Kathryn Reeves
Chair
Chimdinma Nwaigwe
President
Chimdi is a Real Estate Solicitor at Edward Connor Solicitors.
She is the youngest President in the Society’s 166-year history and the first Nigerian to hold the role. Her appointment has attracted recognition in both national and international media and she has been formally honoured by the British Nigerian Law Forum for her contribution to the legal profession and wider community.
Chimdi is a dual-qualified solicitor who began her legal career in 2016 as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. She relocated to Leicestershire in 2019 and was admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales in 2020. Her experience spans across a broad range of real estate transactions, acting for charities, public sector organisations, and private businesses.
She is deeply committed to equality, diversity, and representation within the legal profession. Chimdi is a member of the Equality and Diversity Sub-Board of the Society and is also a co-administrator of Nigerian Lawyers in the UK (NLUK), a professional network of over 1,200 Nigerian lawyers in the UK, providing mentorship and practical support to those seeking to qualify and practise in England and Wales.
In her presidential year, Chimdi has placed inclusion and mental well being at the centre of the Society’s focus, a commitment reflected in both her programme of events and her chosen charities. She is passionate about building a Society where wellbeing is a shared value, every voice matters, and our diversity is not just acknowledged but celebrated.
Naila Iqbal
Vice President
With a distinguished legal career spanning more than two decades, Naila Iqbal is an accomplished solicitor and a committed advocate for justice. She currently serves as a Senior Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), where she brings extensive legal expertise, strong judgement, and an unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law.
A proud Leicestershire local, Naila is a well-respected figure within the Midlands’ legal community. Over the course of her career, she has developed broad experience across Family, Immigration, Conveyancing, and Matrimonial law, earning the trust of clients and the respect of professional peers. Her ability to manage complex and sensitive matters with professionalism, integrity, and a client-focused approach has contributed to a strong record of successful outcomes.
Alongside her professional practice, Naila has made a significant contribution to the local legal profession through her involvement with the Leicestershire Law Society. She served as Executive Chair from 2023 to 2025 and currently holds the position of Vice President, continuing to support the Society’s strategic direction and its commitment to promoting high standards, collaboration, and inclusivity within the profession. Earlier in her involvement, she also served on the committee in an events leadership capacity.
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Naila is actively involved in community and charitable work. She regularly supports pro bono and outreach initiatives, contributes her time to local and national charitable causes, and has participated in volunteer deployments and community support programmes, reflecting her strong commitment to public service and giving back to the community.
Through her leadership, experience, and ongoing service, Naila Iqbal continues to play an influential role in strengthening the legal profession and supporting the development of a modern, inclusive, and community-focused legal landscape.
Kye Herbert
Deputy Vice President
Kye is a dual-qualified Solicitor-Advocate and Barrister who practises in local government and in chambers.
Kye has considerable experience in children and family law. These matters have involved a wide variety of issues including radicalisation, unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and parties with disabilities, contact and residence disputes, divorce proceedings, Schedule 1 Children Act, domestic abuse matters and cases involving international issues, including international relocation/child abduction.
Kye also practises in public and administrative law, with a focus on local government procedure and Judicial Review.
Kye strongly believes it is important to champion the next generation of lawyers and has sought and promoted opportunities for junior lawyers to qualify, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds.
He continues to be supportive of the local Junior Lawyers’ Division and to advocate for equality, diversity, inclusion and well-being initiatives within the whole profession.
In keeping with his passion for legal education and the development of legal practice and procedure locally, wherever possible Kye delivers legal briefings and training regarding legal and procedural developments and is an active member of the Education and Training sub-board.
In recent years Kye has been an active member of several boards and panels nationally. Locally Kye’s memberships have included:-
• Deputy Vice President and immediate past Honourary Treasurer and Trustee of the Leicestershire Law Society
• the Leicestershire Local Family Justice Board
• the Education and Training sub-board of the Leicestershire Law Society
• the Family Law sub-board of the Leicestershire Law Society
• The Chief Executive’s Departmental Equality Group at Leicestershire County Council
Greg Hollingsworth
Immediate Past President
Greg Hollingsworth is the owner and founder of Hollingsworths, a specialist Litigation and Commercial Law Firm.
Greg is a graduate of the University of Leicester and trained with a national practice before setting up his own solicitors’ firm in 2000.
Rakesh Veja
Honorary Treasurer
Rakesh is a Court of Protection Solicitor and a Director at Welford Solicitors where he represents and advocates for individuals who are deemed to lack capacity to make their own Health & Welfare decisions. Rakesh was born, educated and now practices in Leicester, having spent a couple of years at the beginning of his career in London.
Rakesh qualified as a solicitor over 20 years ago and is passionate about legal aid work, having dedicated his whole career in representing vulnerable individuals. Rakesh takes great pride in training and mentoring the next generation of legal aid lawyers and does a lot of work with local universities to promote the same. He is also the chair of the LLS sub boards for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and for the Small Firms Committee.
Rakesh has been awarded the Mental Capacity (Health & Welfare) Accreditation by the Law Society and has Higher Rights of Audience in both Crime and Civil domains. He is also the Chair of The East Midlands Court of Protection Practitioners Association and is on the Board of Trustees for Leicestershire South Foodbank where he has served for over 6 years. He also supports MLSS, a local charity that provides meals to those in need and is an Ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society and delivers sessions to promote the Dementia Friends initiative.