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  1. Personal injury: claimant
  2. Leading individuals: Personal Injury

With great breadth and depth, Irwin Mitchell is a dominant force in the claimant personal injury field. The firm focuses on getting matters right for the individual; the client liaison manager is fundamental to this goal, as is the rehabilitation expertise of partners such as Amanda Stevens. For high-value claims, Colin Ettinger is a leading figure; and Keith Barrett is well regarded for his ‘client care and doggedness in the cause’. Tracey Storey’s team is recommended for child abuse and care claims. Guy Darlaston heads a substantial and highly regarded asbestos team; he ‘knows when to pursue a justified case in the face of difficulties’. For travel and aviation matters, Michael Zurbrugg is recommended, and noted for his ‘excellent judgment and tremendous experience’.

At Leigh Day & Co, Martyn Day’s international claims department ‘represents the gold standard’. Notable successes in 2011 included a positive outcome for Peruvian torture victims, on which the ‘superb’ Richard Meeran was the lead figure. Sally Moore heads the domestic team; ‘a renowned leader’ in catastrophic injury, she is well supported by key players such as Anne Winyard and Claire Fazan. The asbestos team, run by the ‘brilliant’ Daniel Easton, was further strengthened in 2012 by the arrival of the ‘feisty’ and ‘extremely experienced and effective’ Harminder Bains from Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP. Penny Knight, who is ‘meticulous’ and ‘tenacious and tactical’, runs a strong cycling team.

A ‘top-class firm, pre-eminent in its field’, Stewarts Law LLP has an outstanding reputation for high-value spinal injury work, regularly achieving record-breaking interim and final payments on behalf of its clients. Paul Paxton leads the team; a ‘brilliant’ lawyer who ‘leaves no stone unturned’, he is both ‘considerate and pragmatic’. Paxton is ‘fortunate to have some of the UK’s best personal injury lawyers in his team’, with Clare Salmon, John Cahill, Stuart Dench, Andrew Dinsmore and Lucy Robinson all recommended, and widely respected as ‘strong but flexible opponents’. James Healy-Pratt is noted for his extensive expertise in aviation accidents and catastrophes.

With a longstanding reputation for high-value claims, Anthony Gold Solicitors has an experienced team prepared to take on less straightforward cases. David Marshall and Jenny Kennedy are ‘exceptional’, with Marshall standing out for his expertise in stress claims, an area on which he has written extensively. Jackie Spinks is a ‘terrific lawyer’ with notable experience in child brain injury cases. Stephanie Prior heads the firm’s child abuse unit.

Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP provides a ‘first-class’ service to clients. The ‘incredibly empathetic and knowledgeable’ Jill Greenfield leads on brain and spinal injury cases; and the ‘calm and pragmatic’ Richard Earle, ‘a master of detail’, is also popular for ‘top-end stuff’. While Rodney Nelson Jones has retired, the asbestos team remains strong under the ‘extremely capable’ Peter Williams; it includes Andrew Morgan, who is ‘clever, hardworking and respected by opponents’. Caroline Pinfold joined from Irwin Mitchell in 2011.

Russell Jones & Walker, part of Slater & Gordon Lawyers has ‘a strong team with a growing reputation’, led by Liz Dux. It has particular expertise in maximum-severity cases, led by the ‘tactically astute’ Paul Kitson, and in asbestos cases, led by Alison Kerr. Its well-established expertise in police work remains, but its client base continues to broaden. Kimberley Owen is also recommended.

Bindmans LLP has an excellent reputation for quality; the service is ‘personal’, caseloads are kept low, and it is not afraid of taking on challenging cases. Head of department Jon Crocker has ‘an unerring sense of what will work and what will not’; and the ‘tenacious’ Siobhan Kelly and Lynn Knowles are also recommended.

With ‘an enthusiastic and youthful’ team that provides a ‘first-class’ service, Bolt Burdon Kemp has moved away from volume work, focusing on its core strength in catastrophic injury, military, and historical abuse claims. The ‘professional’ and ‘personable’ Jonathan Wheeler is ‘excellent’ for historical abuse claims, and Philippa Tuckman leads an ‘excellent, niche’ military team.

Hodge Jones & Allen LLP is noted for its ‘commitment to vulnerable and disadvantaged claimants’. The ‘tactically astute’ Peter Todd is leading in the claim for judicial review of the Lord Chancellor’s failure to review the discount rate. Todd deals with catastrophic and fatal claims, but the firm accepts instructions at all levels, and is innovative in its approach to funding.

Pattinson & Brewer is a ‘smaller firm but one with considerable quality’, with a good client care record that has enabled it to retain its strong union client base while also building its private work. Unite, GMB, and the Police Federation are among its clients. Frances McCarthy leads the team, and Caroline Phelan is recommended for her ‘tenacious’ approach and ‘tactical awareness’.

Fentons Solicitors LLP experienced further growth in 2011. It has a particular focus on travel claims, led by Katherine Allen; catastrophic claims, for which Nick Godwin and associate Katherine Lennon are recommended; and asbestos matters, led by associate Edmund Young.

‘Dynamic duo’ Elizabeth Smith and Ian Mulkis at Howard Kennedy are highly recommended for workplace stress and RSI claims. Clients include RCN members, and radiographers.

Prince Evans has a strong reputation for catastrophic injury matters. Bryan Neill is rated for his ‘experience and judgement’ in spinal and brain injury cases. The ‘thorough’ and ‘knowledgeable’ Gary Smith specialises in amputee and subtle brain injury cases.

At Russell-Cooke LLP, Janice Gardner is recommended for her ‘outstanding ability’ and ‘good judgement’ in high-value cases; she is ‘a talented litigator in heavyweight PI’. The ‘knowledgeable and experienced’ Terry Lee has moved into a consultancy role.

Traditionally known for union work (for clients such the CWU, GMB and BALPA), Simpson Millar LLP has steadily broadened its client base. The personable Adrian Fawden heads up the team, which was strengthened in 2012 by the addition of ‘very experienced’ catastrophic expert Warren Collins, from Davies Arnold Cooper LLP.

While Thompsons Solicitors LLP remains committed to its union clients, such as UNISON and Unite, its client base has broadened in recent years. It is recommended for serious injury cases, with Henrietta Phillips leading the team, and also for asbestos claims.

The ‘firmly resolute’ yet ‘pragmatic’ Stuart Kightley at Osbornes is a first choice for referrals in the profession.

Ros Ashby and Marian Joseph are recommended at niche practice Pritchard Englefield.

Ben Posford at Prolegal Solicitors is ‘tactically astute’ and ‘one of the best personal injury solicitors around’.

Frances Pierce is recommended at Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP, which opened a London office in 2011.

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