Vaqas Latif
Solicitor & Managing Partner
A Managing Partner since 2017 with a demonstrated history of working in the Legal Practice Industry. Vaqas leads Rees Clayton Solicitors and is also Head of the Criminal Law Department. Known for his honesty and professional ethical practice, Vaqas manages all Head of Departments and Practice Operations.
Vaqas Latif, a Criminal Defence Solicitor, has been defending clients all over England and Wales for over 15 years. Vaqas studied Law in Manchester and went on to complete his Legal Practice Course. He successfully qualified as a Solicitor in 2012. He represents clients at all levels and stages of the criminal proceedings and works diligently to get the result required. Vaqas is responsible for representing both legally aided and private clients nationwide, with the ability to manage expectations and yet provide an exceptionally high level of work. His knowledge of Criminal Law allows him to continually support his clients in the most effective way. Historically, Vaqas Latif worked in major City Law Firms.
Skilled in Crime and Motoring Law, he is a Duty Solicitor who is Awarded a Criminal Litigation Accredited standard. Vaqas is a strong legal professional who believes in integrity and hard work to obtain the best results possible for clients and professionals. He has extensive experience in all criminal charges including serious crime and fraud. Vaqas’s case experience covers; fraud, assault, theft, burglary, armed robbery, drug conspiracies, kidnapping, murder/manslaughter and sexual offences. Vaqas is skilled in complex and technical motoring offences from speeding through to drink driving and effectively prepares exceptional hardship and special reason arguments as well as successfully defending road traffic cases.
Kamran Yousaf
Solicitor – Criminal Law
Kamran qualified as a Solicitor in 2008 and brings years of Criminal Law Defence expertise to Rees Clayton Solicitors and deals with a wide range of both criminal and motoring law matters.
Mubasher Ahmed
Consultant Solicitor – Criminal Law
Mubasher qualified as a Solicitor in 2017 and brings to Rees Clayton Solicitors years of Criminal Law Defence expertise and advises on a wide range of criminal law matters. He often deals with serious crime.
Ali Choudhry
Solicitor – Civil Law
Joining Rees Clayton Solicitors in 2017, Ali Choudhry leads the Civil Litigation and Personal Injury department. Areas of expertise include medical and clinical negligence, road traffic accidents, serious injury and military accidents.
Following the completion of the Legal Practice Course from Manchester University in 2009, Ali Choudhry went onto work for various major law firms nationwide and qualified as a Solicitor in 2014. His experience includes working for Nicholas and Carter Solicitors (Manchester) and Malik and Malik Solicitors (London). He has obtained a broad range of experience covering Civil Law and Personal Injury Law in both litigated and pre-litigated matters. Ali is regularly instructed on high-value cases due to his in-depth knowledge and client satisfaction. Due to his relentless efforts to produce results, Ali Choudhry is widely sought after by clients throughout England and Wales. His aim is simple; obtain the best outcome for the client.
Ali Choudhry spearheads community cohesion and pays particular attention to areas surrounding Manchester. He also leads our firm’s charity football team.
Fayha Yousif
Legal Administrator
Samiara Ali
Consultant – Civil Law
Samiara is a Solicitor in our Industrial Disease department. She is a passionate advocate and focussed on achieving the very best for her clients.
Samiara was admitted to the roll as a Solicitor in 2015. Samiara has come from a legal background dealing with large scale Industrial Disease for over 10 years including military accidents. She has extensive advocacy experience, attending Court on a regular basis for a range of matters such as complex disclosure applications, Defendant applications and CMCs. Samiara offers clear, practical and friendly advice to suit her clients’ needs.
Sabina Ahamed
Solicitor – Immigration Law
Sabina is a Solicitor in our immigration department. She is focussed on achieving the very best for her clients.
Sabina was admitted to the roll as a Solicitor in 2012. Sabina has come from a legal background dealing with various immigration matters be that legally aided or private. She now heads the department and deals solely with privately funded immigration work. She has extensive immigration experience and specialises in asylum and appeals. Sabina offers clear, practical and friendly advice to suit her clients’ needs.
Jamal R Ali
Business Development Manager
Jamal joined Rees Clayton Solicitors from the very beginning. He brings to Rees Clayton a wide range of experience from working for companies in the City of London to smaller niche practices in Birmingham and Sheffield. He has previously worked as Head of Business Development at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) and his work history includes working with the likes of Nabarro LLP and Norton Rose Fulbright LLP and other FTSE 100 companies.
He brings a breadth of legal experience having graduated in Law from The City Law School, (City, University of London) and then went on to study the Bar Professional Training Course at the University of Law, Bloomsbury. Jamal has worked in both Legal Practice and Chambers giving him a more complete understanding of legal business. Today he sits on the Board of Directors at the Brent Community Law Centre and leads business development and nationwide growth at Rees Clayton Solicitors.
Maria Abbas
Qualified Solicitor
Maria is a Civil Litigation Solicitor who joined the Rees Clayton Personal Injury Department in April 2023. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2022 and has been working in the profession for over 8 years gaining a vast amount of experience in Personal Injury. Maria completed her Law degree at the University of Central Lancashire and went onto complete her Legal Practice Course at the world-renowned BPP Law School in Manchester.
Maria has gained valuable experience in the civil sector, including litigated and pre-litigated matters.
Maria has advocacy experience, attending Court on a regular basis for a range of matters such as disclosure applications and Infant Approval Hearings. Maria offers clear, practical and friendly advice whilst trying to achieve the best outcome for her clients.
Sameeta Arshad
Personal Injury File Handler
Sameeta has established herself as a competent Personal Injury Claim Handler. she has successfully completed her Bachelor’s in Law Degree from the University of London, followed by a Master’s in Law Degree from the University of Bedfordshire. As a foreign qualified Advocate, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her legal practice.
Currently, Sameeta is thriving in the personal injury department, where she manages her own caseload effectively. Colleagues and clients alike have recognized her outstanding performance, often commending her for the clear, practical, and approachable guidance she provides, tailored to meet their specific needs. She is passionate about ensuring her clients receive the fair settlements they deserve. Her empathetic approach and commitment to her clients’ well-being have established her as a trusted person in her field. As she continues to grow in her career, Sameeta remains focused on delivering exceptional legal support, striving to make a positive impact in the lives of those she represents.
Alec Hancock
Consultant
Alec is a Consultant CILEX Litigator and Advocate (Civil) and he has been working as a consultant with Rees Clayton for about a year. He has a practice in both litigation and advocacy, representing clients in court. Alec also owns his own law firm which exclusively takes instructions to appear in court on behalf of clients from other law firms. His area of specialism is personal injury, and he has over ten years of experience, including handling employers’ and public liability claims.
Raisah Ahmed
Paralegal – Immigration
Raisah brings with her many years of experience in private immigration work. She works as a paralegal within the private cliental department dealing with applications, appeals, detentions bails and many other complex cases.
Leah Smith
Paralegal – Criminal Law
Leah has successfully gained a Law Degree from the University of Liverpool and is now undertaking her studies to become a fully qualified Solicitor. Leah is also currently undertaking her Police Station Accreditation Course in order to represent clients at the police station. Leah is a compassionate individual who strongly upholds the concept of innocent until proven guilty, ensuring her clients voices are heard. Leah has been employed within our firm for 1 year and has shown passion and determination in enhancing her knowledge and skills to provide the best support and representation for her clients.
What do Leah’s client’s say:
“Leah and Vaqas within the criminal department were amazing at dealing with a family members case. The outcome couldn’t have been better and the service provided was extremely helpful.”
“I recently had a case and used Rees Clayton’s services, not only was I happy in the manner and care they dealt with my case but also how prompt they were especially in keeping me informed. This is definitely a firm I would recommend and use again should need be. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Leah at RS for her assistance, patience and efforts.”
“Amazing service . Very helpful very understanding . Always went above and beyond to help. Would highly recommend to anyone. I dealt with Leah and she made me feel so at ease was so kind so caring . One of the best
Maisee Dennis
Paralegal
Maisee joined Rees Clayton Solicitors in January and specialises in Personal Injury and Credit Hire.
After completing her LLB in Law at Nottingham Trent University in 2022, awarded a distinction in her Master’s Degree in 2024 at the University of Liverpool, Maisee is currently studying the Bar Practice Course with the aspiration of becoming a barrister.
With a solid foundation in Civil Law, gained through her Bar Course training, Maisee offers a comprehensive approach to legal matters and works diligently to ensure that each case is handled with the utmost care and expertise.
Andrew Haworth
Marketing
Andrew is a dedicated member of the marketing team with a passion for running social media accounts. He excels at creating engaging content, tracking performance metrics, and interacting with followers to enhance brand presence. In addition to his content creation duties, Andrew collaborates with the team to assist with various administrative tasks, ensuring smooth operations. Always eager to learn, he continually experiments with new ideas to keep the online presence fresh and exciting.