The Team

Paul Ives - Project Director

Paul has spent over 15 years in the legal publishing industry - initially producing tenancy agreements and related legal forms and guidance material for the resident property letting sector.

Paul started the Letting Centre in 1993 and it is now one of the top suppliers of legal forms in this field.  Paul completed his first degree in computer science at St.Andrews University, and he subsequently took an MBA post-graduate degree in business and law.

Based in Devon, UK, he enjoys sailing (a boat share) in local waters, and getting out on his bike cycling around the hilly countryside of East Devon.

Phillip Hopkins - Legal Advisor

Phillip headed the Sharing Contracts legal team and helped to develop the specifications and commercial structure of the agreements.

Phillip studied Law at the Universities of Southampton and Birmingham and subsequently lectured in law for over 10 years in the Law Department at Durham University. Phillip has wide experience in drafting consumer contracts and a specialist knowledge of contract law and the application of the Unfair Contract Terms Regulations to consumer contracts.

Kate Langton - Research & Drafting

Kate Langton worked for Sharing Contracts in the summer of 2009 to help co-ordinate the building of the original Sharing Contracts website and its associated content. She worked alongside the other members of the SC team and played a leading role in the specification of the initial set of agreements, and drafting these contracts prior to review by intenal and external legal experts.

Kate gained her law degree at the University of Oxford, and then completed a post-graduate diploma in legal practice at University of West England in Bristol. Kate works for a firm of solicitors in Bristol and is now completing her training contract to become a qualified solicitor in the future."

Nick Conner - External Solicitor

Nick Conner joined the Sharing Contracts team in order to act as an external legal moderator for the agreements.  He provided close scrunity of the agreements, and suggested improvements to make the agreements follow an accessible plain language style, and to help make the agreements generally robust and secure.

Having completed his law degree at Exeter University in 2003. Nick now works as a solicitor with a Bristol law firm. He is also a published and accomplished writer who contributes regularly to the Letting Update Journal, and undertakes occasional private consultancy project work.

David Goode - Website Co-ordinator

David Goode became part of the Sharing Contracts team by designing, hosting and maintaining the website. Using his 10 years of experience working with e-commerce and Content Management Systems he has provided a simple, user friendly site that enables safe and secure transactions with immediate downloads once payment is confirmed.