United Kingdom > Wales > Insurance
Clinical negligence: claimant
Clinical negligence: claimant
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1
- Hugh James (Cardiff)
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2
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Geldards LLP (Cardiff) -
Harding Evans LLP (Cardiff) - Hutton’s (Cardiff)
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JCP Solicitors (Swansea) -
Leo Abse & Cohen (Cardiff) -
Marchant Harries & Co (Aberdare) -
Martyn Prowel (Cardiff) -
Smith Llewelyn Partnership (Swansea) - Thompsons Solicitors LLP (Cardiff)
- Walker Smith Way (Wrexham)
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All solicitors mentioned in the following editorial are members of either the AvMA or the LSCN panels.
Hugh James boasts the most comprehensive team in the region; its four partners – Stephen Webber, Andrew Davies, Hannah Williams and Mari Rosser – offer a wealth of experience, and each handles claims of high value (often in the £1m to £10m bracket) and complexity. The firm also has complementary Court of Protection, social worker and speech therapist units. Rosser is on the committee which is reviewing the NHS Redress process.
Angelina Rigby heads the team at Geldards LLP, and is ‘dedicated and client centred’, and appreciated for her ‘approachability and friendliness’. Jane Rogers is now with Metcalfes .
Ken Thomas at Harding Evans LLP in Newport is recommended for complex and high-value cases.
Tim Musgrave at Hutton’s is very well regarded. He regularly advises in the highest category of cases, and is on the committee which is reviewing the NHS Redress process.
The ‘first-class’ Matthew Owen leads the practice at JCP Solicitors, probably the best-respected team west of Cardiff. Keith Thomas focuses on birth injury cases, while Owen specialises in spinal cord injury and injury caused through vascular surgery.
Leo Abse & Cohen has two experienced partners in Yvonne Agnew and Spencer Collier. Agnew settled a case in 2011 with a value in excess of £10m.
Peter Williams is recommended at Marchant Harries & Co.
Martyn Prowel has the well-regarded Hywel Davies.
Associate Mei Li is recommended at Smith Llewelyn Partnership.
At Thompsons Solicitors LLP, Cathryn Davies’ cases include cerebral palsy, hospital-acquired infection, product liability, and amputation claims.
David Rudd leads a comprehensive team at Walker Smith Way, which acts for a number of brain-injured patients; 2011 saw him achieve a substantial settlement in a cerebral palsy case. Rachel Vasmer left the firm to become a full-time tribunal judge.
Clinical negligence: defendant
Clinical negligence: defendant
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1
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Welsh Health Legal Services (Cardiff)
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2
- Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP (Cardiff)
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Morgan Cole (Cardiff) - RadcliffesLeBrasseur (Cardiff)
Welsh Health Legal Services acts for all of the health bodies in Wales in the management of clinical negligence claims. The team is managed by the well-respected, ‘no-nonsense’ Anne-Louise Ferguson. Work which falls outside of this remit, such as acting for members of the MPS and Dental Protection, or where there is a conflict of interest, is picked up by the other firms listed in the ranking.
Jane Lang is recommended at Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP.
David Mortimer is recommended at Morgan Cole.
Huw Llewellyn-Morgan is recommended at RadcliffesLeBrasseur.
Personal injury: claimant
Personal injury: claimant
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1
- Hugh James (Cardiff)
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NewLaw Solicitors (Cardiff)
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2
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Leo Abse & Cohen (Cardiff) - Thompsons Solicitors LLP (Cardiff)
- Walker Smith Way (Wrexham)
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3
- Dolmans Solicitors (Cardiff)
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Geldards LLP (Cardiff) -
JCP Solicitors (Swansea) -
Mackenzie Jones Solicitors (St Asaph) - Russell Jones & Walker, part of Slater & Gordon Lawyers (Cardiff)
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Secure Law (Newport) -
Simpson Millar LLP (Cardiff) - Watkins & Gunn (Pontypool, Newbridge, Newport)
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- Cordner Lewis Solicitors (Cardiff)
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Douglas-Jones Mercer (Swansea) - Gabb and Co (Crickhowell)
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Harding Evans LLP (Newport)
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Hutchinson Thomas (Neath) - Hutton’s (Cardiff)
- MLM Cartwright (Cardiff)
Product liability expert Mark Harvey heads the practice at Hugh James, where the ‘professional’, ‘excellent’ Andrew Harding leads a well-respected catastrophic injury team. The firm is known for its work on group actions, and union work generally; NACOD and RCN are clients. Peter Evans and Gareth Morgan are recommended for disease work, and Lisa Morgan is singled out for her ‘knowledge and tireless work’ in nursing care. In 2011, Philip Dicken and Pauline Lewis left to join NewLaw Solicitors.
