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Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant

Barratt Goff & Tomlinson has a very strong record for claimants; Jill Barratt, David Tomlinson and Ed Myers are recommended on the personal injury side, along with Malcolm Goff and Alison Brooks for clinical negligence. The team secured damages totaling £29m in 2010, including £8.1m in a cerebral palsy case.

Freeth Cartwright LLP’s team has undergone some personnel changes but continues to provide a client-focused service on personal injury cases, with an emphasis on acquired and traumatic brain injury matters (through Jane Goulding and Julie Walker). Jane Williams handles clinical negligence matters; and consultant Nigel Tomkins is a specialist in occupational health matters, particularly asbestosis.

Thompsons Solicitors LLP’s Nottingham office has experience across asbestos disease litigation (through Neil Baines); work-related stress claims (Linda Millband); and professional negligence/cerebral palsy cases (Philip King). It also achieved a number of £2m-plus awards for serious injuries in RTA cases.

The ‘competent, friendly and supportive’ team at Harvey Ingram LLP operates a corporate personal 
injury recovery service for 150 fleet customers, and is 
on the National Accident Helpline. Robert Rose specialises in clinical negligence cases, particularly paediatric cases, and settled a birth brain injury case for £9.7m in 2010.

Langleys is ‘always ready to give quality advice’ on complex medical negligence cases, including claims involving the elderly. Sally-Ann Robinson successfully handled a cerebral palsy claim worth over £6m in 2010.

Bruce Williams at Nelsons Solicitors Limited ‘achieves good results’ on complex brain injury claims, including winning two £2m awards in cerebral palsy cases in 2010. Chris Stansfield focuses on multi-party actions arising from environmental and product liability, and industrial disease. Lisa Preece handles employers’ liability and road traffic claims.

Paul Morrison and the ‘extremely approachable and knowledgeable’ Chris McKinney at Shoosmiths lead on mixed liability and catastrophic injury claims, ranging from spinal cord and brain injury to post-traumatic stress cases. Clinical negligence specialist Andrea Rusbridge is ‘a very passionate lawyer and no pushover’. The firm is endorsed as ‘one of the key players in the area’.

Actons is active across a variety of areas including employer’s and public liability, and has a developing niche in beauty treatment injuries.

Bridge McFarland is distinguished by the specialisation of Jonathan Doughty and Kathryn Hudson in injuries and fatalities arising at sea, and in cross-border cases. In 2010 they handled cases for deep-sea divers and ship personnel from Brazil to Saudi Arabia. Ian Sprakes heads the firm’s dedicated clinical negligence team.

Flint Bishop LLP’s ‘technically strong’, 31-fee-earner team handles claimant as well as defendant work arriving though insurers, unions and industry bodies, and has a good reputation for individual client care. Zafar Bashir displays ‘good judgment, robust litigation skills, and a good eye for detail’.

Roythornes LLP is a member of several insurance panels for personal injury, and has niche expertise in claims by service personnel. Highlights in 2010 included a ‘complex regional pain syndrome’ settlement for £1.3m, handled by newly promoted partner Victoria Stevenson.

Tollers LLP is assisting over fifty claimants in a defective hip product claim; running 43 catastrophic and brain injury claims; and is a centre of excellence in MIB matters. The firm has a particularly strong costs team.

Wilson Browne has represented individuals with a broad range of injuries sustained as a result of clinical negligence.

Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant

Browne Jacobson LLP has a streamlined offering of dedicated groups defending clients in the insurance, local authority, health and social care, housing, and education sectors. ‘From the efficient settlement of “run-of-the-mill” personal injury matters to innovative strategic management of a portfolio of industrial disease claims’, the firm delivers a ‘professional and cost-effective service’.

Weightmans LLP ‘has demonstrated an exceptionally high level of professionalism at all times’ in its defence of insurance, utilities, security, public authority and retail industry operators. The ‘professional, genuine, driven and knowledgeable’ Noel Walsh ‘thinks outside the box’; Dave Cottam excels in catastrophic injury claims; and Mike Simpson deals with large loss and technical claims for the motor insurance sector. Jim Byard’s disease unit was involved in a groundbreaking case in the Supreme Court in 2010.

Associate John Danaher at Freeth Cartwright LLP assists insurers such as Allianz and Brit in the defence of claims involving accidents at work, industrial disease, fatalities, and road traffic accidents.

Shakespeares handles public authority instructions and is developing a dedicated motor trade claims unit under Virginia Harvey.

Professional negligence

Browne Jacobson LLP is an adviser of choice for 
insurers such as Hiscox, and has seen its practice grow in the wake of increased claims against surveyors and solicitors, IFAs and property agents. Derek Bambury acted for MCP Pension Trustees in a Court of Appeal victory against allegedly negligent pension scheme administrators.

Insurers, brokers and intermediaries rely on the dispute resolution and mediation skills of Charles Powell, Mark Thomson and Amy Morley at Freeth Cartwright LLP, for claims involving accountants, architects, solicitors and surveyors.

Qamer Ghafoor at Flint Bishop LLP assists claimants in actions against professionals, predominantly insurers and solicitors.

Nelsons Solicitors Limited’s practice currently focuses on claims arising from negligent advice in relation to property transactions.

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