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The Legal 500 Hall of Fame Icon The Legal 500 Hall of Fame highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence. The Hall of Fame highlights, to clients, the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession. In the United Kingdon, the criteria for entry is to have been recognised by The Legal 500 as one of the elite leading lawyers for eight years. These partners are highlighted below and throughout the editorial.
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United Kingdom > South West > Insurance > Clinical negligence: claimant > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

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  1. Clinical negligence: claimant
  2. Hall of Fame
  3. Leading individuals

Hall of Fame

  1. 1

Who Represents Who

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Barcan+Kirby LLP assists clients with a large variety of clinical negligence matters including mental health, head and brain injuries, spinal injuries, sepsis, and orthopaedic and fracture issues. The ‘efficient and excellent practice’ is particularly adept at handling complex high-value matters, including at the coroner’s inquest stage. Practice head Richard Harries is particularly recommended for cases involving delayed cancer diagnosis, maximum severity birth injuries, and surgical as well as A&E negligence. The team includes senior associate Jay Nathwani, who specialises in brain, ophthalmic and amputation injuries; Claire Hurrell, who made partner in 2017 and has particular expertise in advising on cases involving children with cerebral palsy resulting from negligence at or around the time of birth; and senior associate Adrian Stone, who is ‘particularly good’ and excels in advising on brain and cauda equina injuries, product liability-related cases, such as injuries resulting from prosthetic hips, and cases involving fatal accidents.

Enable Law is part of the Foot Anstey Group and was launched in May 2017, delivering ‘excellent advice’ on an impressive variety of clinical negligence matters to ‘extremely professional’ standards. It specialises in handling maximum severity cases and is particularly adept at handling cases involving complex spinal or brain injuries as well as high-value birth injury compensation claims. The ‘experienced, competent and committed team’ is led by Robert Antrobus, who specialises in claims resulting from injuries sustained at or shortly after birth and in claims resulting from orthopaedic injuries. The ‘charismatic and caring’ Mike Bird is ‘second to none’ and has particular expertise in acting in cases involving children with acquired brain injuries, while ‘extremely able’ and ‘stand-out lawyer’ Claire Stoneman is ‘fantastic at marshalling persuasive evidence’ and excels in birth injury claims, including stillbirths and neonatal deaths, as well as in claims arising from paediatric cardiac surgery. Andrew Hannam, who is experienced in birth injury and cerebral palsy claims, led the advice in two major cases, demonstrating his strength in handling high-value claims. Paul Sankey joined the team from Slater and Gordon, bringing with him his expertise in advising clients with serious injuries including stroke, sepsis, haemorrhage, meningitis and raised intracranial pressure. Other arrivals include senior associate Alex McKnight, who joined from Pryers Solicitors LLP, as well as legal director Laurence Vick, executive director Bernadette McGhie and legal director Angie Maxwell, who all joined from Michelmores LLP. DAS and ARAG are clients.

Irwin Mitchell delivers ‘a professional, efficient, timely, and courteous’ service which covers a broad variety of clinical negligence claims, ranging from negligent gynaecological treatment to delays in cancer diagnosis, meningitis diagnosis, and significant brain injuries. A particular area of strength is handling high-profile fatal injury cases and assisting clients with child and elder abuse cases. The practice works closely with a number of charities and support organisations, for example as a panel member of Action against Medical Accidents, and offers clients the services of the Bristol-based Court of Protection team, which advises on all aspects of damage management, including financial deputyships. ‘Tactically astute’ and ‘very sharp’ practice head Julie Lewis is highly experienced in handling birth injury cases and high-value brain-injury cases. Also recommended are ‘very professional’ associate Kate Easy and associate Luke Trevorrow. Jonathan Peacock left for VWV (Veale Wasbrough Vizards). The team’s recent caseload includes advising a client on a clinical negligence claim arising from the death of a patient who had been sectioned. This involved dealing Human Rights Act considerations and saw the practice represent the client at a coroner’s inquest into the death.

Royds Withy King advises on claims from all areas of medical negligence, but has a particularly good reputation for its dental negligence work. The ‘very high quality’ practice displays ‘good strength in depth across the whole range of claims’, from low-value claims to catastrophic injury cases. Its wide-ranging expertise covers catastrophic birth injury cases, Erb’s palsy, and bariatric as well as spinal surgery claims. Practice head Simon Elliman is ‘a very experienced lawyer with excellent judgment’ who has ‘an assured touch on difficult cases’. His ‘exceptionally strong team’ includes Kerstin Kubiak, who specialises among other areas in obstetric, gynaecological and fertility cases; the ‘simply first-class’ and ‘absolutely meticulous’ Paul Rumley; ‘highly effective’ ‘rising star’ associate Hannah Blackwell; and associate Ali Cloak, who ‘demonstrates good strategic thinking’. Highlights included acting in a claim of substandard provision of lingual orthodontic appliances, claiming the entire costs of the orthodontic treatment as well as compensatory damages in negligence; handling a multimillion-pound cerebral palsy claim and representing a client who had suffered brain-injury-causing oxygen deprivation at the time of birth.

