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The ‘very knowledgeable’ team at Beachcroft represents major insurers including Aviva and Zurich Insurance, and in 2010 made significant changes to its claims department, creating 11 specialist product lines including credit hire and strategic litigation. Associate David Williams is ‘very impressive’, and Ruth Winterbottom, who leads the team, is ‘excellent in both the regulatory field and with civil claims’ and ‘a very safe pair of hands’.

Senior partner Chris Coughlin leads the defence team at Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP, which advised a significant number of uninsured companies in 2010. Aviva and Leeds City Council are also clients. Roy Woollard has ‘good knowledge of failure-to-educate matters’.

DWF LLP bolstered its team in 2010 with the addition of five new members to its catastrophic injury team, and was appointed to the QBE catastrophic injury panel. Other clients include Aviva and Faraday. Head of department Glyn Jones is recommended.

Ford & Warren’s team, which is ‘excellent’ and ‘very professional and pragmatic’, advises on road traffic accident and sports injury claims, and regularly works on high-profile cases. Blaise Smith, who leads the team, ‘provides first-rate legal analysis’.

The service level at Gordons LLP is ‘excellent at all levels’. The team, led by Rachel Hudson, won first-time instructions from a major insurer in 2010, and the Otto Group and Wm Morrison Supermarkets are also clients. Duncan Brockway is recommended.

Plexus Law regularly defends high-value cases, and is instructed by insurance companies, individuals, professional bodies and public authorities. Joint senior partner Andrew McDougall leads the team in Leeds.

Cobbetts LLP handles the defence of public liability claims. Stephen Green is a key contact.

The ‘very good’ team at Forbes received instructions from new client Asda in 2011. Managing partner Siobhan Hardy, who leads the team and specialises in employers’ liability and disease claims, has an ‘excellent level of knowledge’.

O’Rourke Reid is experienced in industrial disease cases, including hard arm vibration syndrome and noise-induced hearing loss cases. Clients include Dunnes Stores Group and Quinn Direct Insurance.

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