Bernadette McGhie > Russell-Cooke LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Russell-Cooke LLP
8 Bedford Row London
WC1R 4BX
England

Work Department

Personal injury and clinical negligence team.

Position

Bernadette is a consultant in the personal injury and clinical negligence team and heads the brain injury team.

Bernadette has a varied caseload of wholly clinical negligence cases but her main area of expertise is in brain injuries including CP cases, meningitis and encephalitis as well as maternal injury in pregnancy. Bernadette’s nursing background greatly informs her legal practice and helps her to see both sides of any dispute. She is also committed to improving maternity safety working alongside charities such as Baby Lifeline.

As part of Bernadette’s everyday practice she is used to dealing with both lay clients and professionals such as clinicians and lawyers at all levels. Bernadette takes a collaborative approach to her work when dealing with opponents which leads to a more constructive working relationship and mutual respect.

Career

Before joining Russell-Cooke in October 2020 Bernadette previously was an Executive Director in the clinical negligence team of Enable Law (part of the Foot Anstey group) which she joined in May 2017 following transfer of the clinical negligence team from Michelmores where she had been a partner since 2010.

Memberships

  • AvMA clinical negligence specialist panel member
  • Member of Baby Lifeline’s multi-professional advisory panel, MPAP
  • Governor of Mary Hare school for the deaf and former trustee of the Meningitis Trust (Meningitis Now)
  • CEDR accredited mediator 2020

Education

  • BA Hons History & Anthropology – Oxford Brookes University
  • PG Diploma in Law – Oxford Brookes University
  • PG Diploma in Legal Practice – Oxford Institute of Legal Practice
  • Qualified general and paediatric nurse

Lawyer Rankings

London > Insurance > Clinical negligence: claimant

Russell-Cooke LLP’s team of ‘experienced clinical negligence lawyers with proven records’ is jointly led by Dominic Fairclough, who has notable inquest experience, and Janice Gardner, who ‘brings tactical nous to all her decisions’. Bernadette McGhie, who is singled out as being ‘one of the most experienced solicitors in the market’, leads the brain injury work, bringing her experience as a former paediatric nurse to claims including hypoxic brain injuries leading to cerebral palsy. The ability to work collaboratively with other teams within the firm is valuable to the clinical negligence practice; for example, the education law team is able to assist brain-injured clients with securing long-term support. Nimmisha Aslam is another recommended name.