The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > London > Personal injury: defendant

BLM remains the 'firm of choice for some of the biggest personal injury defendant clients', in sectors as diverse as transport, construction, healthcare and financial services. The team's 'wide-ranging knowledge and expertise' is evidenced by its specialised departments. The occupation disease team is headed by Michelle Penn, whilst 'excellent personal injury lawyer' Matthew Ford leads the London casualty team. The public sector group is under the leadership of Michael Pether, who focuses on the defence of high profile sexual and physical abuse and bullying claims, including group litigation. London office head Paula Jefferson leads the abuse and neglect practice group. For catastrophic injuries, the key contacts are team head Antony French and subtle brain damage expert Claire Collins. The firm has also benefited from the arrival of Deirdre Burgess and Anthony Rawlins, both formerly of DWF.

DWF is described by one client as operating at 'the very pinnacle of defendant personal injury work', with a particular focus on complex liability claims including fatal accidents, severe brain and spinal injuries, amputations, and international matters. The team provides 'a quality and breadth of service that is unrivalled' to a range of insurers, adjusters, brokers and self-insureds, including work for more than half of the London Boroughs. The occupational health department is led by Mark Whittaker, who handles a wide range of contentious cases for county and district councils, as well as advising on the establishment of insurance-based funds. The catastrophic personal injury team is headed up by Steven King and also includes the 'outstanding' Rhys Sanchez. Also notable is Claire Bowler, who acts for a number of UK and European insurers across the entire spectrum of large loss and catastrophic claims.

Clyde & Co LLP fields a 'strong team at all levels', which handles the full range of matters relating to serious injury and disease litigation. Jennette Newman specialises in dealing with complex and multi-party bodily injury litigation for insurers, re-insurers and risk carriers, as well as advising on health and safety regulatory investigations and prosecutions against local authorities. Newman leads the team along with Jonathan Edwards and Tony Cawley, the latter of whom acts in catastrophic injury claims alongside complex occupational stress, harassment and bullying in the workplace cases. For employers' and public liability claims, Leanne Conisbee is a key name to note.

Alongside its work on maximum severity injuries and large loss claims, the Plexus Law personal injury team is 'especially adept at handling catastrophic workplace accidents and high value quantum claims'. The firm also fields a significant public sector division, which undertakes work for more than 60 public sector bodies nationally, including all the major police forces, many local authorities and the Ministry of Defence. Practice head Andrew Caplan's key area of focus is representing high profile individuals, charities and organisations facing sensitive allegations, often of a sexual or physical nature. Joanne Pizzala acts for major UK motor insurers in large claims where significant exaggeration is considered.

RPC fields a 'formidable team' which is 'extremely adept at concluding large loss claims quickly and economically'. The practice is jointly headed by Gavin Reese, who has significant expertise in catastrophic injury, stress claims and chronic pain cases; industrial disease expert Nick McMahon, whose workload also includes group actions; and medical malpractice specialist Dorothy Flower, who regularly acts for manufacturers and suppliers of medical devices and pharmaceuticals involved in product liability claims, and defends chief risk officers involved in injury claims connected with clinical trials. Senior associate Steven Aitken is also recommended.

Complex employers' and public liability claims epitomise the work profile of the 'resourceful' personal injury team at Browne Jacobson LLP. The firm focuses particularly on the education sector, and regularly acts on behalf of the Department for Education in respect of their Risk Protection Arrangement for schools scheme.  Practice head David Maggs deals principally with novel and high-profile claims on behalf of local government.

Hill Dickinson LLP fields a team of specialist personal injury lawyers dealing with crew and passenger accidents, sexual assault, class actions and fatalities throughout the marine sector, from oil majors to container ships, bulk carriers, yachts and fishing vessels. The firm is also instructed on the vast majority of industrial disease claims brought in the marine and port industry, and practice head John Caddies has 'exceptional knowledge of asbestos-related matters'.

The team at Ince has extensive experience resolving personal injury claims in the aviation, shipping and construction industries. Practice head John McGowan has gained particular expertise in defending public liability claims against one of the world’s leading people movement specialists arising out of lift, escalator, travellator and automatic door accidents.

At Keystone Law, Steven Conway has particular experience defending insurers and local authorities against a wide variety of liability claims brought against them. The team also includes Cordelia Rushby, who is 'completely on top of her game' when acting for income protection providers, manufacturers, and employers on a whole range of claims, including employers' and occupiers' liability.