
Baljinder Singh Atwal
Chair
Bal is a Senior Lawyer – Commercial at West Midlands Police, the second largest police force in the country, specialising in Commercial Property and Commercial. Bal trained and qualified in international and global law firms before making the move in-house.
Bal enjoys the variety of work he can be involved in while in-house and the impact he can make across the whole organisation. Bal is a previous Co-Chair of the Birmingham Solicitor’s Group and a nationally elected Council Member for The Law Society representing Junior Lawyers (0-6 years PQE) across England and Wales. Outside of the day job, Bal is a big fan of the UFC.

Heidi Salter
Vice Chair
Heidi is in-house Legal Counsel at Housing 21. With over 23 years’ experience in both commercial private practice, and as in-house legal counsel – Heidi manages a varied portfolio of work, dealing with all aspects of property and commercial matters.
In addition to sitting on various committees within her organisation, Heidi is also a Trustee on the Boards for: WAITS a charity supporting women fleeing domestic abuse; and The Endometriosis Foundation. As founder of the UK HRT & Menopause Support group Heidi is passionate about supporting and advocating for women’s health, she has previously attended Parliamentary APPG roundtable meetings; been a speaker on a radio show and featured on a news channel. Heidi grew up in South Africa. In her spare time she enjoys exploring her creative interests and the outdoors – walking, painting and photography.

Chris Simmonds
Chris is a senior Solicitor at Wolverhampton City Council, with over 7 years’ experience in local government law. He currently specialises in planning and commercial property, but previously worked within litigation and governance. He has handled precedent setting matters up to and including the Supreme Court and developed innovative solutions to tackle the plague of unlawful evictions, being awarded “Highly Commended” in the Best Social Housing Initiative Category in the MJ Awards 2021 and being shortlisted for Junior Lawyer of the Year in the Lawyers in Local Government Awards 2021.
Chris started his career in local government as a work experience student, before becoming qualified as a solicitor at the Council. Chris loves working in local government and is keen to promote the excellent quality and variety of work which can be undertaken in-house, as well as the fantastic development opportunities available, whilst advancing the betterment of society.
Chris is also a Les Mills Bodycombat Instructor in his spare time and is extremely passionate about group exercise, walking and animals.

Allia Khan Hussain
Allia started her career as a commercial litigator working in private practice for over 11 years and then became the first in-house counsel for DPD UK. She developed a team and became Head of Legal with over 11 years of experience in the logistics world. She then became Head of Legal within the insurance sector and the Lloyds of London marketplace. She is passionate about developing teams with a “can do” approach and advocates awareness around empowerment, diversity and helping businesses thrive.
In her spare time, Allia is passionate about motorsport and is trained in the art of Krav Maga! She also loves dogs and has working protection dogs which keep her very busy!

Neena Janda
I am a Senior Legal Counsel working at a leading consumer insights technology company, Zappi. My role mianly involves reviewing commercial contracts (customer and supplier agreements); handling IP and data protection queries amongst other matters in-house. I enjoy travelling and in my spare time doing creative activities such as drawing.

Gurdeep Plahe
Gurdeep is the In-House Legal Manager within the General Counsel Team at Irwin Mitchell LLP, a renowned full-service law firm celebrated for its expertise in both personal and business legal services.
With a robust background spanning public, private and in-house roles, Gurdeep brings a wealth of experience, where he excels in delivering strategic legal, regulatory, and commercial advice.
Gurdeep’s approach is simple – understand the legal needs of your colleagues via effective business partnering and embed proportionate processes, resulting in efficient legal operations and delivery. With Gurdeep’s leadership in this space, he strives to ensure that his team are set up for success.
Beyond the day job, Gurdeep is a passionate artist, an avid traveller and a keen baker.

Waseem Ahmed
Waseem is an in-house Solicitor, specialising in Banking & Finance at Lloyds Banking Group (LBG). Waseem trained and qualified at LBG and, is part of LBG’s Social Mobility Committee. He is proud to be a part of a growing effort to increase pathways into the law.
Prior to becoming a Solicitor, Waseem spent 6 years of his career as a corporate banker. He is passionate about bringing value to clients through excellent relationship management, financial skills and commercial acumen. He has worked on a range of complex transactions within Europe, the Middle East and Africa and America.
Waseem has experience in both in-house and private practice. He is passionate about making every interaction unique by adding value to his clients. Within his spare time, Waseem enjoys hiking, watching boxing and playing tennis.

Hahna Akhtar
Hahna is the University’s leading authority on Data Protection and Commercial Contracts, seamlessly combining legal expertise with a commitment to supporting the institution’s academic and operational objectives. As the University’s Data Protection Officer, she ensures the highest standards of privacy and security in handling student and staff data, expertly navigating the complexities of GDPR and other privacy regulations.
In her role as Solicitor, Hahna oversees a broad spectrum of commercial contracts, providing guidance on agreements with external partners, suppliers, and service providers. From negotiating terms for research collaborations to managing licensing agreements and drafting contracts, she works diligently to protect the University’s interests while fostering positive, productive relationships.
A dedicated advocate for making data protection and commercial contracts accessible, Hahna leads engaging training sessions, demystifies legal jargon, and offers practical, user-friendly advice that aligns with the University’s legal obligations and its forward-thinking mission.
Beyond her professional role, Hahna is a passionate tech enthusiast, fashion-forward traveller, and yoga lover, constantly seeking new innovations and experiences. Whether exploring Edinburgh’s historic streets or discovering London’s trendy locales, she enjoys blending her love for style with her wanderlust.
With a unique blend of legal insight, creativity, and dedication, Hahna plays a crucial role in ensuring the University’s operations remain legally secure and ready to embrace the challenges of the future.

Soffia Farmer
Soffia is a trainee solicitor at Islamic Relief Worldwide, an international NGO that operates in over 45 countries. Soffia is currently studying to qualify as a solicitor through the SQE route at BPP University. She works in-house, dealing with a broad range of matters including all types of contracts, property related matters, data protection, intellectual property and general queries.
Soffia enjoys working for a charity, as making a difference to rightsholder’s lives feels very rewarding. Working in-house has been incredibly eye opening and invaluable to Soffia by learning the varied skills and knowledge that in-house lawyers need to have.
In her spare time, Soffia can often be found at Villa Park watching Aston Villa play, on holiday or studying for the SQE.

Afsarah Haque-Hassan
Afsarah is an in-house solicitor specialising in Employment at National Highways, the highway, traffic and street authority for England’s motorways and certain major A-roads known as the strategic road network. Afsarah trained and qualified in private practice before making the move to in-house.
Afsarah is passionate about equality and diversity initiatives and champions efforts to increase opportunities into the legal profession. Afsarah is an experienced mentor and has worked with Strive, a social mobility charity founded in 2018 which has helped to transform the training contract application journey of 500 socially mobile candidates.
In her spare time, Afsarah enjoys hiking, reading literature and painting.