Residential Property: selling, buying and mortgaging

Solicitor

Sara Higgs

Sara is Managing Director and Head of our Conveyancing Department. She was born in South Harrow but grew up on the Isle of Wight and in Northampton. She qualified as a solicitor in 2006 and became a partner in 2008 – which is a testimony to both the firm’s meritocratic structure and to her exceptional qualities as a lawyer! Most of Sara’s caseload is in the residential property field. This involves the ordinary through to the more complex and there are not many situations that Sara has not had to deal with. As she has done since 2006, Sara continues to also do some commercial property work.

Sara’s interests include: running (so far up to a half marathon) cinema, reading, theatre, shopping (not food!) and the gym (though everyone else is fairly sceptical on the “gym” point).

Conveyancing Executive

Dawn O’Sullivan

Dawn is a conveyancing executive. She graduated from Plymouth University in 1996 with an honours degree in law. She joined RJR in May 1999 and is a key part of the residential proeprty team. Over the years Dawn has dealt with all aspects of residential sales and purchases. Her current focus is on  getting the transactions exchanged and then taking them through to completion.

Dawn’s spare time is mostly spent looking after her two children and being the “parental taxi”.

Director

Nick Gale

Nick is the head of the Commercial Team. He is a born and bred Islander – but grateful for time spent on the ‘North Island’ and overseas for broadening his horizons. The older reader may remember his father Tony Gale, also a local solicitor (but with another firm!).

A degree in Mathematics & Computer Science from Bristol led him to a job in computing with BP. But after doing the required conversion course and then the Law Society Finals he qualified as a solicitor in 1993 in Yeovil. Nick (now with family) returned to the Island in 1998.

The majority of Nick’s workload relates to commercial property, including residential developments from two units through to much larger sites. About 10% of his time is spent on the sale or purchase of businesses, typically a local business with a few employees. 25% of his time is spent on residential property matters and the rest is spent on a mix of the less common legal issues affecting commercial clients including the occasional, but complex, share sale.

Outside of work Nick’s time is spent running three times a week, long walks at the weekends, keeping track of his three, now adult, children and he is also the long standing treasurer for 2nd Ryde Sea Scouts.

Legal Assistant

Dixie Mitchell

Dixie graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 2017 with a degree in Law. She joined RJR in June 2018 and is a legal assistant specialising in property work (both residential and commercial). She is aiming to become a member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, having already passed all the required exams, she is gathering the relevant practical experience.

Outside of work Dixie enjoys cooking and going to music festivals.