New hires for NewLaw Solicitors include Philip Dicken (strategic partnership director), Pauline Lewis (head of brain injury) and Cenric Clement-Evans, who joined from Hugh James; and Michael Imperato, from Russell Jones & Walker, part of Slater & Gordon Lawyers. Building on its reputation in road traffic claims, the firm has expanded its serious injury team, and has developed its public and employers’ liability practices. Elisabeth Roth, Robert Thomas and Alison Culverwell are recommended.
Trade union members remain the backbone of the client base at Leo Abse & Cohen. Mark Church heads the serious injury practice, and Robin Williams is recommended for disease work.
Thompsons Solicitors LLP retains its strong reputation for union work, and is unafraid of complex cases. Cathryn Davies heads the team.
Walker Smith Way is well respected for union work in North Wales; the nature of the regional industry leads to a diversity of work, including deafness and RSI-type cases. John Sharples leads on more valuable claims; and Mark Denholm is an ‘experienced and effective operator’ who ‘drives a hard bargain’.
Philip Bradley at Dolmans Solicitors is recommended for complex claims.
Geldards LLP’s Gillian Latham has a strong reputation. The firm is instructed by USDAW.
JCP Solicitors is well known for catastrophic injury work in South West Wales; Headway member Keith Thomas has a longstanding reputation. Lynne Morgan’s Court of Appeal case of Dalling v RJ Heale attracted attention in 2011, on the issue of causation.
Richard Jones at Mackenzie Jones Solicitors is recommended ‘without reservation’ for catastrophic injury cases.
Nicholas Collins ‘runs a tight ship’ at Russell Jones & Walker, part of Slater & Gordon Lawyers. The team is primarily known for its work for the Police Federation, and its skill set includes employers’ liability and industrial disease claims. Michael Imperato moved to NewLaw Solicitors in 2011.
Richard Crane’s Secure Law has a substantial workforce and undertakes a full range of work, via direct instruction and via insurers such as Zurich and Albany. Eirian Thomas joined from Rausa Mumford (inc. SJ Cottrell).
Phillip Gower at Simpson Millar LLP is well regarded for disease work for trade union members, predominantly mesothelioma and industrial deafness cases.
The ‘exceptional’ Clive Thomas at Watkins & Gunn is recommended for his thorough approach to claims.
Cordner Lewis Solicitors is recommended.
Douglas-Jones Mercer is seeing a growth in referrals, and has expanded its team in response.
Consultant Glynn Maddocks at Gabb and Co is recommended for inquests, and is experienced in complex claims.
Pauline Kent’s team at Harding Evans LLP undertakes a good range of litigation, including some high-end employers’ liability matters.
Described at ‘tenacious’ and ‘exemplary’, Paul Bennett at Hutchinson Thomas handles a variety of work, including clinical negligence claims.
Hutton’s has experience in the area.
MLM Cartwright has moved away from volume work. Andrea Thomas continues to handle cases on an individual basis.
Personal injury: defendant
Personal injury: defendant
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1
- Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP (Cardiff)
- DAC Beachcroft Claims Limited (Newport)
- Dolmans Solicitors (Cardiff)
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2
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Morgan Cole (Cardiff, Swansea)
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3
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Douglas-Jones Mercer (Swansea) -
Geldards LLP (Cardiff) -
Welsh Health Legal Services (Cardiff)
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Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP’s Matthew Harrington is a premier disease defence litigator who wins plaudits from every direction. The firm – a ‘leader in the field’ – shines for its technical ability, high levels of service and strength in depth. Kerris Dale heads the motor practice, and Cenydd Edwards leads the public sector unit.
