Tracey Wright
Partner and Solicitor of Wills and Probate
Tracey is a Solicitor in our Wills and Probate team with particular interest in advising on inheritance tax planning, especially in the rural sector. She joined Woollcombe Yonge with 17 years of experience of advising clients in Devon and Cornwall on all of their Private Client needs. Tracey is also our Complaints Partner.
She advises on all aspects of will planning, powers of attorney, trusts, estate planning and administration. Additionally Tracey enjoys acting as a Deputy, appointed by the Court of Protection, to look after the financial affairs of those who might otherwise be vulnerable to exploitation due to a lack of mental capacity.
What they say about Tracey:
- “10/10 Exemplary”
- “Could not fault the quality of the service”
- “I was treated with the utmost courtesy and respect. Something which is in short supply these days”
- We approached Tracey Wright with regards to a rather complicated Will and Trust that we needed to set up. Tracey listened, advised, explained and made the whole experience actually quite enjoyable. I think we even laughed a few times! Everyone we spoke to at Woollcombe Yonge were helpful, friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Thank you for making our dreaded Will experience so effortless and painless. We really appreciated the professional way everything was handled.
- We just want to say a big thank you for everything. It was a difficult time for me so its truly heartfelt. Thank you.
- Thank you very much to both Tracey and Lian for all your hard work dealing with Mum and Dad’s estates. We appreciate your kindness and empathy towards us all in what has been a very emotional time for us all.
Joe Cunningham
Managing Partner and Solicitor Residential Property Department
Joe became a Partner in January 2018. He qualified as a solicitor in July 2014 after successfully completing his Training Contract with us here at Woollcombe Yonge.
He is a solicitor in the Residential Property Department.
He became the Managing Partner in January 2023.
He specialises in all aspects of residential and commercial property including the buying, selling and remortgaging of houses and flats, the acquisition and sale of development sites and plots and commercial leases for both landlords and tenants.
What they say about Joe:
- “The service from the onset was very professional and efficient. Would recommend and use your services again. Thank you!”
- “As a family, we found the service provided to us was delivered with ’empathy’ and was in fact ‘outstanding’, we would most certainly recommend your services to friends.”
Ian Veater
Partner, Solicitor and Head of Business Services
Ian joined Woollcombe Yonge in 2018 as a partner in the commercial team. He specialises in commercial and corporate disputes across a number of industries. His work also encompasses all aspects of regulatory disputes including health, safety, financial and environmental issues. This includes advising on formal investigations and prosecutions by government bodies and local authorities, advising on appeals against Notices and dealing with judicial review proceedings.
Ian also acts for clients and insolvency practitioners in relation to insolvency cases, business rescue and litigation work and has been involved in advising clients involved in fraud cases, with a view to civil proceedings to recover assets. He regularly advises on Directors duties and Directors Disqualification Proceedings, complex shareholder and partnership disputes including unfair prejudice and minority shareholder disputes, warranty disputes, high value contested debt and construction disputes.
Will Giles
Partner, Solicitor and Head of Family Law
Will joined as the Family Department Partner in January 2018 and qualified as a Solicitor in 1994. He is a Member of the Family Law Panel (Advanced Tier) and is accredited by Resolution as a specialist Family Lawyer.
Will joined as the Family Department Partner in January 2018 and qualified as a Solicitor in 1994.
He is a Member of the Family Law Panel (Advanced Tier) and is accredited by Resolution as a specialist Family Lawyer. He is also a Collaborative Lawyer and an accredited Mediator, which often helps resolve situations without the need of attending court. Will helps unhappy people out of unhappy relationships.
What they say about Will:
- “a kind heart and a good mind”
- “has particular experience in military divorces. William Giles is “especially strong in finance cases”.
Rebecca Wood
Partner, Solicitor Advocate and Head of the Criminal Department.
Rebecca is a Partner in the firm.
Rebecca specialises in Criminal Defence law covering offences across the whole spectrum of criminal law.
She is a qualified Duty Solicitor undertaking work at Police Stations, Magistrates Courts, Youth Courts and Crown Courts.
Rebecca is a Solicitor Advocate, qualified to provide advocacy in the Higher Courts and represent clients through the entirety of their case.
Rebecca is passionate about providing a proactive defence for our clients and ensuring the best possible outcome in their case.
With links to the Royal Navy, Rebecca is keen to support and work with the Armed Forces.
Rebecca joins the Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB), which brings together senior leaders in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) to drive forwards work to address the challenges in the system. She is also the Chair of the working group ‘Improving Outcomes for Women in the CJS’.
In January 2020 Rebecca joined Plymouth Law Society committee and is an active member of the local legal community.
In July 2022 Rebecca became a ‘Salaried Partner’ in the firm.
What they say about Rebecca:
• “If I needed a solicitor again I would definitely use this Company, a police friend of mine recommended you, it was very good advice.”
• “Very friendly and explained everything.”
- “Great service. I felt very supported and felt like nothing was too much trouble and no question was a stupid one. Big thank you to Rebecca for her help with my first and hopefully last court experience”.
- “Best move I did using Woollcombe Yonge. I feel very confident under the wing of Rebecca in our situation”.
- “Rebecca was professional, articulate and very informative. Instantly put me at ease, as it was and is a stressful time for me”.
John Haythorn
Consultant Solicitor
John has been a Partner since 1982 and holds an excellent reputation within the legal community in the South West with his experience in criminal law.
John retired from the practice on the 31st December 2023. He is now a Consultant Solicitor with the practice.
With specialisms in this area of law, John represents clients at police stations, magistrates court, crown courts and courts martial, covering the whole range of criminal offences.
He is highly experienced in advising and representing individuals and companies in relation to Road Traffic and Regulatory offences.
John has rights of audience in the Higher Criminal Courts and is a qualified Duty Solicitor.
What they say about John:
• “Can’t thank you enough for your support on the day of the interview, I know I was a bit of a wreck on that day. Again thank you, and I will be recommending your services to others for sure.”
• “Mr Haythorn was most reassuring and supportive throughout what was a very traumatic evening for me and my family, it was a relief to have a professional with me.”
- “John Haythorn always responded promptly and I felt I was in good hands”
Conveyancing client
"As a family we found the service provided to us was delivered with ’empathy’ and was in fact ‘outstanding’, we would most certainly recommend Woollcombe Yonge to friends.”