Meet The Team
At L.T. Law, we pride ourselves on our dedicated approach to each and every case. Each member of the team has different areas of personal expertise whilst all are highly competent in the key areas of our business. Either get in touch directly via email or call us on 01228 402069.

Mark Shepherd – PARTNER
SOLICITOR-ADVOCATE
Mark is a Partner with the Firm and a Solicitor-Advocate with Higher Rights in Criminal Proceedings. He was admitted as a Solicitor in 2004 and has practiced in his specialist areas of Criminal Defence, Motoring, Inquests and Regulatory Defence work since that time. Mark has successfully defended clients facing serious, complex and high-profile prosecutions. He has frequently been instructed to act in large-scale conspiracy cases involving Organised Crime Groups, serious Historic Sexual Abuse cases, Fatal Road Traffic Collisions, Fraud and Homicide matters. He is a tenacious Litigator and Advocate with a comprehensive knowledge of law and procedure and is often instructed to assist professional clients who face the loss of their reputation in addition to punishment for crimes allegedly committed. Mark has appeared at the Court of Appeal Criminal Division on a number of occasions, successfully appealing sentences in serious and complex cases. He has also undertaken preparatory work on a successful Appeal against Conviction where convictions for very serious offences were quashed. Mark was appointed as a Recorder (Crime) in May 2023.

Chris Toms – PARTNER
SOLICITOR-ADVOCATE
Chris is a Solicitor, Higher Courts Advocate (Crime) and Founding Partner in the Firm. He qualified in 1992 and has practiced almost exclusively in Criminal law since. He has acted in some renowned cases, including ‘Crimewatch’ featured murders, and international smuggling cases. He has a particular interest in Motoring law, and now travels across northern England to present such cases.

Adele Graham – Assistant Solicitor
ASSISTANT SOLICITOR
Adele is a Solicitor who qualified in 2024. She read Law at the University of Central Lancashire before completing her Masters in Law in 2022. She has recently obtained Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme membership and will soon be a qualified Duty Solicitor on the Carlisle and Penrith rota.
Adele is a Magistrates’ Court Trial lawyer who conducts litigation on serious and sensitive cases in the Crown Court. In recent times, she has represented many dog owners whose dogs are at risk of destruction orders, forging professional relationships with expert witnesses.
Finally, Adele is also an accredited and experienced Police Station Representative.

Anne Toms – Office Manager and Paralegal
Anne has been the Office Manager since the inception of the Firm in 2013. Having worked the majority of her career in Criminal Defence practices in addition to working for a Costs Draftsman, Anne has considerable experience and expertise in matters of compliance, office management and billing. Anne also has considerable experience in assisting clients facing confiscation and other proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act. She has also attended and assisted Counsel during Trials at the Crown Court.

Helen Banks – Billing Manager
Helen joined the firm in 2016 as a part-time receptionist, billing clerk and administrator. Helen has previously worked as a law clerk within a Criminal Defence Firm and has followed this with roles in billing and legal accounts. Helen is responsible for obtaining funding and instructing expert witnesses, translators, interpreters and intermediaries as required for each case in addition to all aspects of criminal billing. In addition to working 4 days per week at LT Law, Helen is self-employed as a parish administrator, a role she has undertaken for over 24 years.

Alison Shepherd – Private Client Manager
Alison graduated from The University of Sheffield with BA Honours in Business, working in Banking and Finance in London and Manchester for 10 years before returning to Cumbria. As our Private Client Manager, Alison is responsible for liaising with and invoicing of clients who elect to pay privately for legal representation or who may exceed the financial criteria to qualify for legal aid funding. Alison also assist business and corporate clients facing criminal charges as this is a field our solicitors at LT Law have recent experience in undertaking.

Rebecca Allen – Paralegal and Trainee Police Station Representative
After graduating from the University of Cumbria with a 2:1 law degree Rebecca joined the firm in August 2022. Rebecca is employed full time as a Paralegal supporting litigation preparation and Counsel for Crown Court cases and has commenced her training to become a Police Station Representative.

Emma Scholey – Legal Assistant, Administrator and Trainee Police Station Representative
Emma Scholey – Legal Assistant, Trainee Solicitor and Probationary Police Station Representative.
Emma joined the Firm in May 2024 after completing a university placement. Having graduated from Leeds Trinity University with a degree in Criminology, Emma is training to become a qualified Solicitor in 2028.
She is a recently appointed Probationary Police Station Representative who is actively working towards full accreditation.
Emma assists in relation to all aspects of criminal law and has recently supported Counsel to achieve acquittals in a serious and sensitive case where the police had failed to provide adequate disclosure.