DAC Beachcroft Claims Limited acts for many leading insurers, including AXA and Zurich; Simon Curtis’ catastrophic injury team was recently reappointed to the former’s panel. The firm has an excellent reputation across the board, from specialist services such as abuse and education claims to volume claims handling. Peter Allchorne and Andrew Baker are recommended; Baker is ‘a tenacious litigator who leaves no stone unturned and is utterly reliable’.
Dolmans Solicitors has dominated the local authority and police force market for some years, and its lawyers have an intimate knowledge of its clients’ services. Senior partner Adrian Oliver heads a team acting for South Wales, Gwent, Dyfed Powys and West Mercia Police. The firm also acts for the South West Wales local authority consortium (which includes fire services and police forces), as well as for a number of English local authorities. Peter Bennett is recommended for disease work.
The experienced Simon Cradick and John Sherratt run a well-established team at Morgan Cole, which is ‘excellent in terms of service delivery and knowledge’, and ‘value for money’. Clients include AXA Corporate Solutions, NFU Mutual, and Cardiff City Council.
At Douglas-Jones Mercer, the ‘highly knowledgeable’ Jeremy Wolfe is recommended for his pragmatism. He specialises in local authority, fire and police service work, both via direct instruction and insurers.
Donna Makin’s team at Geldards LLP provides ‘excellent legal advice’ for insurers such as Invensys, and also for corporates with large self-insured retentions, or historic disease claims.
Andrew Hynes leads the team at Welsh Health Legal Services, defending claims made against NHS trusts and LHBs in Wales.
Professional negligence
Professional negligence
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1
- Eversheds LLP (Cardiff)
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Morgan Cole (Cardiff, Swansea )
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2
- Acuity Legal Limited (Cardiff)
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Berry Smith (Cardiff) -
Darwin Gray (Cardiff) - Hugh James (Cardiff)
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JCP Solicitors (Swansea)
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3
- Dolmans Solicitors (Cardiff)
- MLM Cartwright (Cardiff)
The ‘impressive’ team at Eversheds LLP pursues claims for lending institutions such as Santander and Deutsche Bank, specialising in fraud/professional negligence and title defect work. It is currently advising on a number of multimillion-pound mortgage fraud and property valuation cases. The team is led by ‘cool negotiator’ William Ellerton, and provides a ‘fantastic’ level of service: ‘expensive but worth it’.
Morgan Cole is renowned for its expertise in the field, particularly for solicitors’ negligence and coverage advice; lender claims featured prominently in its caseload in 2011. The ‘excellent’ Clare Hughes-Williams is ‘second to none’ on coverage issues, and is ‘sensitive to clients’ needs’.
Lyndon Richards has joined Acuity Legal Limited from Beale and Company Solicitors LLP, and specialises in cases involving architects, engineers and surveyors.
At Berry Smith, Iwan Doull is a ‘leader in the field’ and provides an ‘excellent level of service’. Much of the team’s work is property related, reflecting the firm’s client base and Doull’s background.
The ‘professional, conscientious and committed’ Stephen Thompson and experienced Ian Herbert at Darwin Gray produce work of the ‘highest’ standard.
Richard Locke leads at Hugh James; it attracts instructions from insurers such as DAS and ARAG, and also from uninsured professionals.
JCP Solicitors has a growing team focused on lender services; it is led by Kevin O’Brien, and was strengthened by the arrival of John Watkins, previously of Eversheds LLP. Recent instructions include seven-figure mortgage fraud and valuation claims.
At Dolmans Solicitors, Alison Henders-Green is highly regarded for her lender services work, providing ‘an excellent level of service’; advice is ‘sound, robust and always comprehensive’.
Alex Pay and Chris Mayers at MLM Cartwright are recommended.