Clarke Willmott LLP’s areas of expertise range from advising on complex high-value birth injury and paediatric brain injury claims to assisting clients with meningitis cases, including those resulting in serious neurological injury, amputation or death. The practice is adept at handling maximum severity cases, including stroke claims, and, thanks to Chris Thorne’s specialism, is able to advise on negligence claims in the niche area of cryogenics, sperm destruction and male fertility issues. The team also undertakes work in dental and surgical negligence. Additionally, the practice handles instructions in the field of medical ethics, such as questions in relation to capacity of patients, failure to treat and end of life decisions. Martin Pettingell heads the team, which includes team manager Kerry Fifield, who specialises in birth injury and paediatric cases with a particular focus on claims arising from cerebral palsy, and Marguarita Tyne, who provides advice on a broad range of clinical negligence claims, including delayed cancer diagnosis, negligence in orthopaedic treatment, gynaecological negligence and injuries arising from systemic failures.

Tozers Solicitors LLP specialises in advising on catastrophic injury claims, particularly brain injury claims. The ‘excellent’ team also has experience in handling cancer diagnosis delay claims, cerebral palsy claims, Erb’s palsy claims and matters relating to autism, in particular acquired autism. It is adept at representing child claimants in complex negligence claims and has started to specialise in cauda equina negligence and spinal injury claims while also strengthening its expertise in infection and child abuse matters. The ‘very thorough, pleasant, patient and professional’ Endurance Arthur and Stuart Bramley head the practice. Highlights include acting for a client with Erb’s palsy caused by an injury sustained during birth and representing a client whose child died of meningitis after neither the birth hospital nor the client had been properly informed of the client’s group B streptococcus infection by the GP surgery. Other cases handled by the practice include advising on a spinal nerve damage claim, a gynaecological injuries claim and a claim arising from a serious infection caused by the non-administration of antibiotics for an abdominal incisional hernia.

The ‘excellent’ Trethowans LLP represents claimants in a large spectrum of injuries sustained because of clinical negligence, with particular strengths in cerebral palsy claims, birth injury cases, cases arising from delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, as well as surgery negligence claims and the negligent treatment of medical conditions. The ‘very strong’ team enjoys a very good reputation for its ‘extremely supportive and sensible’ client care. It is experienced in handling claims against NHS trusts, NHS and private hospitals, consultants, GPs and dental practices. The ‘very clever’, ‘very tenacious’ and ‘assiduous’ clinical negligence team head Clare Carter is an ‘excellent lawyer’ who ‘gives her all for her clients and leaves no stone unturned’. The ‘very experienced’ Gavin Lane is group leader for the practice’s personal injury and clinical negligence teams. Senior associate and ‘star in the making’ Rhiannon Daniel is recommended alongside managing partner Chris Whiteley. Recent work covers advising clients on a number of claims involving the negligent treatment of cancer, including delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and negligent treatment of the condition, as well as acting in various birth injury cases, ranging from delays in delivery to failure to admit for emergency caesareans, assisting clients with the recovery of various financial losses, including care, loss of earnings, therapies, and accommodation.

Ashfords LLP acts for claimants in clinical negligence cases involving either psychological or physical injury. Key areas of expertise include advising on claims arising from the wrongful death of adults; the death of children, including advising on antenatal complications matters; surgical errors, in particular negligent eye surgeries; and misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis. Jason Squire heads the team, which includes ‘extremely good’, ‘bright and very personable’ associate Claire Boucher. The practice’s recent caseload includes advising a couple on a claim arising from the death of their child due to a negligently inserted feeding tube, assisting the couple with the fatal accidents claim for damages against the relevant Hospital Trust, including a claim for the couple’s PTSD. The team also represented a client in a claim arising from a stillbirth allegedly caused by negligent treatment of a high-risk pregnancy by staff of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Coles Miller Solicitors LLP handles a broad range of clinical negligence issues, with key areas of expertise including cauda equina claims, claims arising from vascular issues resulting in amputation, mismanaged labour and ectopic pregnancies. The practice has a reputation for having ‘a very ethical and professional approach to dealing with clinical negligence claims’. David Simpson, who ‘demonstrates a high degree of intelligence’ and ‘has an eye for detail’, heads the team. Other key members are Christopher Whittle, whose specialisms include negligent dental treatment and sports injuries, and Lydia Barnett, who has particular experience in handling claims arising from substandard hysterectomies, bowel, bladder and gastrointestinal injuries, as well as in handling product liability and consent matters. Key cases included acting for a client who had sustained a permanent nerve injury due to negligent surgery.

