18 BEDFORD SQUARE, LONDON, WC1B 3JA
- Tel:
- Work 020 7323 4632
- Fax:
- Fax 020 7631 3142
- DX:
- 35706 BLOOMSBURY
- Web:
- www.greenwoods-solicitors.com
- Email:
Based in central London in WC1 and EC3, and with offices in Bristol, Manchester and Milton Keynes, this prominent, market-leading defendant insurance practice provides comprehensive nationwide services on matters including motor, fraud, employers’ and public liability, property and construction, insurance, catastrophic injury, health and safety and criminal defence services.
The firm: Greenwoods was established over 50 years ago. The firm has expanded considerably in recent years with the opening of offices in Bristol (2006), Manchester (2007) and a London Market office in February 2009. Joining the firm in 2008 was the defendant personal injury team from Edwards Duthie led by Chris Crook and his assistants Mark Cody and Michael Cole. Joining as partners have been Mike Suddards and James Roden in 2007 and Chris Crook in 2008; Mark Aitken and Tania Neuhoff, formerly associates at the firm, were made partners in 2009.
Greenwoods opened a London Market office designed to provide a high-end service to the insurance, reinsurance and self-insured markets in 2009. The office accommodates Richard Houseago’s property, insurance and construction group and Malcolm Henke’s catastrophic injury group, and will also be the home of a new professional risks team. Remaining in the Bedford Square office are the personal injury team, the catastrophic personal injury team led by Chris Crook and the fraud team led by Karen Mann.
Benefiting from both internal growth and lateral hires, the firm is now a major national insurance practice with over 150 staff. In 2006 Edward Garnier QC, MP and Shadow Minister for Justice, joined the firm as a consultant.
The firm’s client base is made up of a variety of insurers, including Aviva, RBSI, Markerstudy and Brit; reinsurance clients include loss adjusters; and self-insurance clients EDF. Greenwoods aims to be the law firm of choice for the insurance market and restricts its practice to defendant litigation and recovery work. The firm is innovative, dynamic, and forward-thinking in its approach and in the use of information technology. Its philosophy is to work to a shared set of values, always seeking to exceed client expectations and its own service levels. The firm publishes a weekly update, Alert, focusing on developments in personal injury law; a monthly update, PICG News, dealing with the property insurance and construction areas; and two quarterly updates, Fraud News and Health & Safety News.
Types of work undertaken: The practice is divided into dedicated sectors in a number of insurance fields. Every aspect of motor liability expertise is handled, including prosecutions, inquests, fast and multi-track litigation, fraud, mediation, international motoring law, and all complex litigation, including in the House of Lords. High-volume, low-value litigation is handled using the firm’s award winning case management tools. The counter fraud group acts for motor insurers in claims involving contrived and staged accidents, bogus passengers and exaggerated injuries.
The firm has a wide experience of employment, public, and product liability claims, including manual handling and accidents at work, slipping and tripping, psychiatric-related illnesses, disease claims, including asbestosis, repetitive strain, and industrial and other deafness.
The property insurance and construction team handles non-personal injury general insurance work, including property, casualty, insurance and coverage issues, insurance fraud, construction claims, recovery and defence of liability claims. The group is active in the Technology and Construction Court and Commercial Court, and is involved in arbitrations, adjudications, and other forms of dispute resolution. The catastrophic injury team works with blue-chip insurers and reinsurers, and handles litigation including severe multiple-injury, spinal cord damage and brain injury cases. Team members have specialist knowledge of areas such as rehabilitation and occupational therapy and are supported by an online database of experts.
The health and safety team is made up of leading lawyers in the defence of prosecutions for a variety of offences, including environmental and regulatory matters and manslaughter. It provides expert advice at short notice to assist during HSE and EA investigations and will prepare and conduct a strong defence or mitigation. It has a wide range of experience in defending prosecutions in the heavy industry, motor transport, construction and rail industry sectors.
The criminal defence team defends motorists in a range of areas, including death by dangerous driving. Clients are supported throughout the process, including at PACE interviews and inquests.
Other offices: Bristol, London EC3, Manchester, Milton Keynes
Number of UK partners 17
Number of other UK fee-earners 85
Above material supplied by Greenwoods Solicitors.