Our Directors

Penny Harper MA (Oxon) Solicitor, Director, FRSA

Penny is a Director of Legal Experience Ltd. She has overall responsibility for client relationship management, the design and delivery of courses and selection and training of course tutors. Penny has extensive experience of designing and delivering legal knowledge and skills based learning and development as well as assessed programmes. Penny has spoken at many conferences and regularly written articles including those published in the “New Law Journal”, “The Solicitors Journal”, “The Tax Advisor”, and “Fire” . Penny is the co author of “ The expert witness” a practical guide for expert witnesses, published by Shaw and Sons.

Penny was formerly with Kingsley Napley Solicitors in London and then a senior lecturer in criminal law, civil and criminal litigation, with the College of Law, the largest provider of legal education in the UK. She was head of the employment law team in London. She also trained advocacy, negotiating and legal research. Penny has worked as a training consultant for The Law Society and BPP Law School. She was Director of CPD at The City Law School ( formerly The Inns of Court School of Law) and responsible for setting up and developing a number of courses for both lawyers and non lawyers, including the Higher Rights of Audience and the Professional Skills Course accredited by The Law Society, The Tax Diploma accredited by City University, Essential Negotiating Skills, Advocacy, Drafting, Report Writing, In The Witness Box ( now called Witness Familiarisation), Law, Evidence, Procedure and Best Practice for Investigators, Expert Witness Report Writing and Expert Witness in the Witness Box.

Penny has particular experience of delivering learning outcomes based training and the use of competency based assessment criteria, as well as the settling and marking of assessments.

Penny was a Company Director at Bond Solon Training Ltd, a medium sized commercial training company, for 8 years. Penny led the legal team and had overall responsibility for working with clients and the legal team to design and deliver training. She has extensive experience of designing and delivering accredited training for experts, professional and factual witnesses .She pioneered the development of training for investigators and worked with law firms, NHS Trusts, Public and Professional Bodies, Local Authorities, Regulatory Bodies, the Police , Social Services departments, Fire and Rescue Services and many blue-chip companies throughout the UK (and Internationally).

A sample of Penny’s clients over the years include the following, the top 100 law firms, KMPG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young, BDO Stoy Hayward, Baker Tilly, Navigant Consulting, HSBC,RBS, Nationwide, Inland Revenue Special Compliance and HM Customs and Excise ( now part of HMRC) Company Investigations Branch, CIPFA, OPRA, SFO, FSA, DTI Insolvency Service, NDFU, National Finger Print Bureau, Ofsted, OISC, National Care Standards Commission , General Social Care Council, Transport for London, Air Accident Investigation Branch, Rural Payments Agency, Maritime and Coast Guard Agency, Home Office Drugs Inspectorate, Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman, Environment Agency, Marine Fisheries Agency, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, EC Harris, Arup, GVA Grimley, The Planning Service of Northern Ireland, The Valuation Office, IOSH, National Grid Transco, United Biscuits, Luton Airport, Mothercare, SE Ambulance Service, Whitbread, Virgin Trains, First Great Western Trains, Biffa Waste, Ladbrookes, Gallagher Bassett, B and Q, QinetiQ, British Gas, BT, Microsoft, Welsh Water, RAIB, CIEH, IMECHE, Institute of Civil Engineers, Eastern Health & Social Services, Devon Social Services, Southwark Social Services, Essex Social Services, Kent County Council, Westminster County Council, Birmingham City Council, London Borough of Camden, London Borough of Hillingdon, London Borough of Ealing, Epsom and St Hellier PCT, Greenwich Social Services, Derby PCT, many Local Authorities, Police Forces and Fire and Rescue Services throughout the UK.

What Penny’s clients say:

“Very knowledgeable, good delivery, assessed the needs of the attendees very quickly and met these needs”

“Excellent – Informed, experienced and easy to absorb all the information”

“Excellent grasp of the subject and practical knowledge”

“Excellent. Spoke clearly and knowledgeably. Kept to the schedule, interesting and relevant”

“Exceeded expectations, an excellent course; well structured and covering all the key issues”

Mark James MA (Oxon), Barrister, Non Executive Director

Mark was called to the bar in 1987. He is in practice at Temple Garden Chambers (formerly 1 Temple Gardens) in London. Temple Garden Chambers is a leading London Chambers. Mark has experience of criminal, civil and commercial litigation. Mark has extensive court experience and advises clients across a range of matters including health and safety, professional negligence, fraud, high value personal injury litigation, costs, employment and contractual disputes. He is rated in “The Legal 500” as having “excellent knowledge”.

Mark is the author of “Expert Evidence: Law and Practice” (2009) published by Sweet and Maxwell. This is the seminal text book on expert evidence. Mark has been a pupil master for 15 years and is committed to legal and skills training. He sits on the Bar Standards Board Education and Training Committee and has been part of the inspection team evaluating the legal and skills training at the Bar Vocational Course at Cardiff University. Mark has conducted investigations into compliance matters concerning professional conduct and been part of the legal team drawing up a protocol for use in such investigations.

Mark has the Direct Access Accreditation, which enables him to give legal advice and representation to members of the public, companies and public bodies without the involvement of solicitors. He has advised and represented many professionals in this capacity.

Mark regularly writes articles on expert law, evidence and procedure. He also provides training sessions for lawyers and other professionals. He has provided training to the top 100 law firms in relation to costs, advocacy and court appearances, expert evidence, privilege and disclosure and more.

In association with Ross & Craig

Ross and Craig is a medium sized solicitors firm, established for over 50 years and based in Central London. Ross and Craig have a wealth of legal experience in providing their clients with the highest quality of legal services. Their reputation is based on their approachability, their ability to offer their clients practical advice and representation with cost effective solutions to achieve the best possible outcome for their client.

Ross and Craig are part of LawNet the largest group of quality accredited independent law firms in the country. Ross and Craig are ISO9001 accredited through LawNet. In addition Ross and Craig are members of Eurojuris the leading group of quality assured law firms in Europe.

Ross and Craig lawyers provide their clients with a range of legal services with a particular focus on Litigation and Dispute Resolution (including contractual disputes, professional negligence, personal injury litigation, media management, fraud investigations and construction litigation), Employment Law and Workplace Disputes (including complaints ,grievance and disciplinary investigations, sex, race and other discriminations, civil fraud, financial services, health and safety, and white collar crime), Insolvency, Commercial and Residential Property Litigation, Family Law and Tax Planning.

Ross and Craig’s clients include accountants, insolvency practitioners, financial advisers, surveyors, engineers, banks, blue chip companies, airlines, doctors, schools, charities, professional bodies and more. Recently the firm has advised on the legal aspects of the well know television series “Judge John Deed”.

Members of Ross and Craig have specialist membership of the following organisations:-

  • Employment Lawyers Association
  • Resolution
  • Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
  • Eurojuris
  • LawNet
  • Property Litigation Association
  • London Solicitors’ Litigation Association
  • Charity Law Association
  • Business Networking International
  • Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners