Steven Marsh BA
Steven has been with Scott Duff & Co since 1983 when he qualified as a solicitor. He became a partner in 1986 and has specialised in representing clients in Court proceedings. Whilst he can often be seen representing clients at the local Magistrates Court in addition he has developed a particular specialism in personal injury law. He has been successful in securing substantial compensation for hundreds of clients and has built up extensive local knowledge and experience which contributes to the success of those claims. He has been a member of the Law Society Specialist Injury Panel since 1994.
Steven also undertakes a wide range of civil litigation and his expertise in housing law means that Scott Duff & Co are the only solicitors firm in Cumbria contracted by the Legal Services Commission to provide advice and representation in housing disputes including claims for disrepair.
Steven is married with two children and enjoys outdoor pursuits. By the age of 40 years he had become one of the select number of people who have climbed all the Scottish mountains over 3000 feet known as the Munros.

Email | Tel. 01768 869502

Kate Blue LLB
Kate was born and educated in Cumbria. She qualified as a solicitor while working in Kendal in the early 1980s and became a partner in Scott Duff & Co in 1990. During her early years in practice Kate gained experience in property and private client work which assisted her in developing Scott Duff & Co’s successful family law department. She became an Advanced Member of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel in 2002 and now combines her specialism in the financial aspects of family problems with management of the firm’s property department.
Kate is married with two teenage children and enjoys walking, cycling, skiing and tennis.

Email | Tel. 01768 869501

Fiona Marsh MA
Fiona came to Penrith from the North East in 1983 with her husband Steven and joined Scott Duff & Co in 1988. She has always specialised in property law and over the years has dealt with the sales and purchases of numerous pubs, shops, farms building plots as well as homes in Cumbria and further afield.
She enjoys walking in the Lake District and family holidays.

Email | Tel. 01768 869504

Cheryl Christian LLB
Cheryl Christian qualified as a solicitor in Derbyshire in 1987 and returned to Cumbria in 1989; she joined Scott Duff & Co in 1995. Cheryl specialises in advice to elderly clients, the preparation of wills and the administration of estates and is a member of Solicitors For the Elderly.
Out of the office Cheryl has been a lifelong member and active supporter of Girl Guiding and is County Commissioner for Cumbria North.

Email | Tel. 01768 869503

Suzanne Connell LLB
Suzanne was born and educated in Cumbria until the age of 18 when she went to the University of Reading to study Law. She completed her Legal Practice Certificate at the College of Law in Chester and joined Scott Duff and Co in March 1998 as a Trainee Solicitor. She qualified as a Solicitor in March 2000 and became a Partner in the firm in May 2003.
Suzanne began specialising in Personal Injury in 2000 and became a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel in May 2004.
Suzanne is married and has two children..

Email | Tel. 01228 633381

Katie qualified as a solicitor in 2001. She is a member of Resolution, a national group of 5,000 family lawyers, and is a Resolution Accredited Specialist which means that she has satisfied Resolution of her expertise in family law. She is also a trained Collaborative lawyer. Information about Collaborative Law can be found on our family law page.

Katie deals in all aspects of divorce and family breakdown including the breakdown of cohabiting relationships. Her work includes the financial consequences of family breakdown and disputes relating to children following the separation of their parents. She also deals with complicated disputes over children often involving complex expert evidence.

A Cumbrian born and bred, she is also the treasurer of Carlisle child contact centre, a local charity that helps children spend time with a parent who does not live with them, and a school governor of a local primary school. She is also an active committee member of Carlisle & District Law Society.

Email | Tel. 01228 633380

Andrew Duff
Andrew started the firm in Penrith in April 1977. He originally came from Derby and qualified in July 1969. Throughout his time in the law he has specialised in litigation beginning with civil and now concentrating on personal injury and clinical negligence.
Andrew is a Senior litigator in the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel.  He works at the Keswick office.
Andrew is married with three grown up children. He is fond of walking, particularly in the Lake District and Scotland but unlike Steven Marsh has not yet managed to complete all the Munros. As well as currently studying Italian at degree level he also enjoys mountain biking, swimming and skiing.

Email | Tel.017687 81991

Philippa Harding LLB

Philippa qualified as a solicitor in 1994 and has specialised in Family Law since then. She practised in London and the South East before moving with her family to Cumbria in 2006 where she joined the family department at Scott Duff & Co. She deals particularly with the financial aspects of divorce and cohabitation cases, and disputes about children. She has experience of complex financial issues arising from divorce and separation including cases involving businesses and farms. Philippa is a Collaborative Lawyer (please see our Family Law page for more information about this), a member of Resolution, a Resolution Accredited Specialist and an Advanced Member of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel.

