The ‘well-resourced and outstandingly efficient‘ team at Hugh James is experienced in handling several of the largest product liability claims in the UK in recent history, with particularly strong expertise in the medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs space. Mark Harvey oversees the group; he is described as ‘a partner with masses of experience, including as lead solicitor in large GLOs‘, and is praised for his work on product regulatory reform. Further evidence of the group’s wider product liability experience lies in the work of Pauline Roberts, which includes high-profile recent multi-party litigation.
Product liability: claimant in London
Hugh James
Practice head(s):
Mark Harvey
Other key lawyers:
Pauline Roberts; Catherine Harris; Aidan Lloyd
Testimonials
‘Attentive, efficient, supportive, explained things step by step.’
‘Spent as much time as I needed to explain the legal process, answered questions clearly and concisely. Listened well.’
‘One of the leading claimant product liability firms with a team to match. Extremely experienced at all levels, whether group or individual cases.’
‘Mark Harvey is a partner with masses of experience, including as lead solicitor in large GLOs. He was a member of one of the Commission’s expert working groups on product liability reform.’
‘Aidan Lloyd displays really good attention to detail.’
‘Pauline Roberts is very experienced in product liability cases.’
‘Catherine Harris was very helpful, and had an extremely good grasp of the detail of the claim. She was adept at drafting both the schedule of loss and witness statement based on the instructions.’
‘Hugely experienced product liability team that seems to have been involved in the majority of the major product liability group actions over the last 25 years. Fantastically well-resourced team, outstandingly efficient.’
Key clients
Cohort of Oculentis Intraocular lens claimants
Cohort of vaginal mesh claimants
Irwin Mitchell
As well as acting in a high volume of group claims, with a particular emphasis on matters related to medical negligence, abuse and aviation disasters, Irwin Mitchell also has expertise in individual actions relating to defective products. Tim Annett is lauded for his ‘tremendous technical knowledge combined with a commercial approach‘. He leads the team alongside Sallie Booth, who is praised for being ‘highly strategic in her management of product liability claims‘. Elsewhere, Catherine Slattery and Natalie Truman stand out for product liability claims with a clinical negligence aspect.
Practice head(s):
Tim Annett; Sallie Booth
Other key lawyers:
Catherine Slattery; Natalie Truman
Testimonials
‘Tim Annett deployed considerable resources, contacts, expertise and experience to manage the whole process – from finding the right technical experts to investigate the cause of the defective product to identifying the appropriate medical experts to assess the injuries and medical conditions caused by the product defect.’
‘We really appreciate having Tim Annett, a talented and experienced partner, managing our case, and being the single point of contact, which means we can maintain consistency and have streamlined communications. In addition to being experienced and knowledgeable in product liability cases, he is great at explaining to lay people like us the technical legal complexities whenever we have questions.’
‘Strong market presence, good client handling, and good reputation.’
‘Sallie Booth is highly strategic in her management of product liability claims, and she brings a huge amount of experience. She is dogged with defendants and as a result usually achieves superlative results for her clients.’
‘Tim Annett and Catherine Slattery are excellent with clients. Very good at instructions.’
‘The Irwin Mitchell product liability team are very well resourced, which is necessary for claimants bringing product liability claims against large companies. They are willing to back claims to trial which defendants are aware of and helps achieve settlement results. Irwin Mitchell have access to some of the best respected product liability experts which is essential in this type of litigation.’
‘Tim Annett is highly experienced and very well respected in this market. He is not phased by difficult litigation and is great to work alongside for that reason. He has tremendous technical knowledge combined with a commercial approach. He achieves very good results for his clients.’
‘There are few firms who have the experience, staff or resources to take on large group actions which often proliferate in product liability claims. Irwin Mitchell has a very long and illustrious record doing this and they are credited with being in many of the most high-profile claimant product liability actions. They often are the lead solicitors in group actions given their huge experience.’
Key clients
Boeing 737 Claims
Sorin heater-cooler
Nutribullet
Advanced Bionics
Zimmer Biomet NexGen
Trans-Vaginal Mesh Litigation
Claims against Optegra
Claims arising from alleged defective IVF freezing solution
Work highlights
- Agreeing a process for the resolution of claims in the JJML POP litigation relating to trans-vaginal mesh.
- Advising potential claimants in connection with concerns arising from defective freezing solution used for IVF and handling significant media interest related to this.
- Assisted Nutribullet with a claim arising from alleged defective blenders.
Leigh Day
Leigh Day, a firm ‘at the forefront of promoting product liability claims in the UK, particularly group actions‘, has a strong track record in the realm of product safety and consumer law, covering cases related to pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer goods, bicycles and sporting equipment, among others. Michelle Victor, who is head of the firm’s food safety team, has experience of representing clients in multi-party claims and in high-profile inquests. Strong litigators Jill Paterson and Thomas Jervis , who excels in handling fatal product liability cases, are described as ‘excellent in claims involving regulatory challenges’. Tina Patel is instrumental in the group’s work on medical device claims, and the team was further bolstered by the return of Sarah Moore from Hausfeld & Co LLP in January 2024. Martyn Day remains a high-profile figure in this field.
Other key lawyers:
Michelle Victor; Jill Paterson; Gene Matthews; Sapna Malik; Sarah Moore; Philippa Wheeler; Thomas Jervis; Sally Moore; Daniel Easdon; Jamie Beagent; Richard Meeran; Tina Patel
Testimonials
‘Excellent reputation and experience in product liability matters. There are not many actions where they are not involved somewhere!’
‘Sarah Moore provides real attention to detail in cases. Lots of experience, understands everything about it, and a thought leader as member of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law Product Liability Forum.’
‘Jill Paterson and Thomas Jervis are both excellent in claims involving regulatory challenges.’
‘Leigh Day are leaders in the product liability field in my opinion. Their team have an unparalleled knowledge of the area and they are prepared to take new and untested points where appropriate. They work extremely hard for their clients and are also delightful to work with!’
‘Tom Jervis is a product liability star with great instincts and a real depth of knowledge of the area.’
‘I consider Leigh Day to be at the forefront of promoting product liability claims in the UK, particularly those involving group actions. They have unique experience of some of the most challenging claims, many involving jurisdictional issues and overseas defendants. They are not afraid to take on large corporate interests.’
‘Jill Paterson is a brilliant lawyer and delightful to work with. She brings such experience to every claim.’
‘Philippa Wheeler is a great lawyer with an inquiring mind. She is adept at pursuing her client’s best interests.’
Key clients
NOx Emissions Group Litigation
Abbott Laboratories ‘Assurity’ and ‘Endurity’ devices
Contaminated Blood
Stade De France – Group Claim v UEFA
Various Parties v AstraZeneca UK Ltd
Sarah de Lagarde v Transport for London
Advanced Bionics AG Cochlear Implant Claims
Celia Marsh
Inquest into the Death of James Atkinson (Deliveroo Anaphylaxis Case)
Susan Axelby
Whirlpool Tumble Dryer Fatalities
JF v Lynton Lasers
Michael McKeon v Ewood Bikes
Benjamin Norbury v Giant UK Limited
ZB v Dexcom Inc.
Zimmer Biomet NexGen and Attune Knee Replacement Components
Work highlights
- Representing over 280,000 claimants against 16 defendants in Diesel Emissions litigation, the largest ever consumer group action in the UK.
- Acts for a group of bereaved and seriously injured claimants in a claim against AstraZeneca in relation to side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Represented the family of James Atkinson at the inquest proceedings into his death following an anaphylactic reaction from food ordered on Deliveroo.