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  1. Personal injury: defendant
  2. Leading individuals

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP’s leading practice represents clients such as Zurich Financial Services, Allianz, John Lewis, and NFU Mutual Insurance Society. The group was instructed by Zurich Municipal in the defence of Tandridge District Council in a group claim connected to an E.coli outbreak at Godstone Farm in 2009. Kevin Bitmead heads the team, which includes the ‘thorough and wholly dependable’ Danielle Singer and former barrister Charles Brown, who ‘has an instinctive grasp of strategy’, and is ‘a first-rate communicator’. David Knapp is also recommended, and is particularly experienced in actions involving police, social services or local authorities.

‘Excellent on all counts’, Beachcroft is ‘simply up among the best’. Its enviable list of blue-chip clients includes British Airways, which instructs the firm on all of its employers’ liability claims, including matters involving turbulence, baggage-handling injuries and work-related stress. London practice head Tania Sless is recommended for her ‘dedication, knowledge, tenacity and customer focus’, and Andrew Parker also has ‘great credibility in the market’. Paula Jefferson and consultant Patricia Baxter each have ‘an excellent understanding of the public sector’, and are ‘well informed of developments in the law’.

‘One of the most specialist, expert and experienced firms’, Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP is ‘at the top of the pile in this area of work’, and represents numerous well-known insurers and public sector clients. Michael Pether is ‘well organised and well liked’, and ‘an excellent manager of his team’. Boris Cetnik is highly intelligent, and widely regarded as ‘a disease claim guru’, and Jennette Newman is ‘personable, pragmatic and incredibly customer focused’. Terry Renouf is another well-established figure.

DWF LLP has expanded rapidly over the past few years, and its success is credited to the exceptional calibre of its people; ‘the extent of the team’s knowledge is first class’. At the forefront is Graham Dickinson, who is ‘vastly experienced in catastrophic cases’. Claire Bowler has ‘impressive knowledge of the complexities of cases with a foreign element’, and is ‘a delight to work with’. Mark Whittaker oversees the public sector practice, and his ‘management of the team is assured, and sensitive to market conditions’. Associate Katharine Brook shows ‘tireless enthusiasm’.

One of ‘the best in class for personal injury’, Greenwoods Solicitors is a ‘top-class firm’, in which clients have ‘total confidence’. It advises high-profile clients in the insurance, self-insurance and corporate markets. While ‘all the lawyers meet an exceptionally high standard’, the ‘top-drawer’ Malcolm Henke is ‘a major player at the head of the pack’. Chris Crook is also ‘outstanding’, and ‘a trusted adviser’. Charles Ashmore is also recommended, along with health and safety law expert Stephen Byass, the ‘innovative’ Steven King, and the ‘excellent’ Philip Tracey.

Following a series of mergers over recent years, Kennedys now fields a robust team of established experts. Practice head Mark Burton is ‘exceptional’, and ‘particularly impressive’ because of his ‘holistic view of litigation’. Rachel Moore is ‘hardworking, well informed, sensible and reliable’, and up-and-coming solicitor Mark Skinner is recommended for his ‘sound advice on technical issues’. Joe McManus, Charles Martin, Roger Jones and Tim Wilson are also recommended.

Plexus Law’s 32-partner team is progressing well under Tim Oliver. Its clients include QBE, Novae and RBS. Justin Collins provides ‘sound and realistic advice’, and Claire Mulligan has excellent travel law knowledge. Andrew McDougall is also recommended.

At Browne Jacobson LLP, ‘the overall level of service is of the highest standard’. Steven Conway is recommended for a ‘robust and refreshing approach that leads to desired results’, and Andrew Pieri is ‘truly exceptional, with a deep knowledge of insurance law’. David Maggs is adept at public law matters.

Herbert Smith LLP’s ‘meticulous’ Howard Watson has considerable expertise in high-value personal injury claims, and specialises in group actions. The firm predominantly focuses on claims exceeding £1m. It advised TXU’s administrators on asbestos claims brought against one of its group companies. Anthony Dempster is also recommended.

Watmores' defendant PI team is a ‘strong outfit’. Simon Johnson has particular expertise in defending public and private sector clients against employers’ and public liability claims. Jon Grunewald, who is also recommended, led in advising Municipal Mutual Insurance Company in the ‘EL Trigger’ litigation.

Elaine Chapman heads the personal injury team at Weightmans LLP, which has a ‘professional and down-to-earth approach’. Sarah Hamilton is also recommended. The firm recently added a team of solicitors from Vizards Wyeth.

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