Email | Tel. 01768 865551

Laura Webster BA
Laura qualified as a solicitor in 2008 having trained with Scott Duff & Co. She graduated from Strathclyde University in 2004 with a degree in marketing and French. She then studied law at Northumbria University in Newcastle before moving to Cumbria.
She specialises in Wills, Probate and Domestic Conveyancing.

Laura is married with two children, she is currently on Maternity leave.

Email | Tel. 017687 81990

Cheryl Broad BA

Cheryl was born and educated in Carlisle. She attended the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, achieving a BA Honours degree in Law with English and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, before returning to her home city to be employed at Scott Duff & Co as a Trainee Solicitor. She qualified as a Solicitor in July 2008, and mainly deals with Personal Injury matters and Wills.
Cheryl is a keen Carlisle United supporter, holding a season ticket for Brunton Park.

Email | Tel. 01228 633382

Alistair Bell LLB

Alistair is from Carlisle. He graduated from the University of Liverpool with a Degree in Law and went on to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law in Chester. Alistair worked in private practice and local government in Manchester before returning to Cumbria in 2007 to join Scott Duff & Co.  Alistair qualified as a Solicitor in 2009 and specialises in Property Law . 

Alistair is a keen music fan. He also enjoys travel and hill walking.

Email | Tel: 01768 869508

Claire qualified as a solicitor in 2009 having trained with Scott Duff & Co.  She graduated from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne with a Degree in Law and then went on to obtain a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice at Northumbria University in Newcastle.  She specialises mainly in Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence matters. 

Claire is from West Cumbria and enjoys keeping fit and spending time with her family and friends.

Email | Tel: 017687 81992

Ian Sharman BA

Ian qualified as a solicitor in 2001 having spent the first eight years of his working life in the central Department of Transport, advising on commercial vehicle safety legislation and private finance for road building, operation and maintenance contracts.

His experience includes acting for one of the major mobile phone companies on their mast agreements; landlords and tenants on the granting, taking and assignment of commercial leases; developers; and private individuals on the buying, selling and mortgaging of houses and flats.

Born in Carlisle, Ian graduated with a music degree from Colchester Institute and retrained by undertaking the Common Professional Examination at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle. His interests outside work include music, hill walking and cycling.

Email | Tel: 017687 74436

Matthew Sterling BSc

Matthew was born and educated in Oxfordshire.  He began his journey north after leaving school and attended the University of Liverpool, graduating in 2003 with a degree in Geography.   Matthew then moved to Manchester and obtained a post-graduate diploma in law and legal practice from the Manchester Metropolitan University.  In 2008 he continued north and moved to Cumbria with his family before joining Scott Duff & Co as a trainee 2009 qualifying in June 2011 he now specialises in family Law.

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Matthew enjoys many outdoor activities and is especially passionate about mountain biking and snowboarding.

Email | Tel: 01228 531054

Nicola Broyan A.Inst.L.Ex

Nicola joined Scott Duff & Co in 2004 and is an Associate member of the Institute of Legal Executives. She specialises in Wills, Probate and Elderly client work.  Nicola lives with her husband and son and enjoys skiing holidays, going to concerts, and watching Leeds United.

Email | Tel. 01768 869507

Debbie Stalker

Debbie joined Scott Duff & Co in 1992.  She is a trainee Legal Executive dealing mainly in road traffic accidents and criminal injuries.  She enjoys family holidays, reading and spending time with her husband and daughter.   

Email | Tel: 01228 531054

Helen Boyd - Office Manager
Helen joined Scott Duff & Co in July 2002. She has extensive office management responsibilities as well as running the finances for all three branches. She is a member of the Institute of Legal Cashiers (ILCA)

Originally from the Northumberland coast, Helen came to live in Penrith in 1990. She is an amateur photographer and the Secretary for Penrith & District Camera Club. She is also an avid reader and enjoys, long country walks and city breaks.

Email | Tel. 01768 869506

David Clarke

David joined Scott Duff & Co in August 2011 following a career in telecommunications. He obtained his law degree with the Open University and a Diploma in Legal Practice with the College of Law. David is a trainee solicitor covering Personal Injury, General Litigation and Wills and Probate.

David brings his previous experience in employment law to the firm.  He lives in Kendal and in his spare time he is a clerk to a local parish council

Email | Tel. 01768 865551

Lisa Crosthwaite

Lisa was born in Cumbria and brought up in Cockermouth. She graduated with a LLB Exempting Degree from the University of Northumbria in Newcastle.  Having returned to Cockermouth after graduating and spending one year working as a Trainee Law Costs Draftperson, Lisa joined Scott Duff as a trainee solicitor in October 2011.

Lisa enjoys spending time with her friends and family and keeping fit.  She also volunteers for Action for Children at Workington Children’s Centre in her spare time.

Email | Tel. 017687 81990