A brilliant acquittal in the Cardiff Crown Court where our client who faced serious charges of kidnap and blackmail. He was represented by Ruth Smith of Apex Chambers who led Emma Harris also of Apex Chambers. Counsel were a wonderful and dedicated team and where instructed by Michelle Boldeau.
Nanette Watson, who has died aged 65 after a short illness, was an incredibly well-respected Solicitor acting in care cases for children and parents.
Nanette was born in Glasgow and moved to N Ireland aged 2. After attending Ballymena Academy, Nanette was 21 when she moved to London, initially working as a housing officer in Camden – where she met her partner, Ken. She studied law as a mature student and found a training contract with Alexanders before joining Traymans in 1990 where she combined both criminal defence, especially juvenile crime and family law for 20 years, building an enviable reputation as a fiercely committed advocate. A reflection of that incredible work ethic was the comment by one of her ex-colleagues that “we had to employ two people to replace Nanette”.
Nanette’s sons Danny and Conor were born in 1992 and 1999 after she and Ken had settled in together in 1991 to start a family.
In April 2010, seeking a new challenge, Nanette joined Powell Spencer & Partners now specialising in care proceedings involving vulnerable children.
Nanette easily built enduring relationships with friends, colleagues and clients and was hugely admired within the legal profession for the compassion and commitment she brought to her cases, her wise advice and her excellent advocacy.
Many tributes have spoken of Nanette’s great spirit and zest for life and work and recalled her relaxing with a laugh and natter over a glass of wine on a Friday evening after her usual hard worked week.
That said nothing mattered more than her love for her family and her pride in her sons. She remained a country girl at heart with a lifelong passion for walking, hiking and wild swimming although she was equally at home in her beloved garden or in Kew Gardens for a birthday treat.
A wonderful solicitor, colleague and friend and loved by so many her sudden death is a devastating loss for her family and all who had the good fortune to have their lives touched by hers.
Nanette is survived by her mother Rose, brother Bobby, sister Maggie, husband Ken and her sons Danny and Conor.
Greg Powell
2 November 2022 – Winning Criminal Cases
Sometimes when the Defendant pleads guilty a “ win “ is the result on sentence . The length of time in custody is so important to the family and this is particularly true when parents may be elderly or there are children.
The indefatigable Sandra Riordan instructed the ever-excellent Daniel Jameson of Garden Court in a very difficult importation of handguns case . The sentence was certainly as good as could have been hoped for and the thankful mother of the defendant asked us to publish her testimonial.
“Sandra Riordan is the absolute best of the best!! Sandra was the duty solicitor when my son as arrested and I will admit I was nervous at first. We couldn’t have asked for better representation. From day one Sandra worked hard for my son and always kept me informed. You can tell this is more than just a job to Sandra, she truly cares about her clients. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!“
3 October 2022 – Not guilty!
On the 3rd October our client was acquitted in the Harrow Crown Court after a trial for intentionally causing Grievous Bodily Harm. A tremendous result and congratulations to our colleague Sandra Riordan who instructed Greg Krieger Counsel of Farringdon Chambers who appeared at the trial despite the Barristers strike because our client was vulnerable and had been in custody since December 2021.
20 July 2022 – Metro Blind Sport
We have supported this fantastic charity for a long time and are pleased to share their latest news.
28 June 2022 – Work experience testimonial
Dear Greg and Mark,
Thank you so much for the opportunity to intern at Powell Spencer. I have learned a lot about the British legal system these past weeks through your guidance. Greg, your lecture at Syracuse was the most memorable and informative out of all the other lecturers that spoke this summer. Mark, the various assignments you gave me were interesting and showed me a glimpse of the real work involved in being a lawyer. As a result of this experience, I am more excited than ever to finish law school to become a lawyer! I’d love to stay in touch as I finish up law school and beyond. This was truly a unique experience. Thanks again for this opportunity and I wish you both and the team at Powell Spencer all the best.