Avni Patel

Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox

I joined Lawrence Stephens as a trainee solicitor in 2022 and qualified into the Corporate and Commercial team in September 2024.

I work on all aspects of corporate and commercial law, including share and asset sales, acquisitions, company restructuring and shareholder agreements across a range of industries.

I completed an undergraduate degree in History and Spanish at Durham University. I then went on to work in legal publishing for six years, alongside which I completed the GDL and LPC at BPP University in London.

In my spare time, I enjoy travelling, running, reading and exploring the restaurants and cafes around London.

Bethany Jacobs

Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox

I joined Lawrence Stephens as a paralegal in 2018, qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution department in 2022. I qualified as a Solicitor in the same department in May 2024. 

I assist on a wide range of commercial and property litigation matters.

Be it fundraising or raising awareness, I regularly work alongside our former charity of the year Crohn’s and Colitis UK.  In my spare time, I enjoy exploring new restaurants and am a keen traveller.

Carla Bernstein

Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox

I joined Lawrence Stephens as a trainee and qualified into the Corporate and Commercial team in September 2023.

I have experience working on a range of corporate and commercial matters, including share and asset sales, mergers & acquisitions, shareholder agreements and company restructures. I have a particular interest in owner-managed businesses in the FMCG market. I enjoy assisting founders with establishing strong legal foundations and protections for their company, and then explaining and guiding them through the corporate life-cycle as they eventually prepare for an exit.

I am actively involved in building the culture of the firm, whether it be organising firm-wide social events or helping manage our in-house social and charitable initiative whereby staff are allocated to teams or ‘Houses’ and can take part in various initiatives to win House points. This initiative was born out of a desire to encourage in-person collaboration and competition through events and charity initiatives, whilst also providing a platform to recognise and award individual achievements.

Outside of my interest in law, I am a keen swimmer and movie-watcher, anything from Pixar to true crime documentaries.  I also love trying new food but admit to doing more eating than cooking!