. She won Worcestershire Family Lawyer of the Year award in 2014 and was nominated for the National Family Law Magazine Family Law Firm of the Year for 2015. She has appeared on radio and television and has presented her networking pantomime ‘Snow White and the Seven Small Business People‘ here and abroad.

Tel: 01386 555 114

Email: penny@spg.uk.com

Penny Raby & Co

Harmony House • 7-9 Church Street

Pershore • Worcestershire • WR10 1DT

SUKHJIT AHLUWALIA

Marketing Officer & Conference Organiser

Having worked in some of the most prestigious banking and consultancy organisations, Sukhjit opted to provide a more personal, one to one service through his own practice. He has been based in Goodmayes in Ilford since 2003. Sukhjit likes to get involved in charitable activities, working with organisation to assist people from all backgrounds and ages in reaching moral excellence either in their private or professional lives. His children are still young and take up a great deal of his time but when he does have time for himself, Sukhjit likes to sit, read a good book and watch the world go by.

Tel: 020 8215 0884

Email: sukhjit@spg.uk.com

Avery Emerson

Gloucester House • 335 Green Lane

Ilford • Essex • IG3 9TH

SARAH AUSTIN

Chair of the Conduct Committee

Sarah Austin is a Sole Principal of her own Lexcel accredited firm, a serial volunteer, and a contributor. Currently, she is a member of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Group, considering selection exercises for fairness and accessibility. She has authored articles, contributed to consultations, committees, boards and working parties, addressing inclusion, social mobility and governance. In addition, she holds statutory appointments for a number of Councils, as their Independent Person, dealing with complaints brought against parish, town and county councillors.

Tel: 0800 377 7716

Email: sarah@spg.uk.com

Austin Solicitors

Building 3, Chiswick Park • 566 Chiswick High Road • Chiswick • London • W4 5YA

Chaman Balu

Executive Committee Member

Having qualified as a solicitor in India in 1983, after settling in England and running a grocery shop, I found myself wanting to go back to what I had studied so hard for at Punjab University Chandigarh. In 1993, I joined Staffordshire University Law School. In 1996 I completed my CPE, it took a further few years before I found a firm that would give me the opportunity to complete my articles and I qualified as a solicitor in 2004. I finally became self-employed in 2005, and since then, I have gone on to expand the firm, this has also enabled me to allow other solicitors to train with CLB Lawyers. Our main areas of work are Residential Conveyancing, Wills, Probate, Commercial Property leases, buying and selling Business, our work is all private client based.

Tel: 01384 451731

Email: chaman@spg.uk.com

CLB Lawyers

208 Wolverhampton Street • Dudley • DY1 1ED