Founded in 2016 in the heart of Uppermill, O’Donnell Solicitors was established by husband-and-wife team James and Rebecca O’Donnell. What began as a vision for offering clear, straight talking personal, and high-quality legal advice, in a fresh modern environment, has grown into one of the region’s most respected independent law firms; now operating from three office locations across Uppermill and Grasscroft.
Here we look at how our presence has grown over the past decade and look forward to future investment in the firm and its local roots.
Leading Experts Delivering Key Legal Services
Our Directors are all Lawyers who are embedded in the local community each bringing a wealth of experience and specialist knowledge to the firm, each heading the firms key departments:
- James O’Donnell – Director, Head of Commercial, Commercial Property and Corporate Law: James advises companies, business owners, and entrepreneurs on all aspects of commercial and corporate law, including acquisitions, sales, restructuring, and business contracts. His team also specialise in commercial real estate handling small retail units on the high street up to multi-million-pound multi let sites including real estate finance work. His practical, client-focused approach helps businesses of all sizes navigate legal complexity with clarity. Renowned for his tenacious approach where required, James’ approachable manner endears clients to the firm, he has a proven track record as a rainmaker.
- Rebecca O’Donnell – Director, Head of Practice Development: As co-founder and a driving force behind the firm’s continued growth, Rebecca oversees client service strategy, compliance, risk management and practice development while supporting the business’s operational and strategic aims.
- Anthony Jones – Director, Head of Family Law: Anthony is a highly respected family lawyer, known for handling complex and sensitive matters including divorce, financial settlements, child arrangements, and cohabitation disputes. His team works to resolve cases constructively while protecting clients’ best interests.
- Jill Waddington – Director, Head of Private Client: Jill leads our private client team, providing expert advice on wills, probate, estate administration, lasting powers of attorney, and asset protection. Jill holds an eminent position amongst her peers and is well connected locally but also enjoys an enviable network of referrers of work nationally. She is known for her empathetic approach and has built a strong reputation in her field.
- Richard Dobson-Mason – Director, Head of Dispute Resolution and Litigation: Richard advises individuals and businesses on a wide range of civil and commercial disputes, specialising in complex disputes including contractual claims, property litigation, contentious probate, and debt recovery. His strategic insight and litigation experience are invaluable to clients navigating disputes. Richard is also a qualified Barrister and Judge in the first tier property tribunal.
As a firm, we are always on the lookout for ways to deliver the legal services our clients require in a modern and efficient way. The firm has continuously reinvested in Technology to meet the modern demands and expectations of clients. In response to growing demand, we’ve recently expanded our property department and last year the firm launched a new Medical Negligence department, led by experienced Lawyer Ken Lees.
Awards and Recognition
Our commitment to excellence has been recognised both locally and nationally with a number of industry and business awards. In 2019, we were shortlisted for the Law Society’s Excellence Awards in the Small Law Firm of the Year category, and our conveyancing department has received similar accolades at the LFS Small Conveyancing Firm of the Year Awards. In 2024 the firm’s Commercial Department were also Shortlisted in The Leap National Commercial Property Team of the Year.
Community Engagement
Our roots in Saddleworth are deep, with many of our staff members living locally. Community involvement is at the heart of our practice; every year we support local events including the Mossley 10k, for which this year’s event is our tenth year of sponsorship. The firm also sponsors several grass roots sports teams and local organisations, such as Mossley AFC Football Club, Curzon Ashton and the Saddleworth Olympics.
Giving back to local causes has always been part of our mission. We choose a Charity of the Year on an annual basis which becomes a focus for our team’s fundraising efforts throughout the year. Over the years we have supported local charities including Maggie’s Oldham and Reuben’s Retreat.
Looking Ahead
As we near our 10-year milestone, our focus remains on delivering high-quality straight talking legal services while continuing to support and engage with our community with further expansion plans underway. We also look forward to arranging our tenth anniversary celebrations to take place at the end of the year. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our clients, staff, and the Saddleworth community for their unwavering support over the past decade. We look forward to many more years of delivering support and advice to our clients old and new.