Coodes Solicitors specialises in birth injury claims, obstetrics and gynaecological claims, claims arising from surgical errors and cases in relation to misdiagnosis and delays in diagnose and treatment. The team’s expertise extends to representing clients at inquests in relation to mental health issues and suicides of psychiatric patients. The practice has experience in handling high-value maximum severity matters, but also acts for clients in low-value claims. Practice head Tim Goldburn is ‘supremely experienced, confident and competent’ and noted for his ‘fine judgement’ and ‘wonderful manner with clients’. He is particularly adept at settling claims for clients through alternative dispute resolution. The practice advised a couple on a claim arising from the death of their new-born son due to a sepsis which had remained undiagnosed after the mother had been negligently sent home by the hospital.

The ’very efficient’ Dutton Gregory LLP undertakes work in a large variety of clinical negligence matters, providing ‘a very sensible and hands-on service’. Its work covers high-value and high-complexity cases such as birth and head injury claims, cases relating to amputation and cerebral palsy claims. ‘Highly experienced’ practice head Carol Maunder is ‘immensely popular with her clients’ and particularly recommended for her negotiating skills. Her specialisms include catastrophic injury claims. Senior associate Rebecca Watkins is ‘capable of mastering vast quantities of documents with calm and thoroughness’. Solicitor Michael Kingman is ‘very thorough’ and approaches cases ‘with painstaking tenacity’. The practice’s recent caseload includes advising a client in a claim alleging substandard hip replacement surgery and improper care post-surgery.

Slee Blackwell is an expert in advising on cosmetic surgery negligence cases, with a strong track record in PIP breast implant claims. Other areas of expertise include birth injury claims, including high-value matters, brain injury claims and claims arising from delayed diagnosis of cancer. The ‘excellent’ practice enjoys a good reputation for the ‘diligence and speed’ with which it operates. Practice head Oliver Thorne, who made partner during 2016, ‘has an excellent grasp of the issues in a case’. Mike Clarke is another key contact. The practice’s recent caseload includes advising a client on a substandard rhinoplasty procedure which resulted breathing problems, acting in a claim arising from a breast augmentation procedure and represented the family of a mental health ward patient in a fatality case.

Thompsons Solicitors LLP’ areas of expertise range from cerebral palsy, negligent breast surgery and spinal injuries to claims arising from faulty medical products. It has experience in handling maximum severity and high-value cases, but also undertakes work in lower-scale matters. Senior solicitor Madeleine Pinschof, who specialises among other areas in gynaecological, obstetrics and orthopaedic claims, heads the practice. Key matters taken on by the practice include advising several clients in claims arising from tension-free vaginal tape and transobturator tape treatment performed by surgeon Rob Jones, including handling issues of causation and consent. The practice also supported a client with a claim which had arisen from a misdiagnosed hip injury, issuing court proceedings and quickly successfully settling the claim. Clients include unions, such as Unite and the Fire Brigades Union.

Wards Solicitors covers a broad range of clinical negligence matters, with key areas of expertise including claims arising from delayed referrals for the treatment of throat, breast and colon cancer, orthopaedic surgery claims, in particular knee, back and hip surgery, as well as claims for substandard care in nursing homes, care homes and hospital settings. Another area of particular strength is advising on claims arising from negligent treatment by GPs. The practice has experience in handling high-value complex claims involving several medical experts, but also undertakes work for clients with lower-value matters. Practice head Alison Underhill specialises in advising on prescription errors, birth injuries, and negligence claims arising from substandard surgical procedures.

Wolferstans delivers advice on claims arising from a variety of negligent treatments, from amputations subsequent to substandard treatment of illnesses such as diabetes or gangrene, to claims arising from the misdosage of anaesthetics or improper monitoring of a patient. The team handles cardiac disease claims, including misdiagnosis of heart disease, substandard testing or misinterpretation of test results. The practice also advises on claims arising from bowel injuries, claims in relation to the substandard diagnosis or treatment of cancer, and claims arising from improper treatment of cauda equina syndrome. Other work includes advising on birth injury claims. Practice head Elizabeth Smith is particularly experienced in handling birth injury and oncology claims.

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